Matthew Chapter 5: 21-26, Exodus 20:13
"You
have heard it said that the ancients were told 'You shall not
commit
murder'and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I
say to you that
everyone who is angry with his brother shall be
guilty before the
court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You
good for nothing' shall
be guilty before the supreme court and
whoever says, You fool, shall
be guilty enough to go into fiery
hell."
Therefore, if you are presenting your offering before the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother and then come present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid every last
cent.”
I. First Level of Condemnation......Anger - Orgizomenos
a. A direct prohibition against all brooding, smoldering, and other forms of anger.
b. This is anger that seeks revenge and corrupts one within. This must be stopped. In context, must be stopped by local court.
II. Second level of Condemnation.........The Insult!!! Racca
a. An act of contempt, arrogant or despising.
b. There are those who are arrogant because of money or power.
c. Must be stooped as a national threat (Sanhedrin).
III. Third Level of Condemnation.....Character Assassination! MöRE.
a. Malicious intent to destroy another.
b. Without regard to any good that is in the person.
c. The person is totally despised.
d. Person is a threat to God's purpose, "FIRES OF HELL"
IV. The Application., Remove barriers that anger erects. Vs. 23-24.
a. Resolve all conflict before it becomes unmanageable.
b. Unchecked anger destroys human relationships and acceptance before God.
ADULTRY/LUST Matt. 5: 27-30 and Exodus 20:14.
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Adultery (NIV) 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.'”
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The Subject Matter is Adultery
(Verse 33 tells us what adultery is!) According to the text, what is Adultery?
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I. Old Testament Divorce is the Question? Did Moses Give permission or say to use restraint? SEE DEUT. 24:1ff.
A. What does it mean to be unclean?
B. Two schools of thought - Shammai and Hillel
C. Divorce document was written in front of the family, in public and usually in front of the Elders.
Matthew 5:32a
II. Jesus speaks out against the above practice.
A. Upholds marriage!
B. Speaks of Chasity vs Unchastity!
C. The only disrupting cause is porneia. A life style of immorality.
III. Divorce/remarriage without porneia is always wrong.
A. Husband lied when he puts away the wife.
B. He puts his wife in a position where she cannot keep her vows.
IV. MATTHEW 5:32b, in this case the woman is asking to be out of the marriage. Can the man say yes?
We also need to notice that in the Gospel of Mark, a woman may file for a divorce since Mark was written to a mostly Greek audience. (Mark 10:11-12) This is not the case with Matthew. Matthew was written to a Jewish audience where a woman's access to divorce was limited by the husband. Thus, Matthew will use what is called a cultural contingency phrase, meaning there are unique matters in the Jewish culture that must be addressed. In this case, that phrase is "except for porneia."
The cultural contingency phrases of Matt 5:32, 19:9 had to resolve this specific issue. The Jewish woman's unequal status in a first-century Palestine marriage shifted the spiritual burden of divorce considerations to the shoulders of the Jewish husband. If he divorced a wife without adequate spiritual grounds, he was credited with being the cause of her adultery when she married (Matt 5:32). The key question then became, "If the Jewish woman wholeheartedly wanted to leave and marry another, could the dejected husband allow her to do so without his incurring spiritual culpability for the action of divorcing?" Matthew's contingency phrases indicate a husband would not be culpable in the action of divorcing if, prior to the divorce, his wife's behavior (porneia) indicated she, in essence, had already left him for another. In such cases, the Jewish husband owned her body legally, but possessed nothing within her heart. As a result, he was not considered the guilty party if he let her go. Adultery committed as she her husband rested with her.
1. Be careful with looks. Looking can awaken passions and cause the wrong desires.
2. This portion of text teaches us that a sexual sin and the destruction of a covenant is introduced by lust.
3. By definition, lust (epithumesia) overrides reason and forces permission of the will.
4. Can never desire someone outside of your covenant relationship.
5. We must remove any entrapment. This is urgent because of Gehenna!!!
6. Lust must not be free to use its hands and eyes for a handmaiden of sin.
by Lane
