#1228 Matthew 5 Part 13 Jesus On Divorce

 

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5: 31-32

Matthew 5: 31-32

It was also said - This is what the scribes taught the people; this was said by the Pharisees and the Sadducees, their interpretation of the law in reference to marriage and divorce. It fell in line with the cultures around them, where a way around adultery was affectively, in their minds, reached by annulling their present covenant relationship in order to pursue someone else who struck their fancy. Unfortunately, no matter how immense the culture is, no matter how popular it's views, wanting something to be true doesn't make it true. Now for all those supposed "truth seekers, skeptics, those who supposedly 'follow the science', " I want you to read this, and then ask yourself, "do we really follow science, or is this our cult mantra?" "Do we ever learn from history, or do we ignore it in favor of our vices and the need to fit in?" So, this is from a sermon done by John Macarthur in 1979, and I will include the link for the truly brave, but at least read this and think it through:

Now when just the average preacher likes ... like me says it, everybody gets upset, when an eminent psychiatrist from Harvard says it everybody listens. But listen to what he says, he lists the trends that are causing the destruction of the family, the trends that are going to cause a generation of emotional cripples. Number one, in the list that I want to give you, married women with children working outside the home. Interesting. Married women with children working outside the home. Nicoli says, and I quote, "My clinical experience indicates clearly that no women with young children can do both at the same time, without sacrificing either the quality of work or the quality of child care." End quote. That's essentially what I was saying, wasn't I, in Ephesians chapter 5. Another tendency, he says, in our society that is going to cripple the next generation is the tendency for families to move frequently. He says 50% of the U. S. population lived at a different address 5 years ago. Consequently young people have no sense of roots, have no concept of extended friendships." Another one, he says, "Another trend that is going to destroy the family as we know it and cause emotional cripples is the invasion of television into the home. One fifth of the lifetime of the next generation will be spent watching television." If you live to be 80 years of age and you're average, you will have watched television a total of four thousand days of your life. Creating a tremendous impact, and since as we know television is part of the system and the system is to tear down the family, you will have a total of four thousand days of anti-family propaganda at one level or another. Another, Nicoli says, there is another trend that has the same effect and it is, "The lack of controls in our society." And what he means by this is that we don't have any moral standards. And when a society has no moral standards what invariably results is deep moral confusion. And when you have deep moral confusion in the life of an individual you will have a tremendous amount of guilt, and a tremendous amount of guilt leads people to, to compensate for it by aberrant behavior. He further points out that no standards in a society will cause people to be unable to control their impulses, there will be a rise in violent crimes, there will be a wildness to our sex activities, homosexuality and perversion will literally go crazy in the next generation.

Further, he says, "Another trend that is doing the same thing is a lack of communication in the home." A study in a small town in the United States indicated that the average father spent an average of 37 seconds a day with his young sons. No communication. Well there are some trends that Nicoli pointed out. Married women with children working outside the home, the tendencies for families to move frequently, the invasion of television, the lack of controls in our society, a lack of communication in the home, all of those contribute to the break down of the family which will create a generation of emotionally misfit people. But the first one in his list I haven't mentioned yet. The number one cause of emotional problems in the lives of the next generation is divorce, divorce. Nicoli says this, "The trend toward quick and easy divorce, and the ever increasing divorce rate subjects more and more children to physically and emotionally absent parents. The divorce rate has risen 700% in this century, and it continues to rise. There is now one divorce for every 1 point 8 marriages. Over 1 million children a year are involved in divorce cases, and 13 million children under 18 now have one or (borth) both parents missing." End quote. He sees divorce as the first problem in his list. And he goes on to conclude this, what about the future, what can we expect if these trends continue? And here's his answer, "First, the quality of family life will continue to deteriorate, producing a society with a higher incidence of mental illness than ever before. 95% of our hospital beds will be taken up by mentally ill people. This illness will be characterized primarily by a lack of self-control. We can expect the assassination of people in authority to be frequent occurrences. Crimes of violence will increase, even those within the family, the suicide rate will rise. As sexuality becomes more unlimited more separated from family and emotionally commitment the deadening effect will cause more bizarre experimenting and widespread perversion." End quote. Now I don't know about you but that's a frightening picture to me, but that's where we're going. And divorce is the major contributor, now what can we do about this? What is the answer? How do we get a handle on all of this disaster that faces us? Well most importantly, and you know I would say this, we must return to the principles of the Word of God. What does God say? People are defending divorce on all kinds of grounds. People are trying to defend the working mother with children in the home on all kinds of grounds. People are defending television, people are defending the mobility of our society, people want to live the way they want to live, so they do anything they can to justify that manner. But if you go back to the Bible as we've been trying to in the last few months and you see how the family is to be ordered as God lays it out, it is the only way we'll solve our problems. Now it's fine to be concerned about divorce because of its societal effects, and that's what Nicoli is saying, he's saying we've got to do something about divorce, because look what it does. Now as important as that is it isn't the most important reason. And I'm not here to tell you we need to do something about divorce because it messes up the next generation, it does do that, but I'm here to tell you we have to do something about divorce because it violates God's Word. That's why it messes up the next generation. The bottom line on this is not how it affects society; the bottom line is not a relativistic morality. We don't say it's wrong because it does this, it's wrong because God says it's wrong, see? - J Mac

