From the Mouth of the Master- Part 6- Matthew 5:21-26

Introduction

To this point we have seen Jesus confronting the common ideas about character and morality and now He begins to get specific.

The next six portions of the sermon on the mount will contain several bold confrontational statements from Jesus which give explanation to the problem with much of the religious teaching of the day.

We will see that the mere keeping of the letter of the law is wholly insufficient for it becomes apparent that the commandments are much more than a list of rules to obey, but were intended to produce a specific character in the lives of those who follow them.

Jesus begins with the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” and then shows that merely refraining from committing murder is not sufficient.

At each juncture over the next six points of the “Sermon on the Mount”, we will see Jesus strike at the root of the sin which the law forbids.

This passage reveals several important truths: First we can clearly see...

Jesus’ Authority (Vs. 21-22)

In the OT we find the prophets crying out “thus saith the Lord” as well among the Rabbinic teachers of the day who would have taught (even if at times incorrectly) the Word of God.

Yet Jesus boldly goes further and basically establishes Himself as the authority on the moral obligations of the law.

Jesus simple statement You have heart that it was said… but I say unto you” points to the fact that Jesus was pronouncing an authoritative interpretation of the OT law which had never been given previously.

The religious leaders of the day were the foremost experts on all of the finest details of the outward expression of the law but had wholly neglected the inward attitudes which they were intended to address.

In each of these six points of the law, Jesus effectively raises the standard and reestablishes the original intent of the commandment not only to address the outward behavior of man but the inward condition of his heart.

This same statement will be repeated each time firmly establishing the fact that Jesus claimed a higher and greater authority than that of any teacher or religious leader for He was God in human form.

From this general truth we must now move to the specifics of the point which Jesus makes concerning the commandment…Thou Shalt Not Kill.

First Jesus addresses the...

The Letter of the Law (Vs. 21-22)

It is important to understand first of all that this commandment was never a broad restriction against the taking of life for this would cause God to contradict Himself as at times He instructed the children of Israel to destroy their enemies in battle.

The statement which Jesus makes here implies that for those who were given the authority of judgement the law was interpreted to mean simply that a man must not commit murder.

By this interpretation if a man had gone to the point of contemplating and even planning to kill another, so long as he had not carried out the actually act of murdering him, he had not broken the law.

This interpretation does not forbid anything outside of the actual physical act of committing murder. This interpretation is incredibly limited in its scope and does not do anything to address the underlying sin that might cause someone to commit such a heinous crime.

Jesus then offers...

A Fresh Interpretation (Vs. 23)

Jesus goes on to say that to be angry with a brother without a cause places a person equally in danger of judgment. Jesus moves beyond the act of murder to the emotion that often motivates a person to commit such a serious crime.

Again it is important to note that Jesus is not simply promoting a blanket restriction of anger, but is speaking specifically of an unprovoked anger that would lead a person into deeper sin.

It is a well known fact that anger is the primary motive for violence of any kind and this is especially true of those who go to the point of murder.

Jesus intent is to point out the sin within the heart which has the dangerous potential to lead a person to harm or even kill another.

He then goes a step further to point out that those who are willing to hurl insults at another are also in danger. This willingness to tear down another and to devalue them is what often leads to the point of serious harm.

Anger often begins with insults and then escalates to physical violence and if it is not dealt with, in the end a life may be taken.

Insults and hateful rhetoric back and forth until finally the conflict escalates to physical violence and then ultimately lives are lost.

There is a grave danger in dismissing hateful speech and causeless anger for these are sins which may ultimately lead to much more serious offenses.

At this point Jesus begins to describe the...

Practical Implications (Vs. 24-26)

This new perspective would obviously change the perception of many and would necessarily lead to a change in behavior.

Jesus begins with an illustration which describes the importance of seeking reconciliation.

The illustration He gives is of one who has come to offer sacrifice to God and then suddenly remembers that there is an unresolved conflict between himself and another. Many would simply proceed with the offering of sacrifice and possibly make future plans to go and seek reconciliation with the individual.

Jesus emphasizes the importance of seeking reconciliation by stating that if a person becomes aware of an unresolved conflict between himself and another that he should immediately leave the sacrifice to pursue reconciliation.

This strikes against the perceived importance of the sacrificial system and also serves to underscore the importance of resolving conflict swiftly.

Far too often, we allow hurts and anger to intensify unnecessarily because we are unwilling for any number of reasons to seek reconciliation.

Many times it is our pride that holds us back and at other times it may be that we feel we cannot forgive the wrong which has been done and on other occasions we may simply not be convinced that we have erred.

Yet the disciple of Christ will pursue swift reconciliation even in the most difficult of circumstances. No matter how we have been wronged or the injustice that we have suffered, we must yet seek to be reconciled with those who have injured us. We must also be willing to admit our wrongs and seek the forgiveness of others that we may bring about reconciliation with them.

Corrie Ten Boom forgives Ravensbruck prison guard- she had witnessed that those who forgive could move forward while those who resisted reconciliation were trapped in a prison of their own making.

The word translated “agree with” here means to be kindly dispositioned or friendly towards. The word adversary is an accuser or hostile opponent.

Jesus is here encouraging the making of amends with those who may have formerly opposed us. Again the emphasis is upon a quick resolution to the conflict lest it become more serious and prolonged to the point that you are imprisoned for the offense.

This certainly does not mean that we must compromise with the enemies of the gospel to pursue peace and avoid offense, but it does mean that when the conflict does not involve Bible Doctrine or principles we should seek resolution and reconciliation rather than allowing the conflict to continue.

When conflicts are allowed to persist they often escalate and there are often serious consequences that we may never have anticipated.

Much damage has been done to the cause of Christ throughout history because brethren engaged in needless conflict over preferential issues.

Conclusion

It is apparent from this remarkable discourse that the mere keeping of the letter of the law is not enough, we must always be on guard against the inward thoughts and attitudes of our mind and heart if we are to be disciples of Christ.

The disciple of Christ is not primarily concerned with keeping a list of rules but is deeply committed to maintaining a right relationship with God and man through obedience and a willingness to admit wrong and seek reconciliation.

In this case and in each of the other five yet to come, Jesus raises the bar of what is expected. The average believer may be content with merely not being guilty of murder, but the disciple of Christ will guard his heart and mind against unprovoked anger and insult and will seek swift reconciliation when there is conflict no matter who is at fault.

One important distinction that must be made is that this ethic is utterly unachievable in the flesh, for it is the product of the work of the Spirit of God within us.

If you do not know Christ personally this standard is an impossibility until you are willing to turn to Him in faith and repentance and only then will the Spirit of God be able to produce such character in your life.