Following Jesus – You Have Heard That It Was Said – Sermon – Pastor Dave Page

In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus holds up the first of six examples that show our need for a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees if one is to enter the kingdom of heaven (v. 20).

The first example is the Old Testament teaching on murder, which he explains by first giving us the traditional position and then his radically new teaching.  Now, you might be thinking this morning, what does a discussion on murder have to do with me?  The answer is Everything!  
In fact, this text is one of the foundational passages on human relationships in the Bible. Jesus begins with the ban against the ultimate breaking of human relationships that takes place through murder, then adds his own teaching, which goes far beyond the mere preserving of life itself to the preserving of human relationships.

In this section of his Sermon on the Mount, which we will cover this week and next, Jesus describes how a righteous person conducts his or her relationships.

You know, the longer I live, the more I value my relationships. When I was much younger, I had little idea of how important they are. I took them for granted. I did not fully understand how much human relationships greatly affect our heavenly relationship.

“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.’

Matthew 5:21.

This is an exact duplicate of the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13) as taken from the Septuagint (LXX). The additional comment, “anyone who murders will be subject to judgment,” is in itself, accurate and true. This was not only the Pharisees’ interpretation. It was the interpretation of the Law itself.
So, this teaching and interpretation was true. The only criticism might be that it was too narrow. And that is where the radically new, overriding teaching of Jesus Christ comes in.

“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.^”

Matthew 5:22.

WOW!! This is an unusually strong statement for Jesus. It emphatically claims that those guilty of disrespectful and  insulting anger are guilty enough to go to Hell.  In effect, what Jesus says is, “The Old Testament Law condemns murder, but I say that anger like this will get you a fiery Hell just as surely.”

Can I be candid with you?? Jesus means what he says, and we all need to let that sink in with all its finality.

Now, before I raise your anxiety too much, we must not think that he forbids all anger with other people.

Jesus himself was angry when he cleared the temple (John 2:13–22).

He was angry with those who assailed him for healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5 uses the word “anger”).

And in Matthew 23:17 he called the Pharisees “blind fools.”

So…and I know some of you struggle with this – we can safely conclude that there IS a place for anger.  Jesus was angry at sin and injustice, but he never became angry at personal insult or offence. Peter says that when Jesus was dying, “when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

There is a place for righteous anger. In fact, we must see that there is a place for righteous anger – I call it Holy Discontent. However in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is speaking of unrighteous anger, and his words leave no doubt about what he means.  Think about how often we are quick to get angry at personal insult but slow to become angry with sin and injustice, and we need to take our Lord’s words to heart. To call someone the Aramaic word “Raca” is literally to call him “empty-headed.” Commentators suggest a number of more contemporary substitutes like numbskull, nitwit, blockhead, bonehead, jerk, or brainless idiot. I can relate to all of them. And I have been called every one of them – sometimes even affectionately!  ‘Raca’ used with deadly intention reduces another person to the level of a nothing, a nobody. It is an thoroughly despicable word. Have you ever been that angry with someone – you know the phrases… I wish you were dead, I wish you had never been born, Is there a brain in your head????

Jesus is saying that we must not think we are safe just because we have not shed blood. We are guilty enough to receive punishment if we have fostered or even concealed anger and contempt. He says in essence, “You may think you are removed from murder morally. But you are wrong. Have you ever wished someone were dead? Then your heart has known murder!”  In view of this, I cannot escape the truth that we are all murderers.  We have all murdered others in mind and heart.  We have treasured thoughts about others that are as foul as murder. That is the radical righteousness  that Jesus demands. A righteousness that is not merely a refraining from outward sin – it is interior. Church, this is all about the posture and condition of our hearts. And so again we are left with the only hope being Christ who fulfilled all righteousness and offers it to us as a free gift.  Jesus’ radical demand is meant to drive us to him for grace.

Here’s a question for you to consider: If Jesus’ radical demand is meant to drive us to him for grace. Have you done so? Murderers are welcome?

Remember our discussion of being “Poor in Spirit”?  What this means practically is that as believers we must rid ourselves of any delusion of spiritual superiority. It is all too true that a long association with Christ and his Word and his church can foster the feeling that one is a spiritual Superhero – looking down on the rest of empty-headed, foolish humanity. There is no place for that in Gods kingdom!! And beyond that, we must never devalue others. No one is worthless. God loves everyone, EVERYONE!

Living Out Christ’s Teaching (Matthew 5:23–26)

Christ was so concerned that believers not harbour evil thoughts toward one another that he gave two illustrations of the positive steps they should take….let’s look at the first one….

Example #1: Regarding Worship (Matthew 5:23, 24)

““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.

Matthew 5:23–24.

Jesus gives us a really remarkable picture here considering the context of the time. The worshiper has entered the great Temple of Herod with his sacrifice and has passed through the concentric courts (the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of Women, the Court of Men). Beyond him lies the Court of the Priests, into which only priests could pass. The worshiper is standing at the threshold of the court. His hands are on the sacrifice, and suddenly he remembers that he has wronged another. So he turns and retreats through the great courts. He must first make things right with his brother. Why? Jesus’ point should be very clear to us : It is far more important to be reconciled to who your anger has fallen upon than to fulfill the external duties of worship. Make sure you don’t gloss over this. Worship is merely a pretense if we have so offended others in such a way that they are holding a grudge against us.

