Matthew 5:21-32
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
A. \\#Matt 1:1-2:23\\ The Offering of the King
1. \\#1:1-17\\ The King is Offered to the Reader
2. \\#1:18-25\\ The King Is Offered to Joseph
3. \\#2:1-12\\ The King Is Offered to the East
4. \\#2:13-23\\ The King Is Offered to Herod
B. \\#Matt 3:1-17\\ The Announcement of the King
1. Announced by John
2. Announced by the Father
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King
A. \\#Matt 4:1-4:29\\ Powerful but humble
1. \\#4:1-11\\ Powerful but humble before Satan.
2. \\#4:12-17\\ Powerful but humble before government.
3. \\#4:18-22\\ Powerful but humble in the selection of His
disciples.
4. \\#4:23-25\\ Powerful but humble in ministry.
B. \\#Matt 5:1-7:29\\ Wise and Godly
1. \\#5:1-2\\ The Setting
2. \\#5:3-12\\ Be All You Can Be
3. \\#5:13-16\\ Do the Work
4. \\#5:17-19\\ Honor the Law
5. \\#5:20-6:18\\ Do It Better-Grace Always Exceeds the Law.
a. \\#5:21-48\\ Grace exceeds the Law in our dealings with people.
(1) \\#5:21-22\\ Keep It Civil
(2) \\#5:23-26\\ Make It Right
(3) \\#5:27-32\\ Keep It Pure
(4) \\#5:29-30\\ Control Your Vessel
(5) \\#5:31-32\\ Make It Work
(6) \\#5:33-37\\ Keep It True
(7) \\#5:38-42\\ Go the Second Mile
(8) \\#5:43-48\\ Love Them Anyway
b. \\#6:1-18\\ Grace exceeds the Law in our dealings with God.
I. \\#Matt #5:20-48\\ Do It Better-Grace Always Exceeds the Law.
A. \\#5:21-26\\ Keep It Civil
1. As mentioned in the last lesson, the remainder of this chapter is
connected to \\#Matt 5:20\\.
a. The point is that Christ expects more under grace than under the
Law.
b. This is one of the areas in which Jesus illustrates that truth.
2. \\#21\\ "Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time" - Jesus
used this phrase to introduce either a commandment or a precept from
the Old Testament Law.
3. \\#21\\ "Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment."
a. The first part of this statement was the Old Testament Law as found
in \\#Ex 20:13\\.
b. The "judgment" referred to was God’s means for determining the
quilt or innocence of one who murdered another.
(1) \\#Num 35:9-12\\ When one killed another, he was to flee to a
city of refuge for his own safety until he could be tried.
(2) If one murdered another, he/she was to be put to death.
\\#Le 24:21, Num 35:16, 30-34\\.
(3) However, if it was a justified killing, the slayer was to
remain in the city of refuge until the high priest died
\\#Num 35:26-28\\.
(4) To leave the city of refuge meant that if a family member of
the deceased found the slayer, he could kill him with
immunity.
(5) Hence, anyone who had slain another was "in danger of the
judgment."
4. \\#22\\ "But I say unto you…"
a. Jesus then raised the standard that the Law set.
b. By doing this, Jesus was demonstrating that He was the Law Giver,
for no one has the authority to add to the words of God but God.
c. The fact that the scribes and Pharisees did not immediately charge
Jesus with blasphemy indicates that at the beginning of His
ministry, they were more curious and less judgmental of Jesus.
d. \\#22\\ "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause"
(1) Jesus raised the standard from killing someone to being angry
at someone without a justifiable reason.
(a) This verse does not mean that a Christian sins whenever
he is angry with another.
(b) "brother" - This term is probably being used in the
larger sense that all men are descendents of Adam and
are therefore brothers.
(c) Rather, he sins when he is unjustifiably angry.
(d) Anger serves a purpose.
i. Anger is an emotional motivation given to us by God.
ii. When we see something ungodly or unjust, we should
be moved by anger.
iii. However, a Christian should never be controlled by
anger.
iv. Neither should a Christian be angry when there is no
reason or for wrong reasons.