Divorce and Remarriage Part 1 J Mac

Let him give her a certificate of divorce - The people wanted the scribes, those who interpreted the law, to make it as easy and accessible to them as possible. They wanted divorce to be a letter, like children breaking up in Jr. High. Commitment is hard, and sometimes they entered into it and then after words found the person they really, really wanted to be with. The letter was the work around for the problem of adultery, or so they thought, but the letters original intent was to make it public, and so a deterrent. This only works where integrity is esteemed as more than just a word. Now when I drive to work I see signs for divorce that cost under a hundred dollars; it's fashionable, and funny now too, "look, I just saw my next ex-wife." 

J I Packer (et al) comment that…

This Law was supposed to deter divorce rather than encourage it since it required a “writing of divorcement”, executed in public. The document granted the woman the right to remarry without civil or religious sanction. Divorce could not be done privately. The acceptable reason for granting divorce was “some uncleanness.” Specific types of “uncleanness” had their own penalties. Adultery carried the death penalty by stoning. Although the Law of Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife, the wife was not allowed to divorce her husband for any reason at all. Legally the wife was bound to her husband as long as they both lived or until he divorced her. If the woman was given a certificate of divorce, she was eligible to remarry any man except a priest (Lev. 21:7, 14; Ezek. 44:22). However, remarriage defiled her in respect to her first husband—i.e., he could not marry her again, because she had in effect "committed adultery" against him (cf. Matt. 5:32). In Jesus’ day, there was much confusion about the grounds for divorce. The rabbis could not agree on what constituted the “uncleanness” of Deuteronomy 24:1. There were two opinions. Those following Rabbi Shammai felt adultery was the only grounds for divorce. Those who followed Rabbi Hillel accepted a number of reasons for divorce, including such things as poor cooking. (Adapted from Packer, J., Tenney, M. C., & White, W. Nelson's Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)

Except on the ground of sexual immorality - This would be a good consideration for interpreting uncleanness, not "bad cooking". Was Jesus instituting something contrary to what God wanted? I would say that is impossible, for He is God. Look at the words of the last OT prophet, Malachi. Then look at Jesus later exchanges with the Pharisees. 

…13And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands. 14Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.…

…16“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith. 17You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?” Malachi 2: 13-17

…7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. 9Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”… Matthew 19: 7-9

Whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery - Marriage was a God ordained institution between a man and a woman, the building block of all societies. It, like everything else became corrupted with the fall of mankind. From this union comes the continuation of the species, and from this union comes the direction and priorities of all civilization. God did not change when sin came into the world, neither did His intent, so neither does good and right, they remain with God, and it is we who have transgressed. It is not a matter of paper with Him, remember, He looks at the heart, so there is only the work around or the loop hole in your mind, but He sees through that.

Parallels of Divorce 

The Great Divorce Malachi 2

#1227 Matthew 5 Part 12 What The Heart Wants

 

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Matthew 5: 27-30 ESV

Matthew 5: 27-30

17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;… 1 Corinthians 6: 17-19

You have heard - This gets repeated throughout Christ's sermon, and what follows is not wrong, "you shall not commit adultery", and that is in the 10 commandments, but the problem was that the Rabbis did not take the teaching far enough. God did not want mindless ritual tied to unchanged lives. 

“I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look lustfully at a young woman.

2 For what is our lot from God above,

our heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,

disaster for those who do wrong?

