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1992-11-02
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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Study No. 6
PATHWAY TO MATURITY CONTINUED
"LET'S GO METRIC, OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
Reading: Matthew 5:21-26.
6. THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
"Thou shalt not kill" Exodus 20:13.
Key Thought - Emotional Development.
A. The Problem - An inability to trust or use emotions without
causing harm.
This law relates to a persons own development and
responsibility of his emotional life. Prov. 16:32.
B. The Importance Jesus Places On This Law
The first law Jesus brings to the attention of his hearers is,
"Thou shalt do no murder."
The Amplified translation of Matthew 5:22,
"But I say to you that every one who continues to be angry with
his brother or harbours malice (enmity of heart) against him
shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed
by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly
to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the
punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You
cursed fool! - You empty-headed idiot! shall be liable to and
unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire."
Christ's authority is startling but his standard is even more
startling.
The man who committed murder was not only guilty
BUT
The man who was angry was also guilty and liable to judgement.
IT was not enough to commit murder, the only sufficient
thing was to never even wish to commit murder.
One may not have struck a man; but who can say that he never
wished to strike a man.
Thoughts are as important as deeds.
C. The Penalty Of An Uncontrolled Emotional Life
In Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus equates murder with lack of control
in feelings and speech. He shows that our relationship with
God can be ruined if we have the wrong attitude to our fellow
man.
This causes spiritual death, as it interferes with the flow of
the spirit and life. Col. 1:21, Rom. 5:10, 2 Cor. 5:19.
Jesus lays a foundation, man is not only judged by his deeds,
but is judged by desires which never emerge as deeds. Christ
is concerned with the thoughts as well as the deeds.
"You have heard it said, ...but I say...whosoever shall
say...shall be in danger of hell fire."
D. The Split Personality Syndrome
1. We see ourselves riding a chariot with two horses, one is
Reason and the other Passion. Life is a conflict between
the demands of Passion and the control of Reason and at
times the best of self-control snaps.
"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this
body of death? I thank God...Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rom. 7:24-25.
Christ is even getting to grips with these two horses. He
is presenting his law that brings release and the conflicts
and pressures of life upon us are erased by himself.
2. Man has an inner and an outer life. At times our actions
are quite different to the thoughts of our hearts.
Note Haman and Mordecai - Esther 6. There was murder in the
making, yet his outward actions said the opposite. We can
stand at times the judgements of men because they are only
externals. But try and stand the judgement of the All-
Seeing eye.
E. The Forbidden Anger
"...but I say...whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause..." We need to stop here and note that Jesus is discussing
anger without a cause. This implies there are times when anger is
a justifiable response. Anger is not sin. But it is not
necessary to allow anger - whether justified or not - to result in
sin. Paul, who was a continuer in the Kingdom, wrote these words:
"Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your
wrath: Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:26,27). By
handling anger immediately and not allowing the devil to take
control of our responses, we can learn to handle explosive
situations in accord with Jesus' teachings.
1. First Phase
In verse 22, we see the progression of anger. God's laws were
instituted for our good. They protect us by exposing our
reactions. The road to safety lies in realizing what arouses
anger within us, as well as realizing how it grows once
ignited. Is it self-justification - prejudice - pride - an
interference with some ambition or pleasure?
All of these come under the heading "without cause". We may
consider them cause, but God wants to show us to ourselves as
He sees us. He judges our motives. There is danger in
judgement, for then we face the responsibility of dealing with
the cause.
"Angry with his brother" - verb used for anger - orgizesthur.
Two words for anger:
(The THUMOS - This was described as being the flame which comes from
Flamer) dried straw. It is the anger which quickly blazes up
and which just as quickly dies down. It rises
speedily and passes speedily.
(The ORGE - Described as anger become inveterate. It is the long-
Fumer) lived anger; it is the anger of the man who nurses his
wrath to keep it warm, it is the anger over which a
person broods, and which he will not allow to die.
James says in 1:20, "The wrath of man worketh not the
righteousness of God."
Paul says in Colossians 3:8, "Put off all anger, wrath, malice,
insulting speaking."
So Christ is forbidding all anger which - broods
- never forgets
- refuses to be pacified
- seeks revenge
It is a warning to remember. No man can call himself a Christian
and lose his temper because of any personal wrong which he has
suffered.
2. Phase Two
From our first response of anger, we move into phase two.
Anger comes alive and we lash out with "Raca!"
"You idiot!" This response places one in danger of the council
- being called before a governing body for discipline.
The man who calls his brother "Raca" is condemned.
This word is almost untranslatable because it describes tone of
voice. More than anything else that of contempt. It can even
be statements of contempt.
Ding-a-ling, Empty headed, Brainless Idiot, Twit.
It is a word of one who despises another with arrogant
contempt.
3. Phase Three
Then comes phase three. One is moving toward murder - anger
builds and takes on even more scathing verbalization, "Thou
fool!" Revenge is rising: "You dog-you rat..." Not only do
our mouths get out of control, but our thoughts run riot and
our bodies respond. We use expressions like "seeing red,..." ,
"my blood boiled...", "I blew my top."
Then the man who calls his brother "Fool".
This term is referring to a man who is a moral fool. He is the
man who is playing the fool.
To call a man such was not to criticize his mental ability, it
was to cast Aspersion on his moral character; it was to take
his home and reputation from him, and to brand him a "loose
living and immoral person". Jesus says to destroy a brother's
name, and reputation is liable to the severest judgement of all
- (Gehenna) Hell Fire.
4. How To Get Free
Such freedom comes when we learn how to deal with anger.
Verses 23 through 26 give us Jesus' formula. He begins with
"therefore", and we always need to see what follows if "there
for".
In this case, Jesus moves the scene to the temple. A
worshipper has come to offer his gift at the altar. Here there
is brought to his remembrance an incident of anger - one which
he may have thought no one was aware of but himself. Have you
ever found yourself in this situation? What better place for
God to speak? The Holy Spirit is the One who nudges us into
remembering that angry thought or act. Perhaps this is the
only time we have become quiet enough to hear his promptings.
Here I am in church worshipping, and thoughts of harsh
judgement or verbal lashings I have been guilty of rise up
before me. I can now do one of two things. I can do as Jesus
is recommending (v.24), leave the temple, seek out my offended,
or offending, brother, and say to him, "I'm sorry this
happened. Please forgive me for my part in the incident." Or
I can turn my back on the suggestion and say, "That's the devil
- condemnation - I'm under the blood - there is therefore now
no condemnation." Which decision will I make?
Jesus continues His teaching by telling the result of the
second choice - not following the counsel to leave our gift at
the altar and be reconciled to our brother. Notice, we are to
agree with our adversary - that one with whom we are having
trouble - quickly, while he is willing to negotiate peace. The
consequence facing us may be that the adversary will deliver us
to the judge - the judge deliver us to the officer - and we
will find ourselves in prison.
Jesus' formula is the only way out of the prison house which
anger builds around the one who indulges himself in this
response. No matter how many psychologists' couches are
pressed into service - regardless of how many pills, shots, and
rest cures are prescribed - there is only one permanent cure:
"I'm sorry."
END of STUDY SIX