(2) "shall be in danger of the judgment"
(a) This is the same phrase that Jesus used to refer to God’s
Old Testament system of trial and judgment.
(b) However, there is no God-ordained, earthly tribunal for
unjust anger so Jesus must be referring to an
unmentioned God-ordained judgment.
i. It would seem that when we are unjustly angry, our
judgment is in the hands of God Himself.
ii. Sadly, for some of us, we are commonly found guilty
of this sin and are brought before our heavenly
Father for His dealings most often.
(3) Whatever form of judgment God shall choose to deal out for a
display of unjust anger, one should consider that this is the
lowest level of wrong anger and the lest severe case of
judgment mentioned.
(a) It is likely then that each level of judgment is an
additional level; that is, that no matter which level
of wrong anger you display, you are to face God’s
dealings.
(b) If so, each level of anger does not bring a different
judgment but an additional judgment, with the final
level of anger bring all three judgments.
e. \\#22\\ "whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca"
(1) Raca means "empty or worthless one."
(a) It amounted to calling someone empty-headed, senseless,
or completely stupid.
(b) Hence, it was a term of great contempt, no doubt
provoking another to defend himself.
(c) Typically, in our culture, this is what we mean when we
call someone a fool. Not so in the Hebrew culture.
(2) "shall be in danger of the council"
(a) The "council" comes from Greek word used for the
Sanhedrin.
(b) The Sanhedrin was the Jewish tribunal established by the
Macabees 200 years before Christ to judge the Jews.
(c) It consisted of 72 judges with the high priest
officiating and was the highest court in the land.
(d) Jesus was saying that being this angry might cause a
person to be criminally liable and have to face the
local system of criminal justice.
(3) Jesus is warning that if you call someone a name that provokes
them to violence, the name caller might end up being judged
by the legal system.
(a) This would be in addition to facing whatever
repercussions God may pass along.
(b) So while sticks and stones may break bones, contemptuous
words might move God against you and get you imprisoned.
f. \\#22\\ "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be danger of hell
fire"
(1) As mentioned, in the Hebrew culture, to call someone a fool is
more than to indicate that they are lacking in knowledge or
wisdom.
(a) To call someone a "fool" was more of a charge of wicked
sin.
De 22:21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house,
and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she
hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt
thou put evil away from among you.
Jos 7:15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be
burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the
covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
Ps 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they
have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
(b) Under the orthodox religious rule, such a charge could
result in a person being stoned and was not to be made
lightly.
(c) In referring to a level of unjust anger, it would seem
that Jesus was saying that when a person’s anger gets
to the place where they would seek to injure a person
or worse, that person shall be in danger of hell fire.
(2) "shall be in danger of hell fire"
(a) The Greek words for "hell fire" are "Valley or Hinnom,"
referred to as Gehenna.
i. This was a valley outside of Jerusalem where
unclean carcasses and other filth were disposed
of. Because it was an unclean place, the
worshippers of Moloch set an altar there and, in
times of Israel’s greatest wickednesses, offered
their children to that false god.
ii. At other times, it was the garbage dump and so
always had a fire smoldering in it.
iii. Jesus used that valley as an illustration of the
eternal judgment of the lost, a place where the
fire is not quenched and the worm never dies
\\#Matt 9:44, 46, 48\\.
iv. For the church, the term Gehenna or hell as become
synonymous with damnation, either the place the
lost go until the Great White Throne or that
along with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone.
\\#Rev 20:13-4\\
(b) For Jesus to mention the place of eternal judgment as
a possible punishment for being this angry, He was
implying that a person who gets this angry might not be
a Christian at all.
i. However, since this is a possible punishment for
anger, it stands to reason that Jesus is
indicating that their anger is making matters
even worse for them.
ii. Since an unsaved person is already facing hell,
having an unjust anger which injures a person
must somehow make their torment even worse.
iii. Added to the fact that God will deal with them and
they are likely to face a criminal system and one
sees how dangerous this kind of anger might be.
