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Matthew 5:21-26 (Murder and anger)

INTRODUCTION: We are continuing our series on the Sermon on the Mount and last week we began a new section where Jesus begins to address the Christian’s righteousness in relationship to the law. We saw that Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and one of the ways he fulfilled the law was by revealing the true meaning behind it. Today’s message is called “Will the Real Murderer Please Stand Up?” and in our text today Jesus reveals the true meaning of the law against murder. (Read Matthew 5:21-26 and pray.)

Will the real murderer please stand up? Please don’t stand up quite yet. You might scare some of the people around you. I will give you the opportunity to stand up later, but not until after we have taken some time to study this text before us. Because many of us don’t really understand the biblical command against murder.

Jesus is teaching us the true meaning of the law, and as we mentioned last week, in this section Jesus repeatedly uses the phrase: “You have heard that it was said … but I say.” Six times in this chapter Jesus will use this phrase or some variation of it.

So is Jesus contradicting the Old Testament when he uses this phrase? Absolutely not. He just finished saying he had not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. So why is he setting up this contrast?

There are two problems Jesus is addressing here. First of all, people have heard different things from the Old Testament but not all have been taught correctly. The Pharisees and teachers of the law mixed all their own teachings and interpretations with the Law, and so the people often didn’t know which was which! Jesus is correcting their false interpretations.

But then secondly, people limited Old Testament commandments to external actions, not inward righteousness. Jesus reveals the true intention of the law as regards the heart. God does not look just on the outside of the man but at the heart.

So when Jesus says, “But I say,” these are authoritative words from Jesus. This is what the law really means. Jesus’ words do not relax the law; they do not replace the law; rather they “fulfill” the law – they give the law its fuller meaning.

We ended last week’s message with Jesus’ teaching that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must have a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Now Jesus is going to give several examples of what that surpassing righteousness looks like in the life of the believer. In the following passages Jesus discusses: 1) murder (21-26), 2) adultery and divorce (27-32), 3) oaths (33-37), and 4) revenge (38-48). In each case he teaches us what surpassing righteousness looks like. In each case he teaches us the real meaning of the law.

I. The real meaning of murder (21-22)

So let’s begin with the real meaning of murder. The command against murder is the sixth of the Ten Commandments and is found in the Old Testament in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17. Although we don’t like all of God’s commands, most of us are fine with the command against murder. We understand that it is wrong to take another person’s life, and we are grateful that it is against the law for someone to take ours.

   A. Anger – the attitude behind the act (Proverbs 16:2; 1 John 3:15)

But Jesus takes us deeper into the meaning of murder. Look at verses 21-22: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 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.” (Matthew 5:21)

There were two problems with the way the Pharisees and teachers of the law handled murder: 1) they limited the sin of murder to the external act, and 2) they limited the punishment to the earthly court. Jesus insists that murder goes deeper than that, and the punishment goes deeper as well. It is not just the act of murder that matters to God, but the attitude behind the act. Remember God looks at the heart. Proverbs 16:2 says: “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:2)

So what is behind the act of murder? Jesus pinpoints anger as the attitude behind the act. That was certainly the case with Cain and Abel in the Old Testament. But what Jesus says goes even deeper than that. Jesus says anger itself is enough to make one subject to judgment! In other words, it’s not just that anger leads to the sin of murder; rather anger is the sin of murder.

Jesus gives us three examples here in verse 22: “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.”

The word translated “angry” here in verse 22 does not mean a sudden temper flare, but rather a deep-seated hostility, a settled anger or resentment. This is what we would call nursing a grudge. Jesus says anyone who is angry with his brother in this way will be subject to judgment.

The word ‘Raca’ is a word that insults someone’s intelligence. It literally means “empty head” or “airhead.” When you call somebody stupid or an idiot today, even under your breath, you are basically doing what Jesus is talking about here. Jesus said anyone who says to his brother, “Raca – idiot!” is answerable to the Sanhedrin, which was the Jewish higher court.

If the word “Raca” is aimed at the person’s mind, the word “fool” is aimed at the person’s heart. It is an attack on their personhood; it is a judgment on their heart and their motivations. You are basically saying that they are good-for-nothing or worthless in your sight. You may even be questioning their salvation. Jesus said anyone who says “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Now these may seem like small sins to us: being angry at someone, calling them an idiot or a fool. But remember last week we said there are no little commandments. Likewise there are no small sins. In your anger you are passing judgment on the other person. You are performing a character assassination.