4 Does he not see my ways

and count my every step? Job 31: 1-4

Adultery and the law Misphat

Imperium the tie between murder and sexual immorality

You shall not commit adultery - This was a high crime in the OT law, punishable by death. The Jews, who sought to destroy Jesus, tried trapping Him with this very law. They brought out a woman who they had caught in adultery, hoping to get Jesus to speak against the law of the One Whom He referred to as His Father, or to get Him to stone the woman, which would have gone against Rome, for they had the power of life and death, Israel had forfeited her own sovereign rule to the nations ever since the time of the Babylonian occupation. She went from one pagan ruler to another, and now she was under Roman law. Jesus treatment of the situation is stellar, other worldly. He is God the Son so He has the power to forgive, and He is without sin, so He is the only One Who could have throne the stone base upon what He said, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." These men did not follow the law, for if they cared at all about the law then they would have had the man she was sleeping with there as well. The most incredible part is that Jesus sets her free, remember, earlier in this chapter, He says, "I did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill", so in forgiving her, letting her go, and telling her to "sin no more", He has taken her sin upon Himself, cleansing her of her past, and sending her out to live a new life. He is her redeemer.  

'If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)

"If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. 23 "If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. (Deut 22:22-24)

Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent - Now Jesus moves the bar from where men hold it, and with men it is often a matter of whether we get caught or not, and that by our fellow human beings. The world has their bar for this, which is often solely a matter of consent, and or contractual agreement. In other words, if you are okay with me cheating then it is not cheating, so we have those, and I have known them even in the so called "church", who would view marriage in such a low sense as to call it "open", which takes away the two becoming one. There is also the bro code, where what happens in Vegas or on the road stays there, a place of legal indiscretion, a place of sanctioned sin. We help each other hide it, iron doesn't sharpen iron in such relationships. We say of our spouses, what he or she doesn't know can't hurt them. The church has gone so far as to make a place for people to feel comfortable in their sin, and has in essence become the new Vegas, where anyone who speaks out against sin is considered a bigot. We have made the new law, "whatever feels good to you, whatever you attach the word love to, the heart wants what the heart wants, and I can't help but do what I want to do, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else." Jesus does not comply with the law according to the Scribes, nor does He adjust to meet your unholy standard; He puts the bar in it's place, and reveals the right of the Creator, to look past the whitewashed exterior, into the heart of those He made. He is at the root, the place where the seed was planted, concealed and covered, the place from whence the tree grew and bore such fruit as murder or adultery. It didn't start with the act, it started with a thought that lingered upon a temptation, that took something beautiful and twisted it into something that God did not intend. Notice too, He doesn't say married woman, or any married man that looks upon, but He just says, "everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent", everyone, a woman. He has indicted every human being, leaving none righteous, not even one.

…8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers! 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.… 

11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6: 8-11

Already committed adultery with her in his heart - He looked, something came through the eyes, passed in front of him, but in his heart lays this sin, and now the perverse heart, with it's wicked intent, drives the eyes to search in such fashion as to appease his lust. He makes his members a slave to sin. This progresses in us, where we seek stumbling blocks, occasions to feed what God has deemed disgraceful. Men hold the remote in their hand, fumble through the channels, stopping when they find their pint of flesh. The internet has made porn ridiculously easy, and we say, "but I haven't actually gone out and cheated on my wife, I am just window shopping, not buying." God takes it to the heart, and this is where He is saying it is wrong, that you and I are corrupt. It wasn't till I was convicted of my sin, and came to a place where I didn't care so much about what men said or thought of me, but I hurt alone, by myself, before a Holy God, I grieved about the state of my inner being, and that's when things started to change. I stopped watching certain shows because they fed my lust. I stopped following certain of my acquaintances on Facebook, and asked to be remove from certain text chains. I expect the world to act like the world, but I claimed to be a Christian, yet I did not reign in my eyes, and now it hurt, all the sudden the jokes weren't as funny, and the pictures all seemed to shatter the image of God. Temptation still comes, but the thought of my Lord's displeasure is painful, and so I cry out, I plead, I beg for a new heart, a spirit of self control, I hunger and thirst for righteousness. As a man thinks, so shall he be, and so if you have entertained the lustful thought, then you are an adulterer, if you are angry with your brother without cause, or see him as less than you, you are a murderer. Is there anyone reading this who is not guilty?  If you aren't then you aren't a sinner, and Christ only came to save sinners, that they may go and sin no more. 