5. So Jesus describes four levels of anger, three of them wrong and each
having a corresponding level of judgment.
a. To be justly moved by anger is not wrong and bears no mention of
judgment.
b. To be unjustly angry at a person might bring God’s dealings.
c. To be contemptuously angry at a person enough to provoke them to
retaliate would likely bring God’s dealings but might also bring
legal judgments.
d. To be angry enough to bring harm to a person would likely bring
God’s dealings and might also bring legal judgments, as well as,
increase God’s eternal judgment against that soul.
6. Jesus is expecting far more from Christians under grace than He
expected from those scribes and Pharisees who were under the Law.
B. \\#5:23-26\\ Make It Right
1. These verses form the conclusion of Jesus warnings about being unjustly
angry.
a. Jesus’ point here is that when we lose our temper, we must move
quickly to make things right.
b. While we cannot afford to let our anger control us and therefore
should go deal with others when we have something against them,
that will be discussed by Jesus in \\#Matt 18:15-17\\.
2. \\#23-24\\ If you come to worship…
a. To "bring thy gift to the altar" is a reference to bringing a
sacrifice to the altar.
(1) Many, both under grace and Law, never understood that bringing
a sacrifice was worship.
(2) The sacrifice, although needed for atonement, was a "gift"
being offered to God.
(3) That is why when God spoke of bringing them, He used words
like "if" and "voluntary will" \\#Le 1:3, 7:16\\.
b. "and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee"
(1) And while worshipping, you realize that someone has something
against you.
(2) That is, you realize that, somehow, you have offended someone
else.
c. \\#24\\ "Leave there thy gift upon the altar"
(1) Before you make your atonement and before you worship God….
(2) This next command must be very important to God if the sin can
not be dealt with until it is done.
d. \\#24\\ "first be reconciled to thy brother, then… offer thy
gift."
(1) Jesus is commanding us to make things right on earth before we
make things right in heaven.
(2) While Jesus does not come out and say it, I wonder if we MUST
make things right on earth BEFORE WE CAN make things right in
heaven!
3. \\#25-26\\ Remember the possible consequences.
a. If a Jew, in anger, had offended or done something to someone else,
then he might be "in danger of the council" or accountable before
the legal system.
b. If that were the case in Israel…
(1) \\#25\\ The "adversary" might move quickly to "deliver thee
to the judge" who might "deliver thee to the officer" who
would have you "cast into prison."
(2) \\#26\\ That being done, you would "by no means come out"
until you had "paid the uttermost (last) farthing."
(3) This appears to be an illustration where more than heated
words were exchanged, but we all know of situations where
angry words have lead to unlawful actions.
(4) While the setting is Jewish, the same situation can occur in
most every other civilized culture.
c. Jesus’ command is to "Agree with thine adversary quickly." When
we have wronged been wrongly angry at someone, we must go to that
person and make things right.
C. \\#5:27-32\\ Keep It Pure
1. \\#27\\ "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old"
a. Jesus quotes the old standard given by the Law.
b. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" - \\#Ex 20:14\\
2. \\#28\\ "But I say unto you"
a. The new and higher standard given by Jesus Christ.
b. "That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart."
(1) The higher standard of grace is that it is not only wrong to
commit adultery, but it is also wrong to lust.
(2) God expects more from those under grace than He did from those
under the Law.
c. Be forewarned!
(1) Jesus did NOT say that to commit adultery and lust are the
SAME.
(2) Jesus DID say that to commit adultery and lust are BOTH WRONG.
(3) Do not attempt to justify adultery by saying that you have
already lusted so you have nothing else to loose!
(4) That is a sinful way to twist the Scripture to justify even
more sin.
(5) A person who commits adultery will suffer more than a person
who lusts, both in their affairs with men and in their
affairs with God!
D. \\#29-30\\ Control Your Vessel.
1. This section is a continuation of Jesus’ command on purity and
marriage \\#5:27-32\\.
a. One of the reasons adultery \\#5:27-28\\ and divorce
\\#5:31-32\\ occurs is our inability to control our bodies.
b. Jesus is dealing with these sins by dealing with the cause.