Why is anger the root cause of murder? Anger is an attack on the other person’s life. When you get angry with someone you wish them harm. You can even wish them dead, which is why we sometimes say things like: “I could just wring your neck!” Not a pretty picture when you stop to think about it.

We see something similar in 1 John 3:15 where God says, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” (1 John 3:15) When you call someone an idiot or good-for-nothing or worthless, you are murdering them with your words. You are attacking their value, you are attacking their self-worth, and those words will stay with them for a very long time, perhaps their whole life.

God tells us that life is sacred; therefore we are not to harm anyone, and we are not to desire to harm anyone. Anger is murder in the bud, and God says to nip it in the bud.

   B. What about Jesus?

Now what about Jesus? Didn’t Jesus get angry? Didn’t Jesus call people fools? Yes he did, so how do we explain that?

      1) Angry at sin
         – Mark 3:1-6; Matthew 21:12-13; 23:16-17; Ephesians 4:26

First of all, the specific word used for anger in Matthew 5 is never used to describe Jesus’ anger, although it is used to describe God’s wrath against sin. Jesus never had this settled hostility towards another person. Instead when Jesus got angry, he got angry at sin.

For example in Mark 3 when the Pharisees didn’t want Jesus to heal a man on the Sabbath, we read that “Jesus looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.” (Mark 3:5) Jesus wasn’t holding a grudge against the Pharisees. He was angry at their sin and their stubborn hearts in not wanting to see this man healed.

It was the same way when Jesus cleared the temple. (See Matthew 21:12-13) Jesus was angry because God’s house was supposed to be a house of prayer, and it was being used in dishonest and abusive ways. Or in Matthew 23 when Jesus called the Pharisees fools. (See Matthew 23:16-17) Jesus called them fools not because they had personally offended him, but because they were indeed being foolish and their sin was harming others.

And so anger is not always sinful, and there is a place for righteous anger. As it says in Ephesians 4:26: “In your anger do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26) Righteous anger desires good for the other person; sinful anger desires harm. Jesus is not prohibiting anger at sin or injustice. He is not prohibiting calling foolish behavior foolish, or calling foolish people fools. Jesus prohibits an attitude of anger and hostility towards others because of personal offense.

      2) But did not retaliate when personally offended
         – 1 Peter 2:23, Luke 23:34

And that is really the key here. Jesus got angry at sin, but he did not retaliate when personally offended. We read in 1 Peter 2:23: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23) Or Jesus’ words from the cross in Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

You see, in our sinful anger we get it all backwards. We get more angry with people for offending us personally than we do about all the sin and injustice in the world.

So what is the real meaning of murder? According to Jesus, if you have ever been angry with your brother, you are guilty of murder and in danger of the fire of hell.

II. The importance of reconciliation (23-24)

If murder is as far-reaching as Jesus says it is – and it is – then we must be extra careful to maintain good relationships with each other. And so Jesus moves on to share with us the importance of reconciliation. Reconciliation simply means making peace with others. We talked about it in the Beatitudes when we discussed being a peacemaker. Now Jesus shows us how important it is to guard against the sin of murder in our hearts.

   A. Example: offering gift at the altar (Isaiah 1:11-15; Jeremiah 7:9-11)

And he does this by sharing the example with us of someone offering their gift at the altar. Look at verses 23-24: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

Jesus is basically saying that reconciliation with your brother is a pre-requisite to worshiping God. We should maintain good relationships with all people, but especially with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We share the same heavenly Father who shares the same love and concern for each one of us. A good dad doesn’t like to see his children get hurt, and neither does our Father in heaven.

Here we have the example of someone offering their gift at the altar, which in Jesus’ day referred to a sacrifice of some sort in the temple. Jesus said before you offer your gift, make sure that your heart is right with God and others.

This was clear even in the Old Testament. We read God’s words in Isaiah: “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! … When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” (Isaiah 1:11-15) God rejected their sacrifices, because the people’s hearts had to be right in order for their sacrifice to be meaningful.

Or again, we read in Jeremiah 7: “Will you steal and murder … and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name? … Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? (Jeremiah 7:9-11) It wasn’t enough simply to bring the sacrifice. Your heart had to be right before God and others.

