MATTHEW 5:21-26
KEEPING THINGS RIGHT, AM 5/18/03
#13 - SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Al Masters lives at the other end of our state. He's married and had a little boy and a small business. He considered himself very blessed. And then just before Christmas some years ago, his little boy was killed by a 15-year-old kid driving a car without a license. Al Masters was filled with a deep desire for revenge. And even though that youngster--15 years old--could not be brought before the full power of the law because he was a juvenile, Al Masters wanted the very book thrown at him.
Then, on Christmas Eve, his wife got him to come to the church. He listened to the story of the Word coming to the shepherds. He recognized that he was one of the world's ungood. And he began to weep. When he went out of the church, the next day, on Christmas, he set out to find out more about the boy who killed his son. He found that he came from a broken home, that he lived with his mother, who was an alcoholic. He went and he met the boy. He gave the boy a job in his shop, and then later took him into his home. And that boy, now a young man, says that Al Masters is the most saintly person he'd ever known. Biblical Illustrator 3.0, Parsons Technology - Bruce Thielemann, "Glory to God in the Lowest," Preaching Today, Tape No. 75.
With the help of Christ, Al Masters made things right.
When I was a senior in college, I decided to join the Baptist Church, leaving behind a liberal denomination. I don’t feel the decision was wrong, but out of fear of my father, I did not tell him. He was rightly upset when he found out from a member of his church, whom I had talked with.
That Easter we were both working with a florist.
I can remember Dad confronting me about the issue, and getting the matter settled. It helped to keep things right between Him and me.
One of the most difficult tasks we face as Christians is the practice of being right with people at work, people at home, people in school and our brothers and sisters in church. It is likely that there is at least one person in your life that you are currently at odds with or he is at odds with you. It is very possible that you are holding a grudge against someone who did something to hurt you or someone you love.
Why is it hard to get along well with all people all the time?
It is simply because we are human and have our faults.
It is simply because they are human and have their faults.
We are told in Romans 12:18 - If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
So how do we keep things right between us and others?
The Lord Jesus answers this question in Matthew 5:21-26.
This is our text as we continue to learn how to live righteously from the Sermon on the Mount. Three words in this text jump out as the key words for keeping things right with each other. I will use slightly different forms of two the words to form our outline.
ANGER
ALTAR
AGREEMENT
ANGER
The greatest cause of problems between us is anger.
That doesn’t mean you always blow your top.
It is possible to be annoyed, provoked, or mad because you’re hurt, upset by another’s actions without them ever knowing about it. You don’t have to yell, scream or holler in order to be angry.
When I am angry at someone, things are not right between us. When someone is angry at me things are not right between us. We can not sense the love of God when there is a division caused by anger in the brotherhood of Christ.
“Judge John A. Weeks spotted a man sitting in the rear of his Minneapolis courtroom wearing a hat. Disturbed by this disregard for courtroom decorum he ordered the man to leave.
“Then the clerk called for the burglary case of George A. Rodge, who had been freed on bond. Rogde didn’t come forward.
“Your honor,” said the prosecuting attorney, “that is the man that you ordered from the courtroom.”
“Police are still looking for Rodge.” Source Unknown
Vs. 21 – Jesus gives us the statement of the Old Testament
Law, as taught by the leaders of His day.
The only requirement, as seen by the religious leaders of the day, was not to murder (They were not talking about accidental or unintentional killing.).
As long as nobody was murdered, a person was allowed to be as angry as he or she cared to be.
Vs. 22 – In this verse Jesus shows us how guilty we are!
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:
How often have we been angry without cause?
The first murderer was Cain. The first murder victim was Abel.
Why did Cain murder Abel?
They both offered sacrifices to God.
God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but did not accept Cain’s.
Cain became angry.
Cain became so angry that he murdered his brother.
Jesus is telling us that the anger that leads some people to become murderers is wrong! And many have wished in their hearts that they could murder someone, or that a certain person would experience harm. We can become murderers in our hearts when we are angry for the wrong reasons.
There were times when Jesus became angry.
Jesus knew how to be angry at sin, and not to have a personal vendetta against the sinner.
As Kent Hughes said, “Jesus was angry at sin and injustice, but he never became angry at personal insult or affront.”
R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount - The Message of the Kingdom (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2001) p. 101
Much of our anger is caused because we feel wronged, hurt or offended!
I sadly confess to you that I have often gotten angry at my family for things that were not their fault. Something else was really bothering me, so I would take it out on them in anger. Then, I had to go back and make it right!
So many of the things that anger us should never get us bent out of shape.
The way somebody does something
Something that was said in jest
Something that is strictly an
opinion different from yours
Something that was said or done
unintentionally
And many more things
Jesus continues saying, and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council:
The word Raca means “empty”.
It is the equivalent today of calling someone, “birdbrain, numbskull, or idiot”.
When we say these phrases, especially in anger we are actually ridiculing someone who was made in the likeness of God.
John MacArthur said, “To slander a creature made in God’s image is to slander God Himself and is equivalent to murdering that person.” John MacArthur, Kingdom Living Here and Now ( Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1980), p. 295
And if this isn’t bad enough already, Jesus concludes this verse by saying, but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
The word translated fool, according to MacArthur, means “stupid” or dull and is the term from we get morn. It was sometimes used in secular Greek literature for an obstinate, godless person…To call someone you fool was to accuse them of being both stupid and godless.” ibid
Notice the warnings found in this verse, especially the last one. We are in danger of hell fire! Why? Because we are all guilty of murder!
