Murder in the Heart

Last Week:

Jesus hit on one of the core themes of the whole SotM

He stated that all of the OT pointed to him

He not only was predicted by the OT but all over the OT we find people, events, stories, that all point to Jesus

With authority Jesus then made a shocking statement:

Matthew 5:20 (CSB)

For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus isn’t saying that his disciples needed to do more than the Pharisees and religious leaders

He is saying that we need a different kind of righteousness

The Pharisees were doing all of the right acts but had all of the wrong motives

We’ll see this in a couple of weeks but they were known for giving, praying, and fasting in public just to be seen by others

So today we’ll see the first practical area that Jesus expounds what true righteousness looks like: Murder and Anger

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 5:21–26 (CSB)

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire. So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

So while listening to this one question comes to mind:

Why Is Jesus So Intense?

I know that murder is wrong, but really?

Being angry at someone is subject to judgement?

ASK: Moment of truth, How many of you have been angry at another person?

This seems pretty unreasonable, all of us get angry...

So I think theres a couple of things we need to address so that we can better understand what Jesus meant by these words...

What does Jesus mean when he says, “You have heard that it was said… But I tell you...”?

We often read this or are taught that this passage is Jesus ‘raising the bar’ on what God demands from us

These verses are often treated as if there is discontinuity here, as if Jesus is upping the ante on God’s righteous standards. In an intensifying way Jesus is saying, “You think murdering was bad, now God is getting even more hardcore! You better not even hate someone else!”

Just a bit of reflection reveals that this is not what Jesus is arguing.

Again, Jesus is NOT giving us more law to do

Jesus is revealing to us the root of the problem

Its not enough to just ‘not commit murder’

I hope all of us in this room can say that we are not guilty in that area

But there is a deeper problem

What Constitutes Murder?

In these verses we see the principle at work[and we will see in the same in the coming weeks]: Jesus takes up a command from the Jewish tradition and, without overturning it, shows the true intent and practical reality of the commandment, all the while driving home his point with urgency.

Invasive Plants

Definition: Plants that are not native to an environment, and once introduced, they establish, quickly reproduce and spread, and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

Because of Globalization we see this problem everywhere

Different Kinds of Invasive Plants

Big Plants

There are ones you can see that are huge and that cause chemical burns if you touch them and poison if you eat them

Giant Hogweed can grow from 7-14 feet tall with leaves up to 5 feet wide

Poision Hemlock can grow from 4-9 feet tall

Pokeweed can grow up to 10 feet tall

Now if you saw one of these in your garden you would know immediately that you have a problem

A little weed grew overtime and now its a lot bigger of a problem

Little Plants

There are also invasive plants that are hard to recognize as bad, especially when surrounded by other plant life

Japanese Knotweed look like leave on a vine (very pretty)

But they can destroy ecosystems

They affect the soil quality and absorb nutrients that other plants need

They affect the water quality if they are found near streams

They affect the biodiversity causing many other plants to die out because of competition

They affect the fish and wildlife habitat and contribute to endangered species

They can cause trees to fall down prematurely

They can make areas a greater fire risk

They affect costs and the economy

It is estimated “that invasive plants cost the U.S. economy $120 billion dollars annually in lost crop and livestock production, control efforts, property value damage”

The reason I wanted to talk about these plants for a little because I think it is a great illustration for this truth that Jesus is getting at:

Its not just the big outward obvious sins (like murder) that we need to avoid

We must be on the lookout for the roots of evil (as small as they might seem) to avoid our lives being rotted away slowly but surely

Here Jesus:

traces murder to its dark lair in human hearts: hatred. The God who sees in secret is affronted not only by the fruit, murder, but by the root, hatred. Hatred may not be accountable in a court of law, but it is to have no place among members of the kingdom. Anger will have to face the judgment of God.

We see this exact principle in the telling of the first murder ever committed:

Genesis 4:3–10 (CSB)

In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!

So it’s clear, of course we aren’t to murder (we want our gardens to be free of the big weeds), but how do we possibly not get angry at others?

What is wrong with Murder and Anger

So we haven’t addressed this but at the core of this sin is the fact that other humans are just as equally made in the image of God as you and I are

Murdering someone, taking their life, is an assault against the character of God himself

We are not seeing someone for who they truly are and we are making a moral judgement over the value of their life

(They do not deserve to live… They deserve to die)

Anger isn’t much different...

A feeling of justification that we don’t have to treat others in love, as someone who is created in the image of God

When we are angry we often think:

They don’t deserve my love, because of how they wronged me

They don’t deserve my help or my attention because of who they are

We essentially say… “I wish you were dead, so I can have things my own way”

What Do We Do About Anger?

If any of you know the Bible there is one huge elephant in the room: Jesus got angry!

John 2:14–16 (CSB)

In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

So is Jesus being a hypocrite?!

No!

Ephesians 4:26–27 (CSB)

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.

Psalm 4:4 (CSB)

Be angry and do not sin;

reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent.

