SF470 - The Importance of Right Relationships (Matthew 5 21-26)
Matthew 5:21-26
INTRODUCTION
Background
It is important to remember that beginning with today’s passage through the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus expounds on the meaning of his command, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
In this text, “Jesus used the phrase ‘You have heard that the ancients were told,’ or a similar one, to introduce each of the six corrective illustrations He gives in this part of His sermon (see vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). The phrase has reference to rabbinical, traditional teaching, and in each illustration, Jesus contrasts that human teaching with the divine Word of God.
In the six illustrations found in verses 21-48, Jesus first refers to two of the Ten Commandments, then to two more general principles in the law of Moses, and finally to the two broad principles of mercy and love. Murder and adultery deal with the foundational issues of individual and social preservation. Protection of life is the foundation of individual welfare, and protection of marriage is the foundation of social welfare. Divorce and truth telling involve a wider area of social relationships, and mercy and love a wider area still. The illustrations progress from the protection of each human life to the love of all human life, including enemies. Together, those illustrations affirm that every area of our lives should be characterized and measured by God’s perfect standard of inner righteousness. [John MacArthur, MacArthur's New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1-7 (Copyright © 1985 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1997, Parsons Technology, Inc), Chapter 26]
Five Basic Principles for 5:21-48
1. The spirit of the law is more important than the letter.
2. The law is positive as well as negative.
3. The law is not an end in itself; its supreme purpose is to glorify God.
4. God alone is qualified to judge men, He alone can judge hearts.
5. We are all commanded to live up to God’s perfect standard - no exceptions.
Three principles are set forth in today’s study
6. Right relationships demand a proper attitude.
7. Right relationships demand positive action.
8. Right relationships demand prompt attention.
1A. Right Relationships Demand a Proper Attitude (5:21-22)
1B. The danger of legalism (5:21)
Legalism reduces the laws of God to nothing more than external codes. Rules on a checklist that when checked off are fulfilled. This was never the Lord’s intention. God has always been more interested in man’s heart than his ability to keep a set of rules.
1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…”
Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.”
Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”
2B. The danger of anger (5:22a)
Is all anger wrong? Is there a type of anger that can be called righteous?
There is a righteous anger.
Psalm 97:10 “Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
Ephesians 4:26 “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”
John 2:14-17 “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.’”
Ø Righteous anger is motivated by our love and zeal for the Lord and His glory.
Ø Righteous anger is mandated when God’s word and ways are being misrepresented and misused.
Ø Righteous anger is manifested when we oppose sin and sinful men.
Ø Righteous anger results in the restoration of God’s truth and the recognition of God’s glory.
There is an unrighteous anger
“Angry,” ovrgizo,menoj verb participle present passive nominative masculine singular; ovrgi,zw only pass. in the NT 1aor. wvrgi,sqhn only of human and satanic anger be or become angry, furious, enraged. [Friberg Greek Lexicon, BibleWorks (1998)]
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;”
3B. The danger of slander
“You good for nothing,” r`aka, noun vocative masculine singular common; translit. fr. the Aram. and used as a term of verbal abuse mng. blockhead! numbskull! fool! (MT 5.22). (Friberg)
Ø It was a word of arrogant contempt.
Ø To slander a creature made in God’s image is to slander God Himself and is equivalent to murdering that person.
4B. The danger of condemnation
“fool” mwre, adjective normal vocative masculine singular; mwro,j( foolish, stupid always as a term of reproach. (Friberg)
“Moros (fool) means “stupid” or “dull” and is the term from which we get moron. It was sometimes used in secular Greek literature of an obstinate, godless person. It was also possibly related to the Hebrew maôraò, which means ‘to rebel against.’ To call someone You fool was to accuse them of being both stupid and godless.” (MacArthur, Chapter 27)
Ø Referred to those who lived morally wasted lives,
2A. Right relationships demand positive action (5:23-24)
1B. Remember (5:23)
1 John 3:19-20 “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”
If you remember someone has something against you because you have wronged them then go and try to be reconciled. Humble yourself. Reach out.
2B. Repent (5:24a)
Psalm 66:18 “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear”
Acts 26:20 “but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”
3B. Reconcile (5:24b)
We are responsible to pursue reconciliation, but we are to live with the pain if it does not succeed. In other words, we are not responsible to make reconciliation happen.
Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Jesus took every step required of a human being to make matters right with his enemies (he never sinned), and still they had things against him and were not reconciled to him.
4B. Return (5:24c)
1 Samuel 15:22 “Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.’”
3A. Right Relationships Demand Prompt Attention (5:25-26)
1B. We are to be quick in seeking reconciliation. (5:25a)
Ephesians 5:14-16 “For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.’ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
2B. We are to be serious in seeking reconciliation. (5:25b-26)
God takes very seriously our relationship with others.
1 John 4:20 “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
APPLICATION
Three principles…
9. God is more concerned about what is inside than what is on the outside.
10. Unholy, unchecked anger is deadly!
11. The power of reconciliation is more powerful than revenge!
Three questions…
12. If someone has something against me, is it because of something I should not have done or should not have said? Is it because of something I have neglected to or say? In other words, have I wronged someone?
