The Heart of a Peacemaker (Matthew 5:21-26)
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Sermon
Sermon
Key Passage
Key Passage
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Introduction
Introduction
Sermon on the Mount
Jesus is King, Messiah, and the Son of God
Jesus began to preach the Gospel to the people in Northern Israel
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Immediately upon preaching this message, He went out and called a few guys to follow Him.
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Following Jesus
Being changed by Jesus as we follow
Obedient to the mission of Jesus to make more disciples
This was the message and this was the calling of the Kingdom of Heaven
So Jesus was teaching that the Kingdom of Heaven was near
He had disciples who were following Him
Now, He began to teach His disciples and the followers who gathered around what the Kingdom of God looked like.
This was the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount can be summarized into this idea: We must surrender to the authority and the will of the King in everything we do.
He begins by stating what we call the Beatitudes.
This is what goodness and joy look like in the Kingdom.
These are the things that are celebrated!
One of these that we will focus on today is:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
A few weeks ago, when we discussed this passage, we looked at Jesus who was the perfect example of a peacemaker.
When we live our lives with a ministry of reconciliation, we look like our Dad (Father in Heaven).
I want to extend this, because this is very important and I want to use the passages we have covered to create our context for understanding what Jesus is saying in our passage today.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we live according to the authority and will of God, our lives look different. We are salt and light in the world
It looks different and it is a surrender of our will to the will of God.
When this is done, it brings glory to God, not us because His will is seen.
We look like our dad.
As we have navigated these passages, there is a common thread that we have been addressing:
But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
The Kingdom of Heaven is not about adding laws, or interpreting the laws in new ways.
Last week, we saw that the law is good and still in effect, but that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. He is the perfection of the Law.
If the heart is changed, then we don’t need to worry about the law.
We must keep our eyes focused on our Hearts. It is the way of the Kingdom and the calling of the disciple.
Preachy Time
Preachy Time
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Jesus directs our attention to the law
You shall not murder.
Last week, we saw that Jesus said that the law is good.
Is the law good? Yes.
Is the law still in effect? Is it still bad to murder? Yes.
Jesus is not abolishing the law.
He is recognizing and acknowledging that this is what is taught.
Also, He is highlighting that the extent of this law is that we shouldn’t murder. But anything else that leads up to murder is ok. as long as you don’t cross the line and kill someone.
We will revisit this passage at the end of our sermon today.
What we will look at today is the Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Jesus identifies that the law covers the action of murder. But Jesus exposes a much deeper issue than the act of murder.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.
A Peacemaker Recognizes their Emotions
A Peacemaker Recognizes their Emotions
How far away is anger from murder?
A really long ways away.
All of us have felt anger.
However, very few of us have murdered someone.
I don’t say “none” of us, because I just don’t know.
The first thing that Jesus talks about is the emotion of anger
The emotion of anger is not seen on the outside, it is that underlying anger that we have within our soul about someone else.
To understand this, the Greek language here doesn’t say this is an active anger, like my anger is creating something within me.
This is a “passive” verb, implying that it is the anger that simply rests within you that is not dealt with.
I want to say that there is righteous anger and there is unrighteous anger.
The problem with “righteous anger” is that we usually define “righteous” as “I am right, therefore, it is justified for me to be angry.”
That is not righteous anger. Righteous anger is not when I am right. Otherwise, most of my anger would be justified.
Righteous anger has to do with the nature of God.
When people act in a way to separate mankind from the nature of God or represent God in a way that is not consistent with His nature.
And usually, this is not done out of ignorance.
Jesus’ anger was not directed toward the lost or the ignorant.
Jesus’ anger was usually directed toward the ones who claimed to be righteous.
Those who were at the temple selling sacrifice, for example.
I think we can carry this definition out, but to what effect.
I think that most of us know that most of our anger is not righteous anger.
Most of us know that our anger is rooted in pain or conflict directed at another person.
When this anger is resting within our soul, Jesus says, “You will be subject to judgment”.
This may sound harsh, but Jesus is communicating the principle that he later explains in Matthew 15 about how it is out of the heart that all of the evil acts arise.
How do we know what is in our heart? We can first look at our emotions.
If my emotions display anger, then there is an issue in my heart that needs to be addressed before God.
When we see Jesus, He is the example of being a peacemaker that begins with His emotion.
If we were to put one emotion to Jesus regarding a sinful world that rejected Him and despised Him, what would that emotion be?
Love.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I can start to share the Bible verses that show the love of God, but I love this one.
While we were still sinners.
What does that mean?
While we were enemies of the cross. While we were living in sin. While we rejected Jesus and everything He stood for.
What was His response? Love.
Not just the emotion love, but a love that led to action.
We will talk about that connection here in a minute.
If we are called to be peacemakers and as peacemakers, we look like our Heavenly Father, we must recognize that the root of our peacemaking isn’t in how right or wrong the other person is.
It is in our heart and recognizing and dealing with our emotions.
If we deal with our emotions before they become words or actions, it is much easier than when we open the box of discord and conflict, because now other people are involved.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
A Peacemaker Manages their Words.
A Peacemaker Manages their Words.
The next step beyond having anger in ones heart is the words that come out of our mouths.
When we have a relational discord in our hearts, it may begin with emotion and/or anger.
But when that remains unchecked, it moves on into our words.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Our words are simply fruit of what our heart is full of.
In this passage, Jesus says two very simple, but (in my opinion) often overly defined statements.
Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Raca- A mildly insulting word used to tease. It means, “empty head” or “low intelligence”
If anyone says, “Raca”, they are answerable to the court.
