Anger and Lust
TRANSLATION
(21) “You have heard that it was said to our forefathers, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment.’ (22) But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be in danger of judgment. And whoever holds his brother in contempt will be in danger of the council. And whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be in danger of the fires of hell. (23) Therefore, if you are offering a gift at the altar and there remember that your brother holds something against you, (24) leave your gift there at the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. (25) Settle with your accuser before you come to court lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer and you be thrown into prison. (26) Truly I say to you that you will not get out until you have paid the last farthing.
(27) “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ (28) but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery with her already in his heart. (29) And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away, for it is better to lose one of your eyes as opposed to having your whole body thrown into hell. (30) And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away, for it is better to lose one of your hands as opposed to having your whole body thrown into hell.
(31) “It was also said, ‘Whoever wants to divorce a spouse should simply offer a legal document dissolving the marriage.’ (32) But I say to you that everyone who divorces a spouse except for sexual immorality causes that spouse to commit adultery. Additionally, whoever marries a divorced person likewise commits adultery.”
OBSERVATIONS
The many repetitions that fill this segment help us grasp the thrust of Jesus’ message. Three times we note the phrase, “You have heard,” followed by “but I say to you” (vss. 21, 28, & 31). In each case Jesus addressed what Jewish orthodoxy normally taught regarding “murder” (vs. 21), “committing adultery” (vss. 27, 28, & 32), and “divorce” (four times in vss. 31 & 32). He first clarified what each command signified in terms not just of outward compliance to the law but also in terms of heart attitude and then applied each in ways that went far beyond what the teachers of the law required.
Other repetitions included “danger” (four times in vss. 21 & 22), “brother” (four times in vss. 22, 23, & 24), “gift” (three times in vss. 23 & 24) along with altar (twice in vss. 23 & 24), “judge” (twice in vs. 25), and the phrases, “causes you to stumble…for it is better…into hell” (all twice in vss. 29 & 30).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus explained the significance of the command regarding murder. (21-26)
II. Jesus explained the significance of the command regarding adultery. (27-32)
IDEA STATEMENT
Both prohibitions against murder and adultery involve heart attitudes that extend far beyond that literal application of these commands.
APPLICATION
This segment of his Sermon on the Mount shows us how Jesus viewed both murder and adultery. While the Jews of Jesus’ day only applied these two commands to the actual taking of human life and sexual intimacy outside of marriage, Jesus extended their scope to included issues such as anger, showing contempt for a brother, and gazing at another person with lustful thoughts. Jesus thus showed his disciples that God is concerned not simply with our outward actions but also with our inner motivations. Clearly Jesus’ interpretation was more far-reaching than that of the religious teachers of Israel. This helps us understand what he meant when he said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king of Israel, he revealed to the prophet what had led to his choice of David. Concerning Jesse’s firstborn he said, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). That which motivates our behavior, the innermost thoughts, desires, and passions of our hearts, matters as much to God as how we act.