13. If I am to blame, have I taken sufficient steps to be reconciled?
14. If not, am I willing to humble myself and make the contact before next Sunday?
Matthew 5:21-26
INTRODUCTION
Background
Beginning with today’s passage through the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus expounds on the meaning of his command, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“You have heard that the ancients were told,” or a similar one, to introduce each of the six corrective illustrations He gives in this part of His sermon (see vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). The phrase has reference to rabbinical, traditional teaching, and in each illustration, Jesus contrasts that human teaching with the divine Word of God.
Together, those illustrations affirm that every area of our lives should be characterized and measured by God’s perfect standard of inner righteousness. [John MacArthur]
Five Basic Principles for 5:21-48
1. The spirit of the law is more important than the letter.
2. The law is positive as well as negative.
3. The law is not an end in itself; its supreme purpose is to glorify God.
4. God alone is qualified to judge men, He alone can judge hearts.
5. We are all commanded to live up to God’s perfect standard - no exceptions.
Three principles are set forth in today’s study
1. Right relationships demand a proper attitude.
2. Right relationships demand positive action.
3. Right relationships demand prompt attention.
1A. Right Relationships Demand a Proper Attitude (5:21-22)
1B. The danger of legalism (5:21)
Legalism reduces the laws of God to nothing more than external codes.
1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…”
Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.”
Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”
2B. The danger of anger (5:22a)
There is a righteous anger.
Psalm 97:10 “Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
Ephesians 4:26 “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”
John 2:14-17
Ø Righteous anger is motivated by our love and zeal for the Lord and His glory.
Ø Righteous anger is mandated when God’s word and ways are being misrepresented and misused.
Ø Righteous anger is manifested when we oppose sin and sinful men.
Ø Righteous anger results in the restoration of God’s truth and the recognition of God’s glory.
There is an unrighteous anger
“Angry,” only of human and satanic anger be or become angry, furious, enraged. [Friberg Greek Lexicon, BibleWorks (1998)]
Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;”
3B. The danger of slander
“You good for nothing,” r`aka, translit. fr. the Aram. and used as a term of verbal abuse mng. blockhead! numbskull! fool! (Friberg)
Ø It was a word of arrogant contempt.
4B. The danger of condemnation
“fool” mwre, mwro,j( foolish, stupid always as a term of reproach. (Friberg)
It was sometimes used in secular Greek literature of an obstinate, godless person. It was also possibly related to the Hebrew maôraò, which means ‘to rebel against.’ To call someone You fool was to accuse them of being both stupid and godless.” (MacArthur, Chapter 27)
2A. Right relationships demand positive action (5:23-24)
1B. Remember (5:23)
1 John 3:19-20 “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”
2B. Repent (5:24a)
Psalm 66:18 “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear”
Acts 26:20 “but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”
3B. Reconcile (5:24b)
Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
4B. Return (5:24c)
1 Samuel 15:22 “Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.’”
3A. Right Relationships Demand Prompt Attention (5:25-26)
1B. We are to be quick in seeking reconciliation. (5:25a)
Ephesians 5:14-16 “… be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
2B. We are to be serious in seeking reconciliation. (5:25b-26)
1 John 4:20 “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
APPLICATION
Three principles…
1. God is more concerned about what is inside than what is on the outside.
2. Unholy, unchecked anger is deadly!
3. The power of reconciliation is more powerful than revenge!
Three questions…
1. If someone has something against me, is it because of something I should not have done or should not have said? Is it because of something I have neglected to or say? In other words, have I wronged someone?
2. If I am to blame, have I taken sufficient steps to be reconciled?
3. If not, am I willing to humble myself and make the contact before next Sunday?
THE IMPORTANCE OF RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS
Matthew 5:21-26
1A. Right Relationships Demand a Proper ______________________ (5:21-22)
1B. The danger of _____________________ (5:21)
1 Chronicles 28:9
2 Chronicles 16:9
Proverbs 16:2
Jeremiah 17:10
2B. The danger of ___________________ (5:22a)
There is a righteous anger.
Psalm 97:10
Ephesians 4:26
John 2:14-17
Ø Righteous anger is motivated by our love and zeal for the Lord and His glory.
Ø Righteous anger is mandated when God’s word and ways are being misrepresented and misused.
Ø Righteous anger is manifested when we oppose sin and sinful men.
Ø Righteous anger results in the restoration of God’s truth and the recognition of God’s glory.
There is an unrighteous anger
Hebrews 12:15
3B. The danger of __________________________
4B. The danger of condemnation
2A. Right relationships demand _______________ action (5:23-24)
1B. Remember (5:23)
1 John 3:19-20
2B. ____________________ (5:24a)
Psalm 66:18
Acts 26:20
3B. Reconcile (5:24b)
Romans 12:18
4B. _____________________ (5:24c)
1 Samuel 15:22
3A. Right Relationships Demand Prompt ___________________ (5:25-26)
1B. We are to be quick in seeking reconciliation. (5:25a)
Ephesians 5:14-16
2B. We are to be __________________ in seeking reconciliation. (5:25b-26)
1 John 4:20
Application
Three questions…
1. If someone has something against me, is it because of something I should not have done or should not have said? Is it because of something I have neglected to or say? In other words, have I wronged someone?
2. If I am to blame, have I taken sufficient steps to be reconciled?
3. If not, am I willing to humble myself and make the contact before next Sunday?