…38“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout the generations to come they are to make for themselves tassels for the corners of their garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes. 40Then you will remember and obey all My commandments, and you will be holy to your God.… Numbers 15: 38-40

If  your right eye causes you to sin - If that is the cause, the root, then cut it out. I use to say it was little Calvin, the problem was that I was a guy and I had a male member which led me about, but if that's where sin comes from then there is an easy fix - be a eunuch, right? Christ has already stated where it comes from, it's from your heart, the mind, your very essence and person, and so the hyperbole removes the excuses. Look, the next is your right hand, so you touched someone else's wife, or you used that hand to steal, but what guided it, from whence did the direction come? Now we will say, but I was born this way, I can't help it, yes, I agree, in so much  as you were born into sin, that you are of a sinful nature which is in every way inclined to do that which God has deemed evil. I agree that you are a sinner, and because of that you have become part of that verse which claims that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that the wages of sin is death. Now if you say, "no one can live up to God's standard, who could possibly walk past every temptation and not give in, not even give it a thought, not even a moments doubt about what God says is true happiness, not believe the serpent when he says, 'hath God really said'? " If you are saying that no one lives this way, and yet God is going to judge me according to a standard that I can't meet? Man, you are getting so close. 

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7: 20-23

…23For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life, 24to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.… Proverbs 6: 23-25

…20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 21God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21

If it comes from the heart, your very being, who you are, then you need a righteousness from outside of you, and there was One Who did walk in accordance to the Spirit, Who did not lust, cheat or sin against God in any way. Therefore, this same Jesus, becomes the way by which all who believe in Him can become righteous. There are in Holy Scripture, prayers of past saints, those who were dead in their trespasses and sins, and just look, and consider this when you pray:

…9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.… Psalm 51: 9-11

…23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139: 23-24

It was always about the heart.

…25I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.… Ezekiel 36: 25-27

And look how a heart after God deals with such temptations.

…7and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” 8But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. 9No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”…

…10Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her. 11One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside. 12She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.… Genesis 39: 7-12

…20A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. 21So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work. 22Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.… 2 Timothy 2: 20-22

#1226 Matthew 5 Part 11 Reconciled

 

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5: 21-26 ESV

Matthew 5: 23-26

…16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Deuteronomy 16: 16-17

So if you are offering your gift at the altar - They would come before God at different times of the year to bring a sacrifice. Even the poor could offer a sacrifice, based upon affordability, the rich would bring a bull or a lamb, and the poor man could make the same sacrifice with doves. The sacrifices related to the penalty of sin, a life for a life, and they pointed to the ultimate and only pleasing sacrifice, which was Christ. When Adam and Eve sinned, God made the first animal sacrifice in order cover them and establish the principal. 

The Tabernacle Testimony

Remember that your brother has something against you - Being outwardly religious in no way removes the offense. Bringing the offering does not cover or take the place of doing what is right. If you have wronged your brother, which we saw before may even include harsh words or malice in the heart, God is not interested in your lamb as an appeasement. He's not Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton, there is no pay to play or look the other way. It's like the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu, God is looking at your heart.

Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the instruction of our God,

you people of Gomorrah!

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—

what are they to me?” says the Lord.

“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,

of rams and the fat of fattened animals;

I have no pleasure

in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,

who has asked this of you,

this trampling of my courts?

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!

Your incense is detestable to me.

New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—

I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.

14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals

I hate with all my being.

They have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,

I hide my eyes from you;

even when you offer many prayers,

I am not listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

16 Wash and make yourselves clean.

Take your evil deeds out of my sight;

stop doing wrong.

17 Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1: 10-17

First be reconciled to your brother - Go, take care of the offense. If you owe money then pay, if you can't pay in full then set up a payment schedule. It is a mar on the face of your religion that you will not look at the one who is made in God's image and consider that wronging even the least of  men is an act against God, against His name's sake. 

…17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”… Romans 12: 17-19

Come to terms quickly with your accuser - Don't let your ego get in the way. If you are in the wrong then confess and rectify, and if you are not then be gracious. Be careful of debt, do not enter into large amounts and avoid high interest. If something were to happen that you can't pay, it will soil your testimony. 

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

2 you have been trapped by what you said,

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go—to the point of exhaustion—

and give your neighbor no rest!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,

no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler. Proverbs 6: 1-5

#1225 Matthew 5 Part 10 You Have Heard

 

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5: 21-26

Matthew 5: 21-22 Anger and Murder

You have heard - There is some important context here, for the people my Lord is talking to have been in the dark as to the Word of God for quite some time. This also happened in the church age, the dark ages, when Rome controlled the dispensing and interpretation of the Bible. Here is an excerpt from a J Mac sermon on this very thing.