I looked up this word, “Raca” in the original language. The Greek word here is: Raca.
The Bible translators don’t translate the word, they just give us the word as it was in their language.
So since we know what the word is, what does it mean?
Raca- A mildly insulting word used to tease. It means, “empty head” or “low intelligence”
Basically, this is boiled down to a simple and seemingly harmless insult
Calling someone dumb.
I want to go to the progression of our passage to this point.
Is it wrong to simply call someone a name? There may be mild consequences.
In this passage, it says, “You are answerable to the court” or more simply, what you say to another person you are accountable for under the laws of the land.
But deeper than this, the verse goes on:
Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.
This sounds pretty intense.
Is this the unforgivable sin?
No, I don’t think so. There is nothing in the Bible to support that interpretation.
But it does have a pretty strong consequence, so we shouldn’t disregard this passage either.
The phrase, “You fool” is more than an insult. It is assigning identity and value to a person.
In the book of Proverbs, there is a series of great descriptions of what a fool is, and how they act.
Solomon isn’t going to hell because he said, “The person who lives like this is a fool”
We need to grasp the context of this passage to interpret it correctly.
What is our context?
Anger. Being a person of peace. Looking like our Father. Becoming like Jesus.
If we allow our anger to grow from “joking” words, to harmful, identifying, devaluing words, intended to tear another person down, our heart is truly revealed.
This is all from the overflow of our hearts.
What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Look like our dad.
For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.
Here is the thing, we are all here. Jesus calls us to follow Him, be changed by Him and be obedient to Him as we make disciples.
If we are going to look like Jesus, we must address our hearts.
If our words are broken, our hearts are out of line.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
A Peacemaker resolves conflict
A Peacemaker resolves conflict
I love this. Jesus gives the example of a person who is bringing an offering before God.
If you are offering your gift at the altar.
What is greater, what is more important, what is of higher value than worship to God.
But what God is saying here is that relationships matter to Him.
Not just our relationship with Him. But also, our relationship with each other.
I want to go back the the account of creation.
When God created man in the Garden of Eden mankind was alone.
After creating everything else, God said, “It is good.” “It is good.”
This was just Adam and God in the garden of Eden.
If we were designed for a one-on-one relationship with God alone, then that would have been enough.
But it wasn’t.
God said, “it is NOT good for man to be alone.”
We were created for relationship with God and we are accountable to Him for that relationship.
However, we were also created for relationship with one another
And we are accountable to God for that as well.
Jesus says later in Matthew:
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
What Jesus is saying here is a simple idea. “Who you are in relationship with others impacts who you are in relationship with God.”
There is something more than just human friendships. There is a spiritual impact and a spiritual accountability in our relationships.
If we are at odds with one another and have hearts of discord, then we are broken with God.
It is a matter of our hearts that are revealed.
Jesus modeled this with His disciples
Did Jesus model relationship with God? Yes.
However, He did not model relationship with God alone. He also modeled relationship with one another.
The disciples saw the love Jesus had for the lost and the broken. They saw how Jesus valued relationship with them as His disciples.
If they are going to look like Jesus, then their hearts toward relationship will look the same.
This concept circles back around to our text:
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Does this say, “If you have a problem with someone else, go resolve it?” No.
It says, “if someone has an issue with you, go resolve it.”
If you are disciple of Jesus, who’s responsibility is it to resolve conflict with those around us?
It is ours!
What if it is our conflict with them?
It is ours!
What if it is their conflict with us?
It is ours!
This is what it looks like to look like our dad!
At Real Life Selkirk, we emphasize relationship as a central tenet of our vision.
We know that God created us for relationship.
We see Jesus’ model of discipleship through relationship.
When we say, “We are a relational church. We don’t mean that we only strive to be friendly. Relationship is loving when you don’t want to, forgiving because we are called to, resolving conflict even when it isn’t ours.”
It matters enough to Jesus. It ought to matter enough to us.
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
A Peacemaker Strives for Peace with his Enemies
A Peacemaker Strives for Peace with his Enemies
This passage says, that we should settle matters quickly with our adversary.
An adversary is an enemy. Someone who is opposing us.
Who’s responsibility is it to settle the matter? Ours!
This just doesn’t seem fair to most of us.
Our enemies are our enemies.
Well let me give you a sneak peek to a passage that is coming in a few weeks.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This circles us back around to our opening passage today:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
Conclusion
We can look at these passages as additional rules.
Murder is bad. But also, speaking bad is bad. Having anger is bad.
We can add an additional 10 commandments to the 10 commandments.
If we do this, we are adding additional burden to the law.
Jesus came to be the fulfilment of the law.
He came to give us a new heart. When we seek Jesus we seek the heart of Jesus.
Part of that heart is the heart of a peacemaker.
Heart of a Peacemaker
It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong
It doesn’t matter if it is a friend or enemy
It doesn’t matter if others see it or not
God desires us to be peacemakers
If the church lives as peace makers in our world, then the kingdom looks different than the world around it.
It becomes a Jesus-looking entity in our community.
Preach to the Broken hearted
Gospel
God made peace with us. We strive for peace with others
Declarative Gospel (Gospel proper)
The Kingdom of God is here!
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and the King of Kings
He died on the cross paying the penalty for our sin
He resurrected from the dead giving us an eternal hope
Imperative Gospel (Our response to the declaration)
Faith
Follow Me (Matthew 4:19)
Repent & be baptized (sanctification)
Peace must become a matter of our heart
Real Life in Action:
HEAD: Does my life look like a peacemaker?
HEART: Ask God to grow a heart of peace within us.
HANDS: Allow God to guide your peace making steps.
