Matthew 5 Sermon on the Mount v 23-26 Your Gift and Your Brother
The beginning of this thought line is here: Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus: Murder and Anger.
However, this isn’t a new conversation, we have to keep tracking with everything Jesus has said previously this chapter.
Verse 23
Right off, because of where we stopped, we have a ‘therefore’ – which means we have to go back to make sure we understand what ‘therefore’ is pointing to before we can move forward.
The over arching concept in verses 21-22 is being in danger of judgment, in this case, it’s due to harboring a fixed anger, wanting to see unjust punishment, and carrying an on-going feeling of utter contempt, a strong feeling of disliking or despising for someone.
Therefore= Because you are in danger of mishpat/judgment … if you bring your gift to the altar … Notice, this is someone who is bringing a gift to YHWH, this means they are someone who worships God. What kind of gift would they bring? The Hebrew word is korban/gift. In the first few chapters of Leviticus God describes what a korban/gift should be.
- Burnt Offering – given so the person bringing the gift would be accepted before YHWH/God.
- Grain Offering – given in worship for God’s daily bread.
- Fellowship or Peace Offering – given in thanksgiving.
- Sin Offering – for unintentional sins against God’s mizvot/commandments. These were acts without intent, unwittingly. Once the sin is made known, being accountable for what was done, although it was not done on purpose. The sin would be breaking one of the “shall not” commands. Doing something God said not to do. The offering was brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, confession of the sin is made, the offering brought by the Priest to make atonement, and then the offender is restored.
- Trespass or Guilt Offering – given to reconcile a person to God for their behavior which results in an unwittingly, unintentional, act without intent sin. This is also given for an act done rebelliously, although not intending to sin, with intent to harm (like finding something that was lost and lying about finding it). This was about restoring a relationship with someone you have wronged. This offering can be brought even if the sin is still unknown but there is a feeling of conviction. The offering was brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, confession of the sin is made, when wronging a neighbor, whatever was taken was return or restore for the full value to his neighbor, plus a fifth/20% more, in addition a burnt offering is given to and brought by the Priest to make atonement, and then the offender is restored.
Watch for a connection between the korban/gift, the law which was being practice at the very time Jesus is speaking, and what he says next.
Verses 24-25
If you remember a brother has something against you … These disciples understood fully. They understood not being right with man was not being right with God. All their lives they knew if they didn’t deal right with a brother, they would have to bring a Trespass or Guilt Offering to the Temple in order to atone for their sin and get right with God.
Jesus just took murder from a fleshly “trespass” and made it a heart “trespass”. It’s no longer about an act but an attitude. And then he tells them how to bring a trespass offering for this heart trespass. Leave your offering …
- Go find him, be reconciled to your brother, make peace
- Be agreeing with your opponent in a law suit – this is about dealing fairly with others, if you know you wronged someone, be reconciled, make peace. You don’t want them to bring you to a shofet/judge, then an shoter/officer, and then prison. You’ll end up paying back even the smallest amount. As much as it’s possible, be agreeable with the opponent to avoid the courts.
Bring your gift … When you have made things right with your brother, come back and give your offering to God.
Here’s a few good pictures of this playing out. The Old Testament scenes probably came to the disciples minds.
Saul thought he had obeyed the Lord but comes to realize he didn’t listen to Samuel nor God – he needed to reconcile with Samuel so he could come back to the altar and worship God:
But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”
1 Samuel 15 (NIV)
The same idea can be found in Hosea 6 and in the New Testament in the story of Zacchaeus. And here in Mark 11:
For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your transgressions.”
TLV
Korban/gift is also found in Revelation 1:5, Jesus “freed us from our sins by his blood.” In Hebrew it would read, “ransom korban /gift of his nefesh/spirit the dahm/blood of him”. Interesting huh?
We can not bring our gifts to God if we aren’t right with others. We can not be forgiven if we don’t forgive others.
Jesus isn’t doing away with the law, he is setting the definitions back to their original intent. It wasn’t about actions, it was about attitudes and feelings inside.
God did not like the offerings being brought over and over again, blood applied over and over again. To obey in the first place so we don’t need to bring a sacrifice is better. To listen and heed what he says is better than bringing blood to cover a sin.
The animal sacrifices and the sacrifice Jesus made for us was not meant as a standard way of practice, it wasn’t meant to be a daily sacrifice, it was meant for use as an exception. Jesus became our Trespass/Guilt offering to cover for what we didn’t know, wipe our slate clean. It was so we could be in the presence of God. And on those occasions when we slip up and do something God told us not to do, we can bring Jesus’s blood to cover the penalty of death and be restored to the presence of God.
For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering (korban (gift))for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgement (mishpat) and a fierce fire which is about to consume the opponents.
Anyone who has disregarded the Torah (law) of Mosheh (Moses) dies without compassion on the witness of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim (Jesus) underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour?
For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I shall repay, says YHWH (God).” And again, “YHWH (God) shall judge His people.” It is fearsome to fall into the hands of the living Elohim (God).
Hebrews 10 (TS2009 emphasis (Hebrew and English words added)
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