And by the way, rabbis were called “fathers of antiquity” or “men of long ago.” That was a common term for rabbis, and that is what our Lord is referring to. “You have heard that it was said by the rabbis of old.” In other words, this is a designation related to their oral teaching that glossed over the true law of God, that added their own thoughts to the revelation of the Old Testament. And so Jesus is not contrasting the New Testament with the Old Testament, not contrasting His Word with God’s Word, but with the word of the rabbis, and their traditional interpretation which had been given to the people.

Now let me give you an illustration of this. Martyn Lloyd-Jones uses this, and I think it’s a good illustration. The condition of the Jew at this time is fascinating. Now listen to this. It is remarkably like the people in the Reformation. Let me tell you why. In the days of the Reformation prior to the time when the Reformation really hit, the Scriptures were not translated into the peoples’ language, into English, for example.

When you went to the Catholic Church, the Catholic Mass - which really until the Reformation had captured the whole religious, Christian religious world - the whole thing was in what language? Latin, Latin. So you went there and you sat there. There was no Bible to speak of in the hands of the people. And what was read by the priests was read in Latin. Nobody understood it. Nobody read it. And then the priest would expound upon this Latin text and the people would simply believe whatever the priest said because they had no basis by which to evaluate. They couldn’t read the Latin. They couldn’t interpret it. So they accepted what the priest said.

So century went by after century, and the Roman Catholic Church developed the system which was never really investigated by the people. All because they didn’t have the Bible in their own language. And so they accepted the priestly interpretations and conformity to the system of Rome.

What the Reformation did more than anything else was give the Bible to the people. It put the Word of God in the peoples’ hands. When they began to read the Scripture, then they began to see the false system, the false teaching, the misrepresentation of the gospel, which had been given to them for centuries, and centuries, and centuries. And the truth of the gospel shattered the Dark Ages, and Christianity as we know it today was born out of that. And today, we have the Bible. And we can check any false system because we, too, can understand it.

Well, that’s exactly what was going on in our Lord’s Day. Listen to this. When Israel had gone into captivity in Babylon, when they went in to the Babylonian captivity, they remained there seventy years. And during that time historians tell us for the most part they lost the Hebrew language. They ceased to speak Hebrew. They picked up a language known as Aramaic. And so when they came back from captivity, they spoke in Aramaic. In Jesus time, they spoke Aramaic. Jesus taught, probably, in Aramaic.

And of course, the New Testament was written down in Greek. But the people, the Jewish people spoke Aramaic. They were for the most part completely unfamiliar with Hebrew, as Jewish people are for the most part today. So, the rabbis would come along. The rabbis would read the Hebrew, which the people didn’t understand. The rabbis would interpret it. The people couldn’t argue because they didn’t know what it said, either. And so they begin to build an entire system based upon the ignorance of the people regarding the Hebrew text.

And so when the Lord says, “You have heard that it was said by them of old,” He is saying, “The religion you have is the oral tradition of the rabbis, not the written Word of God,” you see? Very critical. The embellishments, and traditions, and interpretations, and deletions, and additions, and all of the garbage that was added which became the Mishnah, the codification of oral law, the Talmud, and all of that other stuff, which padded the truth of God into obscurity.

Jesus says, “That’s what you’ve been hearing.” Just as the Roman Catholic Church obliterated the truth by keeping the people ignorant of the Scriptures, so the people were ignorant of the Scriptures in the time of the rabbis. And because they couldn’t speak Hebrew, they couldn’t verify what they were getting. - J Mac

You shall not murder - This is true, the Bible says, "thou shalt not kill", and so a man, not just the Pharisees, I have known many to think this way, that you have not ever killed anyone, and you speak of love and joy and peace, so you have fulfilled the law. In our hearts we think, "yes, I have never physically killed someone, so I am a good person, I can stand before God on my own merit with a clear conscience." 

Will be liable to judgment - The act of murder brings you under the requirements of the law, the penalty of the law. This is where we see capital punishment, a life for a life, but if you look back at the early teachings of Moses, you will discover the extent to which Christ is pushing the teaching. In the passages below you will see intent, and the idea of intent is where the Pharisees and Sadducees fell short in their teaching. Intent is looking at the heart, and Jesus will make it abundantly clear that there are none righteous by that standard. You need the righteousness of Christ applied to your account, an alien righteousness. 