   B. The principle: must reconcile first (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 3:20-21)

We don’t offer animal sacrifices today, but we still draw near to worship God in prayer, at church and through communion. And the principle Jesus teaches us is this: Before you come to worship God, you must reconcile first. There are not many things you should interrupt worship for (e.g. texting; checking your email), but here God says reconcile first. That is not to say that reconciliation is more important than worshiping God. Rather reconciliation is necessary in order to worship God properly.

Basically, you can’t talk with God if you won’t talk with your brother or sister. Psalm 66:18 says: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18) If there is a wall between you and your brother, there is also a wall between you and God.

1 John 3 says: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 3:20-21)

One of the ways we love God is by loving each other. So if you are out of harmony with someone, you need to seek them out. If you have done something wrong, you need to make it right. Or at least try. Once again Jesus stresses the importance of inward heart relationship over any outward, external ceremony. And in this case reconciliation takes priority over worship.

Jesus says leave your gift at the altar, go and be reconciled, then come and offer your gift. In other words, don’t forget to come back to God! Reconciliation leads to freedom in worship. Jesus says if we are truly to worship God from our heart, we must make sure that our hearts are pure before him. And so we must make sure that they are clear of the sin of murder.

III. The urgency of reconciliation (25-26)

Jesus goes on to share with us one more example. If Jesus’ first example teaches us the importance of reconciliation, his second example teaches us the urgency of reconciliation. Look at verses 25-26: “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. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:25-26)

   A. Example: adversary taking you to court

This example is a warning about what can happen when you do not pursue reconciliation. When your adversary takes you to court, Jesus says you should settle matters quickly with them. Do it before you even get to court. Why? Because until you settle things, you have no control over the outcome. It can quickly go from bad to worse; and the longer this thing draws out, the more costly the whole situation becomes.

So reconcile before you get to court. Make friends, not enemies. Even better, make friends out of your enemies. We could all use more friends and less enemies.

   B. The principle: do not delay (Ephesians 4:26-27; Romans 12:18)

And the principle here is this: Do not delay. It’s the same principle we find in Ephesians 4: “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27) When you hold on to anger, you not only cut yourself off from God, you open yourself up to the devil! So don’t delay! Do everything within your power to reconcile. Even if you do not succeed, at least do what you can. As it says in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)

Now Jesus is talking about an earthly judge in this example, but he hints at our eternal state also. Another application we can draw from this passage is to make friends with God now, while you are still on the way. It will be too late once you are consigned to hell. You will not get out until you have paid the last penny. It takes an infinite amount of time to pay the price for sin against an infinitely holy God, and so that last penny will take all of eternity to pay.

So what can you do? Settle matters with God now before you appear for judgment. Do it now, while you are still on the way. Confess your sins to God, and receive the free gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ his Son.

Your salvation is a matter of great urgency. Jesus says, “Have the same urgency about reconciling your personal relationships. Don’t delay. Do it now!

CONCLUSION: There are three things we learn from Jesus’ teaching about murder in this passage: 1) The sin of murder is not just an external act but includes your heart motives and attitudes. 2) The punishment for murder is not ultimately decided by earthly courts but by God in heaven. 3) If we are truly to obey the law, we must not only avoid the negatives but also pursue the positives – reconciliation and friendship in all our relationships.

At this time I would like to ask everyone to stand. Remember, the title of this message is “Will the Real Murderer Please Stand Up?” Guess what? The real murderer just did. We have all been angry with our brother, and so we are all murderers at heart. If I’m wrong, and you’ve never been angry with anyone, you can go ahead and sit down. But otherwise we all stand here today convicted of murder. Welcome to the club!

Those who are guilty of anger are guilty of murder. This is the surpassing righteousness Jesus spoke about in last week’s message. You think the Ten Commandments are hard to live by? Try living the Sermon on the Mount!

Of course we are sinful people, and so this is impossible for us. So how do we do it? We go back to the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:4) The poor in spirit are those who know that they do not have the resources to do these things themselves. And when you confess your sin before God – you are blessed, you are forgiven, and the kingdom of heaven is yours.

I don’t have the resources, but God does. Praise God who forgives us for the sin of murder and gives us grace that we may reconcile with each other.

© Ray Fowler

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By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

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