· We’ve all been guilty of unrighteous anger.
· We’ve all been guilty of wishing someone harmed or dead!
· We’ve all been guilty calling someone an idiot or a fool, or a blockhead either out loud, in our hearts, or both.
Jesus is showing us that not one of us is righteous enough to go to Heaven.
Jesus is showing us just how sinful we are.
The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 3:13-18:
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: [14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: [15] Their feet are swift to shed blood: [16] Destruction and misery are in their ways: [17] And the way of peace have they not known: [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Christ’s words here, and the words in Romans 3 should convict us of our need for help. That help was provided on the Cross where Jesus died on the cross for your sins so that you can have forgiveness and eternal life.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Christ already died for you. To receive forgiveness you need to believe that Christ is your Savior, your only hope of Heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If you haven’t believed on Christ as Savior, I beg you to do it today.
Most of us here are Christians.
Probably you are already a believer.
And yet, you can think of times when you have been angry without cause. And you can think of people you still hold a grudge against.
Psalm 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
To return to fellowship and receive God’s forgiveness, you need to confess that anger to God as sin!
Psalm 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
ANGER
ALTAR
Matthew 5:23 - Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
The altar was in the Temple.
The altar was where, as a part of worship, sacrifices were made for sin.
The altar here is probably symbolic for worship.
So you try to worship God by coming to church.
And you try to worship God by singing hymns and songs of praise and adoration.
And you try to worship God in your prayers.
And you try to worship God in your giving.
And you try to worship God in your personal devotions.
But, as you try to worship God, it comes to your mind that you are angry with someone – confess it as sin.
Or, as you try to worship God, it comes up in your mind that someone has something against you. You have made someone angry. Perhaps you didn’t even mean to or do it intentionally, but you know that someone has something against you. What do you do?
Matthew 5:24 - Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Someone has something against you!
Stop the worship!
Go, make it right!
Confess sin, if necessary.
Ask for forgiveness.
If the person forgives you, all is well. You can worship
If the person doesn’t forgive you and you have tried to reconcile with that person to the best of your ability, come and worship. You’ve tried! It’s out of your hands!
“Matt DeHann of Radio Bible Class told of a day when he came to work and found himself “face to face” with Matthew 5:24. He says, ‘Before long I was thinking something like this, ‘It’s going to be hard. But you’ve got to do it. There’s no point trying to walk with the Lord while a broken relationship is on your conscience. Here it is in black and white. The Father is not going to overlook the insensitive things you said. He knows that neither you nor the person who felt the shock of your words will forget what happened. You say he had it coming. That may be. But vengeance is the Lord’s prerogative. You need to come to grips with your own guilt. Your words were spoken in anger; you belittled a child of God. You treated him like a thing rather than a person. How do you suppose Christ would have handled the same situation? Do you think He would have spoken as you did?’”
Dehann went on to say that in order to be true to his relationship with his Lord, he had to “put first things first”.
He had to do what he could to make peace with his brother in Christ. He picked up the phone and struggled through an apology. However, he then had a load off his conscience and was free to worship and serve the Lord. M.R. DeHann II, Our Daily Bread from Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids Michigan. Date unknown.
Let me ask you something.
Who is it that is angry with you with or without cause?
To whom do you need to relieve your conscience?
What broken relationship is hindering your worship of God?
First, confess it to God.
Then, go make it right.
Perhaps the person with whom you need to talk is here this morning. Don’t let them leave without making it right.
ANGER
ALTAR
AGREEMENT
Vs. 25 - Matthew 5:25 - Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Jesus uses the illustration of being in debt to someone. Your opponent is taking you to court.
If thrown in jail in those days, you didn’t get out until you paid up. It was a debtor’s prison type deal.
The only way you could get out was if someone could raise the money to get you out.
So, if you could come to terms with your creditor, and make agreement on the way to court for a plan to pay the man back, you were certainly better off.
How does this relate to us today?
It is far more pleasant to agree with a person than to argue with him. It is far more pleasant to come to compromise, if doctrine is not involved than to have a hassle.
And especially, if you are the one to blame, the debtor, you should be the one who is trying to straighten things out.
The Bible tells of a man named Nabal.
Nabal lived in the same neighborhood as David when David was running from Saul.
David’s men were very good to Nabal, so when Nabal decided to sheer his sheep, David went to ask for a “tip”, some food for his army.
Nabal, whose name means “fool”, gave David’s men a bitter reply.
1 Samuel 25:10-11 - And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. [11] Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
David’s reaction was of supreme anger. David was ready to go and teach Nabal a lesson.
1 Samuel 25:13 - And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
Meanwhile, Nabal’s wife Abigail found out about the problem. So she gathered food together, and went to meet David before he could react to Nabal in anger.
1 Samuel 25:25-26 - Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. [26] Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
Abigail looked to avert trouble by making an agreement with David.
David agreed with Abigail.
There was no bloodshed, and shortly, God judged Nabal and he died of natural causes.
Then, David married Abigail.
Who are you in disagreement with?
Is it time to go and work out an agreement?
As much as in your power keep things right with those around you.
ANGER
ALTAR
AGREEMENT