12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. 13If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.… Exodus 21: 12-14

12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. 13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

16 “ ‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17 Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18 Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21 or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

22 “ ‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23 or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24 the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 “ ‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27 and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28 The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

29 “ ‘This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.

30 “ ‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

31 “ ‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

32 “ ‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

33 “ ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’ ” Numbers 35: 12-34

More on Cities of Refuge

But I say to you - Christ doesn't change the law, He doesn't add to or reduce it, but He takes it to it's logical source, the perfection of understanding the law. You had cities of refuge for unintentional, accidental loss of life, and take care here, because hitting someone out of anger, whether you intended to kill them or not, if they die, the anger was the source. This doesn't remove the rights of self defense, for it is just to defend yourself or someone else from the heart that seeks to dominate by violence, but remember, you don't fight because you know you are going to win, you fight because it is the right thing to do. You tried to stop it by other means, you pleaded with your enemy, were willing to walk away, yet they persisted, and those that govern were not so near as to intervene or in some cases would not care to. Now for the self righteous, they will always think that they were in the right for using violence, for screaming, temper tantrums, rioting, instigating.

You fool - Other translations have this as "empty head", and basically it invokes or encompasses the sort of language that puts someone beneath you, "worthless, less than, deserving of my disdain and whatever happens to you". It comes from the thing that God hates, which is pride, and it is not only the reaction of the person who was cut off in traffic, but often it is from the person who committed the wrong. It's like this, I cut you off in traffic, you blow your horn to let me know that there was a close call, and I don't know the intent of your heart, but I was in the wrong, maybe even on accident, but when I hear that horn I lose it. I put my hand out the window and give you the international sign of my superiority, telling you I don't care who you are or what I did, I apologize to no one, this is my road, "do you know who I am?" I didn't see the state of your heart, you used your horn for what it's there for, but  now you and everyone around knows the state of my heart.

…44For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor grapes from brambles. 45The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 46Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?… Luke 6: 44-46

Raca appears often in the Rabbinic literature. The idea is that of "empty head ("airhead")," or "numbskull," or "one who thinks like a donkey." In that sense Raca expresses dehumanizing contempt which seeks to strip the person of their dignity by viewing them as worthless! To say “Raca” to a person was like saying, “You idiot!” - Precept Austin

Will be liable to the hell of fire - You didn't even kill anyone, yet this is the conviction, this is the sentence. You used the word "fool", yet you understood it incorrectly, the fool is the one who thought so highly of himself, the fool is the one who tried to shatter the image of God in his fellow, you were the fool. The word itself was used by the prophets and by God to describe those that lived contrary to God's command to "love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and love thy neighbor as thyself." Think about it, it's not hard, you are a human being, so if you devalue someone else you are devaluing the image of God, and since they are human you are devaluing your own humanity by exalting yourself. 

…5Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. 6A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. 7A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.… Proverbs 18: 5-7

…10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve. 11Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.” Jeremiah 17: 10-11

…23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’ 25But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.… Luke 16: 23-25

MacArthur notes that moros "was sometimes used in secular Greek literature of an obstinate, godless person. It was also possibly related to the Hebrew mārâ which means “to rebel against.” To call someone You fool was to accuse them of being both stupid and godless. The three illustrations in this verse show increasing degrees of seriousness. To be angry is the basic evil behind murder; to slander a person with a term such as Raca is even more serious, because it gives expression to that anger; and to condemn a person’s character by calling him a fool is more slanderous still… Jesus’ prohibition is against slanderously calling a person a fool out of anger and hatred. Such an expression of malicious animosity is tantamount to murder and makes us guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press) - Precept Austin

Hell (Gehenna) (1067) (geenna from Hebrew gay = valley + Hinnom = a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem once associated with the pagan god Moloch and his disgusting rite of infant sacrifices [cp modern practice of abortion!], 2Kings 23:10; 2Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31, 19:5, 6, 32:35; Ezekiel 16:20; 23:37 clearly prohibited by God in Lev 18:21, 20:2, 3, 4, 5) is literally the valley of Hinnom, the valley where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned and where there were trash fires and perpetually burning rubbish, all a fit symbol of the future home of all unrepentant, unregenerate wicked men and women. It was a foul, forbidding place where the fire, smoke, and stench never ceased. It is thus fitting that gehenna is where sin and unrepentant sinners will one day find it's "resting place". - Precept Austin