August 30, 2015
Morning Service

Matt. 5:21-26

 

            We are looking at the beginning of the Lord’s ministry.  After His baptism, He was led into the wilderness, by the Spirit, and tempted by Satan for 40 days.  He defeated Satan by quoting Scriptures at him.  Then angels came, and ministered to Him.  Coming down off the mount He entered the Synagogue, as His custom was, He was handed the Scriptures, and found the Scripture in Isaiah where it said, Luk 4:18-19  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Then He proceeded to tell them, “today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.”  This is the beginning of many Scriptures that Jesus would fulfill.  He has told the people of Israel that He had not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it.  Another Scripture from Isaiah he fulfills is this one;  Isa 42:21  The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.  We will see, as Jesus teaches on these various subjects of the law, how He magnifies the law.   

We want to begin this morning with the topic, thou shalt not kill.  Commanment #5.

 

Mat 5:21-26  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, ( those that taught the law ) Thou shalt not kill;

·         And it was the 5^th commandment, the second dealing with man.  Ex. 20:13.

·         This law further enforced, Lev 24:21  And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 

·         The fear of the punishment was to keep someone in line, and not to break the law.  At this time it was an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

 

Now watch how Jesus magnifies the law:

(22)  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

·         Notice;  without a cause!  I am sure there are some causes that would justify one being angry, or upset with a brother.  The Scriptures teach us that offences are going to come, but it is very important how we handle the offence. Certainly not blowing off, and getting mad.

·         Just being angry with  a brother will bring you in danger of judgment, and that judgment could be hell fire.

·         Paul taught; Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

·         So we can see that it is possible to be angry, and not sin.  There are 5 definitions of sin we have found in the Bible that we like to refer too.

1.       Proverbs 24:9 = The thought of foolishness is sin;

2.      Romans 14:23 = whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

3.      James 4:17 = Therefore for him that knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.

4.      I Jn. 3:4 = for sin is the transgression of the law.

5.      I Jn. 5:17 = all unrighteousness is sin.

And to sin means to miss the mark.  And to recognize that we miss the mark occasionally, we need a Savior, Who never missed the mark, and gave His life for the sins of mankind, to buy us back to God.  He is our Redeemer.

 

So how are we to react when we miss the mark with a brother?

(23)  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 

·         Please notice, not necessarily us being angry with a brother, but just knowing that a brother is angry with me.  His problem not mine, right?  Wrong.

·         This sometimes can happen and you won’t even know it.  But most of the time we will know it.

·         And this is just another reason Christianity is different from other religions.

The instructions:

(24)  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;

·         Before you ever start to praise your God in the Sanctuary, or offer your monetary gift to God, these are your gifts you offer every Lord’s day.

first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 

·         Go, and make it right with your brother.  Apologize, ask for his forgiveness, get his blessing that everything is okay between you, and him.  Then come and worship your God, with your praise, and offerings.

·         But what if he won’t accept my apology? 

·         Jesus taught this on that matter:  Mat 18:15-17  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  (16)  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  (17)  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

·         There is an answer to every question, and a procedure to follow for success.

 

(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.  (26)  Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

·         This also has a parallel teaching;

Luk 12:58-59  When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.  (59)  I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

 

The idea being, if your brother has something against you, go, and try to get it cleared up.  Offer apologies if necessary, but do your best to get it settled.  If you can’t, then take with you, to the brother, two or more witnesses, and if your brother won’t hear them, take it before the leadership of the church, and if this doesn’t solve the problem, he is to be treated as an heathen, and Publican.

 

But by no means do you have an attitude of calling him names, of disrespect.  If Christ abides within, and He should, these types of outbursts should never happen.

 

We can not only kill, but not be angry with a brother without a cause.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR HEAVNLY FATHER, HELP US TO CULTIVATE, AND PERFECT THE ATTRIBUTES IN OUR LIVES, YOU WOULD WANT US TO HAVE.  AMEN.