You see anger itself, is not a sin

But hatred directed at another human is

All through the OT we see that God gets angry

Even is one of the most encouraging passages we read about this

Exodus 34:6–7 (CSB)

The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed:

The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

This is because the anger of God is a righteous anger, it actually stems from a deep love

Think about someone you love very dearly, if somebody did something terrible to them you would be angry

Not because the other person is bad necessarily (because it might be an accident)

But you’d be angry because someone you love had been hurt

In fact, if you weren’t angry it would show that you might not even care about them at all

Think of a parent finding out that their child is being bullied at school

Luther certainly knew in his own experience the meaning of righteous anger. He called it ‘an anger of love, one that wishes no one any evil, one that is friendly to the person but hostile to the sin’. The reference of Jesus, then, is to unrighteous anger, the anger of pride, vanity, hatred, malice and revenge.

So in this fallen world, things suck, we will experience anger

The point isn’t trying to turn off your emotions that you don’t feel angry

Its finding a right direction for your anger and reconciling and making peace with others

Ephesians 6:12 (CSB)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

Our anger isn’t to be directed at people, our battle isn’t against people, our true enemy isn’t another human

It’s not the friend that betrayed you

It’s not the person gossiping about you behind your back

It’s not the person that is actually deliberately out to get you

Our true enemy is behind the scenes of all of that

He is working to cause division and chaos between us and others

And we have every right to be angry with that

We aren't focusing our anger on other people but the true enemies

Ephesians 4:26–27 (CSB)

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.

anger can lead to compassion

So What is Jesus calling us to do?

Jesus doesn’t just leave us with “don’t murder, don’t be angry, go and do it”

Jesus does not just make general proverbial statements; he offers real-life examples of what his wisdom teaching looks like in practice.

Matthew 5:23–26 (CSB)

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

Here Jesus gives us two examples:

Our brother or sister (someone in the Church), someone in your community

Our adversary (our enemy), someone that isn’t ‘on our side’

With this Jesus is telling his followers that we are to be marked by our ability to make and live at peace with others

Remember “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”

Now he’s not just speaking about peace in general terms

Very specifically peace among those we live our lives with and even those who are our enemies

The First Example

Jesus shows that our relationships with others are essential to our worship of God

It is no good supposing God will be pleased with your worship if your heart is full of bitterness against someone else. Among children of the kingdom, acceptable worship involves repairing relationships. And reconciliation with others flows from reconciliation with God

Peacemaking is actually a form of worship

Why don’t I feel God when I worship?

Maybe it is because you haven’t given God everything

You are holding onto bitterness or anger against another person

priority of peacemaking

The Second Example

Jesus shows that we aren’t called to only live at peace with those who love us back

We are called to make peace and not harbor hatred even to our enemies

And his practical teaching here is do it as soon as possible

Don’t wait and let it linger

Here Jesus gives us a very simple model for living at peace with others

First, we must admit the wrong in our anger. Second, we must do what we can to correct it. And third, we must do what we can do immediately

There has to be an emphasis on the immediacy of this reconciliation

Anger and hatred only get worse over time

It spreads in us growing, causing more anger and resentment

It continues to grow causing us to tell others and gossip

It can even continue to grow to the point of an outburst

Whether that is lashing out with harsh words

Physically attacking someone

Or even actually murdering someone

Just like the weeds, if you let them continue to grow without uprooting them, they will eventually destroy your garden

Not only that but they can spread and harm other peoples plants as well.

But immediately, as soon as we are conscious of a broken relationship, we must take the initiative to mend it, to apologize for the grievance we have caused, to pay the debt we have left unpaid, to make amends. And these extremely practical instructions Jesus drew out from the sixth commandment as its logical implications! If we want to avoid committing murder in God’s sight, we must take every possible positive step to live in peace and love with all.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (CSB)

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.

Even if others refuse to be at peace with us, we cannot let it be a reason to hold onto hatred and anger towards them:

Romans 12:19–21 (CSB)

Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

This is what Jesus’s kingdom is about

It’s not about conquering evil with evil

Its not about stopping the murderous Roman Empire by bringing an army to murder them

Its all about conquering evil with good

Luke 23:34 (CSB)

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”

Not holding their sin against them but offering peace and reconciliation

In the SotM this is what Jesus is setting forth:

Jesus didn’t only teach this

He lived by his teachings

And he didn’t only live by his teachings

He died for them

This is the way for followers of Jesus to emulate

You can’t have the life of Jesus without the lifestyle of Jesus

Living as a peacemaker is costly and can be painful

But with it comes the blessing of being recognized as a child of God

Conclusion

Now because the nature of this teaching is so personal, so hidden in our hearts, you need to find out where Jesus is calling you to peace and reconciliation in your life

Who is a person you are not at peace with in your life?

Is there anyone you would consider your enemy?

How can you make attempts to reconcile?

Is there an urgency? Will you let it continue to grow?

Can you see the true enemy at work?

Are you able to have compassion on those who have wronged you?