You Have Heard It Said – Murder Series

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID – MURDER

MATTHEW 5:21–26 “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID TO THE PEOPLE LONG AGO, ‘DO NOT MURDER, AND ANYONE WHO MURDERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT.’ 22BUT I TELL YOU THAT ANYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WILL BE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT. AGAIN, ANYONE WHO SAYS TO HIS BROTHER, ‘RACA,’ IS ANSWERABLE TO THE SANHEDRIN. BUT ANYONE WHO SAYS, ‘YOU FOOL!’ WILL BE IN DANGER OF THE FIRE OF HELL. 23“THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE OFFERING YOUR GIFT AT THE ALTAR AND THERE REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, 24LEAVE YOUR GIFT THERE IN FRONT OF THE ALTAR. FIRST GO AND BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER; THEN COME AND OFFER YOUR GIFT. 25“SETTLE MATTERS QUICKLY WITH YOUR ADVERSARY WHO IS TAKING YOU TO COURT. DO IT WHILE YOU ARE STILL WITH HIM ON THE WAY, OR HE MAY HAND YOU OVER TO THE JUDGE, AND THE JUDGE MAY HAND YOU OVER TO THE OFFICER, AND YOU MAY BE THROWN INTO PRISON. 26I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU WILL NOT GET OUT UNTIL YOU HAVE PAID THE LAST PENNY.

INTRODUCTION: AS WE CONTINUE IN OUR STUDY OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO THE FIRST OF SIX DEFINITIVE STATEMENTS OF JESUS WHICH CONTRAST THE TEACHING OF THE PHARISEES WITH THE INTENT OF GOD CONCERNING THESE LAWS.

TRANSITION: AS WE GET INTO THIS PASSAGE, WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO NOTICE IS THAT WHEN JESUS SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE OF MURDER, HE, IN HIS AUTHORITY AS GOD MOVES THE ISSUE FROM OUTWARD ACTION TO INWARD THOUGHT.

I. THE ATTITUDE ABOUT MURDER

MATTHEW 5:21 “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID TO THE PEOPLE LONG AGO, ‘DO NOT MURDER, AND ANYONE WHO MURDERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT.’

a. THIS ATTITUDE COMES FROM THE 6TH COMMANDMENT – THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

i. THE 6TH COMMANDMENT PROHIBITED MURDER. THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS NOT TO TAKE A LIFE IN THIS MANNER

1. THE WORD KILL MEANS TO MURDER – TO MURDER HUMANS

2. ANYONE WHO UNLAWFULLY TOOK HUMAN LIFE

3. KILLING ANOTHER WITH MALICE AFORETHOUGHT EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED

4.

ii. THIS COMMANDMENT DID NOT APPLY TO THE KILLING OF ANIMALS. THERE IS NO SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS AGENDA

1. GOD HAD INSTITUTED SACRIFICE AS A MEANS OF APPROACHING GOD BECAUSE OF SIN

2. GOD RELATES THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST TO THE IMAGE OF SLAYING A LAMB

3. GOD HIMSELF TOOK THE LIFE OF ANIMALS IN ORDER TO CLOTHE ADAM AND EVE.

4. THIS DOES NOT DENY THE PREFERENCE OF PEOPLE TO VARYING DEGREES IN AVOIDING MEAT.

iii. JUST AS THIS VERSE DEFINES WHAT MURDER IS, IT ALSO REFERENCES THE PUNISHMENT FOR MURDER

1. SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT

2. EXECUTION AND CONDEMNATION

WHAT JESUS WILL BE ASKING IS WHETHER MURDER IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE ACT OF TAKING A LIFE

II. JESUS ADJUSTS THE MEANING OF MURDER

MATTHEW 5:22 BUT I TELL YOU THAT ANYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WILL BE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT. AGAIN, ANYONE WHO SAYS TO HIS BROTHER, ‘RACA,’ IS ANSWERABLE TO THE SANHEDRIN. BUT ANYONE WHO SAYS, ‘YOU FOOL!’ WILL BE IN DANGER OF THE FIRE OF HELL.

a. THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM OF HOW MURDER HAS BEEN DEFINED

b. JESUS ENLARGES THE CONCEPT OF MURDER BY LOOKING BACK INTO THE THINGS THAT WOULD AND AT TIMES DO CAUSE MURDER.

i. JESUS ADDS MURDER IN TEMPER

ii. JESUS ADDS MURDER IN TONGUE

c. BAD TEMPERS AND BAD TONGUES LEAD TO:

i. MURDER

ii. JUDGMENT

d. THE ANGER JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT

i. ANGRY ENOUGH TO MURDER OR TO LASH OUT

ii. WOULD HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED IT IN YOUR HEART

iii. AN ATTITUDE OF SEETHING AND BROODING THAT IS READY TO LEAP OUT OF CONTROL

1. LEADS TO VIOLENCE

2. LEADS TO EMOTIONAL HURT

3. LEADS TO SPIRITUAL HURT

4. CAN EVEN LEAD TO MURDER – REMEMBER CAIN AND ABLE

GENESIS 4:2–8 LATER SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HIS BROTHER ABEL. NOW ABEL KEPT FLOCKS, AND CAIN WORKED THE SOIL. 3IN THE COURSE OF TIME CAIN BROUGHT SOME OF THE FRUITS OF THE SOIL AS AN OFFERING TO THE LORD. 4BUT ABEL BROUGHT FAT PORTIONS FROM SOME OF THE FIRSTBORN OF HIS FLOCK. THE LORD LOOKED WITH FAVOR ON ABEL AND HIS OFFERING, 5BUT ON CAIN AND HIS OFFERING HE DID NOT LOOK WITH FAVOR. SO CAIN WAS VERY ANGRY, AND HIS FACE WAS DOWNCAST. 6THEN THE LORD SAID TO CAIN, “WHY ARE YOU ANGRY? WHY IS YOUR FACE DOWNCAST? 7IF YOU DO WHAT IS RIGHT, WILL YOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? BUT IF YOU DO NOT DO WHAT IS RIGHT, SIN IS CROUCHING AT YOUR DOOR; IT DESIRES TO HAVE YOU, BUT YOU MUST MASTER IT.” 8NOW CAIN SAID TO HIS BROTHER ABEL, “LET’S GO OUT TO THE FIELD.” AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE FIELD, CAIN ATTACKED HIS BROTHER ABEL AND KILLED HIM.