Matthew 5 Sermon on the Mount v 21-22 Jesus Murder vs Anger

Matt-05

Before we dig into this one:

  1. We can not drop off everything we’ve learned to this point. This is a continuing thought, not a new conversation. It shouldn’t be lost on anyone how adamantly Jesus says he didn’t come to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo the Torah/law or the Neviim/prophets. He had to have made this point because he knew the things he was about to say would sound like that was exactly what he was doing. Therefore, as we read these next few verses, we have to keep in mind. Jesus did not come to dissolve, destroy, loosen, undo the Torah/law or the Neviim/prophets.
  2. Grace vs Law people should take note, if you believe “the law” was abolished and we are no longer under the Old Testament laws, and you also know Jesus said, if you love me you will keep my commandments, then we are about to read what would be considered HIS Commandments. These are part of the laws we should keep if we love him.
  3. Before Jesus starts into these “you have heard it said, I say” statements he has just said to be righteousness above that of the religious leaders and scholars of that day. He’s going to elaborate here on what that might look like.

Now, are you ready for what is about to be taught by Jesus? Put away your preconceived ideas and let Jesus teach you.

Verse 21

You (the disciples) heard that it was said to the ancients … The ancients, the first ones, the leaders, people long ago – who are they talking about? Most would answer “the Jews,” or “The Israelites,” but these would not be correct. We would all associate the do not murder with what we call the Ten Commandments. Who were those given to:

Do not murder … Let’s talk about murder. The concept of murder in the Old Testament is something which can not be done accidentally. It means taking a life willfully – on purpose. The only “accidental” taking of life which carried the same penalty of a life taken willfully is in Exodus 21 when people are fighting and a pregnant woman is struck and gives birth prematurely and there is serious injury resulting in death. It also is not an offense to murder during war. If a life was taken by accident, they could run to a sanctuary city so the family of the deceased wouldn’t kill them.

subject to, fit for, in danger of, judgment – There was a requirement of at least two witnesses in order to convict someone (Deut 19) making them fit for judgment. You have to remember, at this time, the people had seen mighty acts of God, entire people groups swallowed up, a physical presence of God. They did not need to be convinced he would know if they had done something wrong. There real struggle was grasping what God found wrong, their draw to return to their old ways from living in Egypt. Don’t cha think we have the same issues today?

The Hebrew word used here for judgement is mishpat. It is translated a variety of ways making it hard for us to see connections in our English Bible translations. We see this word in Genesis 18, Abraham and his household shomer/keep to do tzedakah/right and mishpat/just. We find a list of mishpatim/ordinances (plural of mishpat) in Exodus 21 a long list begins and the Israelite camp agrees to them in Exodus 24. We find mishpat/laws about personal injury and murder in this list.

As Christians we try to lump everything under “the law” or “the commandments” but this is not the way the Hebrew Bible is laid out. The Torah has many different recommendations just like we have today. There is a difference between a civil and criminal crime, we have guidelines, mandates, ordinances, laws etc. Not all are prosecutable and not all carry jail time. Its the same in the Torah.

God tells his chosen people, shomer/keep my chukkot/decrees and mishpatim/laws, in Exodus 18. This is a phrase he repeats over and over.

We see this same word in John 12 along with some other words we’ve been looking at:

As Ohr/ light I have come into the Hazeh/ world (earth), so that everyone who trusts in Me should not remain in choshech/ darkness.

“If anyone hears My dvarim/words but doesn’t shomer/ keep them, I do not judge him; for I came to save the Hazeh/world, not to mishpat/ judge the Hazeh/ world. The one who rejects Me and doesn’t receive My dvarim/words has a Shofet/judge; the dvar/word I spoke will judge him on the last day.

TLV (emphasis and Hebrew words added)

Are you getting what Jesus is putting down there? Hear and keep or hear and be judged. His words will save us from judgment. This is the whole works/faith concept. If you love him (faith), you will keep (works) his words. If you don’t keep (works) his words you must not really love (faith) him. If you don’t keep (works) his words, you open yourself up to be mishpat/judged by those very same words.