It is so natural to try to make up for our integrity with ceremony of some kind. Ceremony, regular attendance at church, and giving will never fix this problem. If we are at odds with others because of our actions and are unwilling to do anything about it, attendance at a worship service is an exercise in hypocritical futility. We need to attempt to make things right.   Psalm 66:18 touches on this: 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened”

Church family, I want you to feel that there is an urgency to Jesus’ words here – We are called to a higher standard of sensitivity in our relationships with others. This does not mean unhealthy sensitivity to imagined offences, but instead dealing with real offences that the Holy Spirit brings to our minds.

Now, this illustration around murder and anger had been taken directly from the sixth commandment, which prohibits murder – we just talked about that. This second illustration is built on the seventh commandment, which prohibits adultery.

….Yes, now we come to the sex part….

The Traditional Standard of Sexual Purity

In verse 27 Jesus reiterates the traditional standard of sexual purity:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ”

In the original, this is a letter-for-letter rendering of the Greek version (Septuagint) of the seventh commandment. It is a perfectly good, sublime statement of God’s Law. The only criticism that one might venture is that it is only external, for it only mentions the outward act of adultery. It must be admitted, however, that the tenth commandment does allude to the internal aspect:

“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife” (Exodus 20:17).

However, for all practical purposes, Moses and the scribes did not emphasize the inward aspect of adultery as much as they did the outward manifestation.

For many, this became a conveniently narrow definition of sexual sin. It was all so clear. You were either an adulterer or you were not. And if you were a “caught” adulterer, you were dead. That really made it simple. How convenient! And how deadly! It is very natural for those of us who are non-adulterers to feel smug and conceited. “I haven’t committed that sin! Jesus is speaking to the rest of you sinners, not to me! Except for the rest of us, Jesus knows our hearts, and he is not buying it. Instead, he communicates a radically new standard of sexual purity.  Which is in continuity with the Old Testament, but it supersedes and completes it.

The Radically New Standard of Sexual Purity

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”

Matthew 5:27–2

In understanding what Jesus means, first let’s discuss what he does not mean.  Jesus does not mean it is wrong to look at the opposite sex admiringly, but it is wrong to do so lustfully. He does not forbid the natural, normal attraction that is part of our humanity. Don’t get caught up in that. What he forbids is deep-seated lust that consumes the inner person. One great writing on this I’ve read states “The look is not casual but persistent, the desire not involuntary or momentary, but cherished.”   It is not the first glance that is sin, but the second that swells with lust and begins to dominate our thoughts. Jesus’ language is perfectly calculated. He says that the person has already committed adultery with the person. It is an accomplished, irreversible fact. Why, because this occurs in their heart, in the essence of their being. Mental infidelity leaves one completely guilty.

Honesty time again….Few male and female believers have not crossed the line from attraction to lust at some time and so by that standard, we are all adulterers. No sensual sin was ever committed that was not first imagined. Scripture says it, and our experience confirms it.  Our imagination (one of the faculties that distinguish us from animals) is one of God’s most wondrous gifts.  Through it we dream great dreams.  Without it there would be no great works of art or great achievements of science.  But as with any of God’s gifts, it must be used responsibly. When abused, the imagination imagines great evil.

The question now is, how can we live a life of purity in this age of hyper sensuality?

Jesus tells us exactly how…

The Radical Demands of the New Standard of Sexual Purity

If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Matthew 5:29–30.

This is tough teaching! Oswald Chambers said,

“This line of discipline is the sternest one that ever struck mankind.”

Jesus is telling us that anything that stands between us and him must be ruthlessly, torn out or cut off and thrown away.  Drastic measures are always appropriate in order to protect one’s spiritual health!  Halfway measures will never do the job!  Now for many of us, we seek out a middle road approach, to never be too extreme either way.  But that is not what Jesus is advising… and for some of us that kind of life change may even cause a level of mourning – remember how we talked about that as well???

We live in an age of extreme everything – sensuality, anger and hate. Many say (and I think they are right) that never in the history of the western world, since the time of Greek and Roman paganism, has the state of morality been so low. This applies to all of us if we allow it to.  Now, I feel I need to give a warning for you in all of this – some of you, I expect have experienced this – We must be ready for some level misunderstanding and even ridicule when we make godly choices.  “You have to be kidding!  You mean you haven’t seen such and such movie?  You haven’t read that book?  You don’t follow them – Go on like this and you’ll be an intellectual dinosaur.”  But Jesus says it’s better to be a cultural amputee than for our whole body to go to Hell.

I have only one point of application for you this morning:

If God is speaking to you about some things that need to be put out of your life, do what he says today.

If God is telling you to change your habits, then do it for your soul’s sake and that of your family.

If God is saying that a relationship must be restored or ended, then do it today.

If God is saying that perhaps there is some pleasure that is okay for others but is causing you to stumble, and you know it must go – get rid of it right now.   We all have a heart condition, and we need the Great Physician, God, to perform heart surgery.

Spurgeon stated,

“If a man were to attack me with a knife I would resist him with all my strength, and count it a tragedy if he succeeded. Yet if a surgeon comes to me with a knife, I welcome both him and the knife; let him cut me open, even wider than the knife attacker, because I know his purpose is good.”

God intends good for our lives even when it hurts. If you know there is a condition in your life that you want God to operate on, take a step today.

It starts with you talking to God in prayer, and asking Him for help with whatever condition is burdening you. Maybe it’s anger, maybe it’s lust (as we have discussed today) but maybe it’s something we will discuss in part II next week.  If you want prayer today, we would be honoured to pray with you.  Come to God with humility and prayer – You cannot make these changes through your own willpower.  Ask him for strength, and then do what he says.