2. Jesus makes several similar statements:
a. Remove a body member.
(1) \\#29\\ "if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out…"
(2) \\#30\\ "if they right hand offend thee, cut it off…"
b. In both cases, Jesus mentioned the "right" eye or hand. Most
are more dependent upon their right side; hence, Jesus is
saying even if your more needed or used hand and eye are
problems to you, remove them.
c. \\#29, 30\\ "it is profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish, and not that they whole body should
be case into hell" - The same statement is made in both verses.
3. In regards to removing body parts, we need to understand that
Jesus’ extreme statement is not meant to be taken literally but to
get our attention.
a. Even if our right eye or hand were removed, it would not stop
our lusts.
b. Lust is a sin of the spirit and soul.
c. Lust must be brought into subjection. It cannot be removed
with amputations.
d. Jesus is using a hyperbole to draw our attention to the
importance of dealing with the problem.
4. In regards to going to hell if the lust is not controlled, we need
to understand that lust is not what sends a person to hell,
rejecting Jesus Christ does.
a. However, a Christian has the power to bring not only his lusts
but his entire spirit under control.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is
idolatry:
Ro 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
b. If a professing Christian does not AT LEAST attempt to control
his lust, it is a good sign that he not a Christian and Jesus
warning would be more literal than some would like to think.
c. A Christian will work to bring lust under control will succeed.
D. \\#5:31-32\\ Make It Work
1. These verses continue Jesus’ discussion on adultery and self control.
a. Jesus began by commanding His followers, those under grace. to
abstain from fornication.
b. He then commanded that they control their vessels.
c. And last He commanded them to maintain the home.
d. All three of these commands relates to sexual purity.
2. \\#31\\ The Old Standard
a. "It hath been said" - Quoting from the Law.
b. "Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of
divorcement" - This is a paraphrase of Deut 24:1.
Deut 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass
that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in
her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and
send her out of his house.
3. \\#32\\ The New Standard
a. "But I say unto you" - Jesus again presents Himself as the Law
Giver.
b. "That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of
fornication"
(1) In this text, Jesus allows one condition for divorce—that
of fornication.
(2) Fornication is any type of sexual impurity that interferes
with or violates the marriage relationship.
(3) Two thoughts need to be observed with this condition.
(a) Jesus has already raised the standard for divorce in
that His only ground for divorce is sexual impurity
while the Old Testament allowed it for "some
uncleanness."
i. The term "uncleanness" means nakedness, shame, or
indecency.
ii. However, it is unlikely that it referred to an
literal case of nudity for that would most likely
would have come under the topic of adultery and
required a far more demanding penalty.
Duet 22:22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then
they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
iii. For that reason, the scholars of Jesus’ day
interpreted this passage to be refer to things
that might displeased the husband.
iv. Some believed anything that displeased the husband
could be an "uncleanness, while others took a
tougher stance on what might qualify.
v. Regardless, Jesus use of the word "fornication"
has been understood to mean sexual intercourse
with another.
vi. So Jesus raised the divorce tradition from
allowing almost any reason to grant a divorce to
being sexual unfaithful to your mate as the only
reason.
(b) In Matt 19:8, Jesus seems to be saying that all
divorce provisions are given for because of the
hardness of our hearts.
Mt 19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
i. While every person is different and every
situation is unique, the standard that Jesus
has called us to under grace is the standard
of forgiveness.
ii. If our heart cannot give that forgiveness, then
divorce is allowed; but it is never the
preferred course of the Lord.
c. "causeth her to commit adultery"
(1) If a man does divorce a woman for any other cause, he is
causing her to commit adultery.
(2) Why? Because she will have to marry again to support herself.
The Hebrew society was not such that a divorced woman would
likely be able to survive on her own.
d. "whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
(1) And anyone who marries one divorced commits adultery.
(2) These last two phrases indicate that while fornication may be
grounds for divorce, there is no grounds for at least the
guilty party to remarry.
(3) Since the text supposes it was the woman who committed
the fornication, it does not speak of the mate-who-was
sinned-against’s right to remarry.
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