The Truth About Murder Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

Up to this point in our Series on the Sermon on the Mount, we have looked at the introduction of Jesus’ message. Jesus taught us the basic principles of the Kingdom of Heaven in conjunction with our salvation when we realize our poorness of spirit. At that point, we begin to mourn over our sinfulness, which leads to meekness, and an increase in hunger and thirst for righteousness. And as Christ’s righteousness grows within us we begin to emulate the very character of Christ within us, even as the world hates us. But in this corrupt, dark world we act as the influencers over the world’s decay and darkness.

Jesus concludes his introduction by teaching about his relationship to the law. This was important because of his audience, the Jews, who had been taught the Law all their lives. Jesus explains that he did not come to abolish the Law, but rather fulfill it. In doing so, he is transitioning to a series of lessons that begin with the words, “You have heard it said.” What he is referring to is the traditions of the law. Jesus is now going to give clarity to the heart of the law and rather than lowering the bar of the Law’s standards, he raises it.

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be guilty before the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans. (Matthew 5:21–26 LSB)

A Matter of the Heart

Jesus begins this section with an issue of the highest level: Murder. For God, next to our relationship with Him, the issue of our relationships with each other is a top priority and there is no greater abomination to the human relationship than taking someone else’s life. Murder is nothing new. It is as old as society.

In recent news, we hear of mass murders. The gender-confused woman entered a Christian school in Tennessee and killed three children and three school employees. A man in Kentucky shoots 5 people in the bank he previously worked. Then there are heart-wrenching stories of children being killed at the hands of their parents. Domestic violence, street gangs, terrorism, the occult, and a myriad of other reasons plague the human heart to take the life of another person. In 2020, the United States saw a 28.64% increase in homicides (Source: FBI).

People want to blame guns, race, religion, and all sorts of issues. The truth is murder comes down to 1 thing: the human heart. This was the point of Jesus’ message we are reading today. The Pharisees taught in the synagogues that as long as you don’t kill someone, you are not in violation of the 6th Commandment, Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.” Jesus sets the standard higher. And it is not as if he is changing the standard, but instead, he is expounding the standard behind the Law that God gave to Moses.

Cain was the first biblical record of murder (Genesis 9:6). Jesus identifies Satan as a murderer (John 8:44). Murder is an issue of the untamed and unregenerate flesh of man (Galatians 5:21). What the Pharisees taught and what society teaches us that the outward action of murder is the standard. However, murder, robbery, rape, or whatever you want to identify here does not happen because of a decay in society or a lack of laws. Those things can sway the crimes but these things happen because of a degenerate human heart swayed by Satan.

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. (Genesis 9:6 LSB)

“If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him by deceit, you shall take him even from My altar, that he may die. (Exodus 21:14)

Now Jesus comes to the heart of the matter: Matthew 5:22 “22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”