Verse 22

But – And … In each of these statements, most translations use the word ‘but’ here, however, it is worth noting, this same word is also translated as indeed, and, and also, for, then, so, however, because … you can see the range of available options here. Many Hebrew scholars lean toward the ‘and’ as opposed to the ‘but’. It was a well known saying, “you have heard it said, but I say …” with a meaning of, let me add to what you’ve already heard to give a deeper understanding. Take that as you may.

who is angry … Well, this one sounds like it’s going to get us all in trouble! Literal translations have a bit some clarifying statements like: Angry without cause, hates, wroth (has wrath). The Greek word carries a meaning of manipulation with it. It also is a fixed anger, it’s an attitude toward someone as an opponent and fixed on punishment. This isn’t about being mad at someone for a few minutes. Its a feeling toward someone you carry with you. Leviticus 19 says do not hate your brother in your heart.

What have we learned so far?

Jesus says, you think God’s command is about taking a life, it isn’t, it’s about your heart toward others, especially when it’s negatively fixed on punishment and without cause. Not murdering may keep the letter of his mishpat/law, but it doesn’t keep the heart of the mishpat/law. If you live like this, you have placed yourself in danger of judgement.

AND … this is from Logos Bible Software – the word highlighted in yellow – is this word, the word highlighted in green, is the word used for But above. However, these are chosen Greek words. It was a matter of a choice by the interpreter.

Hold on now, we are about to hit some tough bumps.

Whoever says raca … Well, thank goodness we don’t ever say raca right? Do you say ‘Peti!’? Yeah probably not. How about any of these? Empty fellow? Easy to Seduce? Stupid? Ouch, I’m guessing that one got most of us. Some other’s that could apply here: Empty headed, senseless, worthless, good for nothing. This is the only place in all of scripture this word appears. At that time, it was a very strong insult and usually said with utter contempt, a strong feeling of disliking or despising. It was so offensive because everyone is created in the image of God. This was saying they had no spiritual connection to God, a mistake. Just like the anger, this seems to be an action out of a feeling which is on-going. This might be something we’ll all be thinking on later, or at least we should.

If a disciple does that he is in danger of the Sanhedrim. This basically means judgment again. The Sanhedrin were the judicial council of the Jews. These are the people who tried Jesus, Paul, and several of the disciples.

And … whoever says … this one is going to get us all … moron, rebel, fool. This is the noun form of the word used earlier in Matthew describing the salt loosing it’s taste. It refers to someone not functioning properly. It is used later in Matthew 25:3. There is more to this than just calling someone a fool. Jesus says anyone hearing his words and not doing them is a fool in Matthew 7. And he calls people fools in Matthew 23. In 1 Corinthians 1, we read God has chosen the fools of the world. But this is talking about someone who is falsely or incorrectly accusing someone of doing something wrong.

In the Hebrew scriptures found, the part about the Sanhedrim and the moron do not appear. It indicates whoever says raca is in danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom.

In danger of fire of Gei-Hinnom – this was a literal place at the time. It was a very nasty place, full of darkness. It was called the Valley of Hinnom, well, it is still called that today, it just isn’t so nasty anymore. This is where The adversary/satan and his messengers will be put. So, yeah, not a place you want to be in danger of going.

Who’s Law is This?

Jesus is making this old law new – back a few blogs we discovered the Hebrew meaning to new is like our words refurbish or renovate. Restoring something to it’s former glory. He isn’t creating a brand new command, he is refurbishing the original which has been beaten up, distorted, and doesn’t look much like it did when it was first created. This is YHWH/God’s law found in the Torah/First Five Books of Our Bible.

Recap of who Jesus has described

Let’s refresh before moving forward, Jesus is talking about someone:

It seems Jesus is more concerned about the heart than the action. Yet, it seems, if someone carries these kind of feelings, over time, given the wrong situation, it could very easily become purposefully killing someone.

Purposefully killing someone … hmmm … if we continually have an unjust anger, see someone as an opponent, are fixed on them receiving punishment, and have an utter contempt, disliking, or despising for them, could our actions, words, posture, and demeanor toward them slowly and purposefully kill them inside?

Could carrying all these feelings around purposefully kill us from the inside?

We are going to stop right here. Take some time to evaluate your heart. Does this describe you? Is there someone you hold these kind of feelings toward? Are you carrying an unjust anger toward someone? Do you want to see someone punished for a reason not worthy of punishment?

Do you have these kind of feelings about yourself? That can’t be good either, right?

Just like God said to the first human murderer, Abel:

Is it not if you do tov/good, you are to be accepted? And if you do not do tov/good, towards the door is a sin.

Genesis 4 (TS2009)

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