“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Never murder. Whoever murders will answer for it in court.’ But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer[a] will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift. (Matt 5:21-23 GW)
When the Lord says “Never murder,” it included more than literally taking a brother’s life. It included anything that may harm our brother.
It included any evil thought against our brother; it included any railing accusation we might bring against our brother by calling him “Raca,” or thou empty fellow; it included calling our brother a fool. Although this doesn’t mean we cannot admonish a person for foolishness or vanity, it means we are not to use the word fool in a demeaning way to exalt ourselves above our brother. The spirit of the law of the sixth commandment is that we should esteem our brother ahead of ourselves.
It’s interesting to note that the Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) in verse 22 The refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.
Now, the scripture I began with states, ” So if you are offering your gift at the altar…” We want to consider this. What is meant by bringing our gift to the altar? What is the Lord Jesus teaching us here?
Many today teach that when Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,” Matt 5:21, that He abolished the law and ushered in a new morality, but this is not the case. They would argue that “by them of old time” Jesus referred to Moses and to the Old Testament law. Most of these people include the Ten Commandments when saying that the law has been abolished.
Now we must understand that these Scriptures, held in their proper context, clearly refer to the traditions and commandments of men imposed upon the people by the scribes and Pharisees. They do not, as many falsely assume and teach today, refer to the abolishment of the law because the Lord deals precisely with this. He says, “Think not that I come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill,” Matt 5:17.
When the Holy Spirit convinces us of our sin by the mirror of the law, we learn to understand that sin is as incurable as leprosy. At this point we start to understand the leprosy of sin and that we are lepers spiritually.
Looking at Matt 5:23, we read ” So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you
Now that Jesus has admonished against heart and tongue murder, He holds up the mirror of the law, i.e., the spirit of the law saying, “But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer[a] will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire,” Matt 5:22.
As we read this scripture we see how Jesus brings us before the mirror of self-knowledge to see the spiritual leprosy of the heart. Matt 5:23, ” So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you” teaches us the same truths as John 8:7-11 where Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who brought to Him the woman taken in adultery. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her.”
So we must understand that remembering what our brother has against us is different from remembering what we have against our brother. In John 8:9 we read, “One by one, beginning with the older men, the scribes and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman”. Why did they leave? They left because Jesus held the mirror of the spirit of the law before them which brought conviction into their own heart; they saw enough corruption in their own hearts that they had not one stone to throw at the woman.
Let me present you with this question, “when the Lord Jesus comes before us and says that we shall not call our brother “Raca,” and we shall not call our brother a fool, who comes home with clean hands? Who is there who does not become convicted in his own heart”?
As Jesus holds up this mirror of self-knowledge before our eyes, we understand James 3:2, “All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect.” We start to understand that we all offend, we are all guilty, we all make mistakes. This should bring us humbly before the Lord.
Sadly today we are surrounded by people who refuse to forgive, yet they profess forgiveness. I myself must continue to ask Holy Spirit to guard my own heart that “self” does not rise up and opens the door to un-forgiveness in my own heart. It amazes me when I come across supposed leaders who walk under the cloud of un-forgiveness and then wonder why God has put a wall up against their ministry and they begin to walk as though they have stepped out of the favor and anointing of the Father..
If we would with honesty look into the mirror of God’s law, we cannot stand as the Pharisee in the temple and say, “… God, I thank you that I’m not like other people! I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. I’m not even like this tax collector. Luke 18:11. We cannot say “Raca,” or thou fool, to anybody but ourselves.
We have to come before the Lord and say, “Lord, I am such an empty fellow; Lord, I am such a fool.” Then we cannot say “thou fool” to a fellow man. We start to see the foolishness of our own evil nature; we start to see the corruption that dwells within us.
Friends, let us cry out to God for the mind of Christ and His nature. We must understand that when we entertain evil thoughts, whisper, or delight to speak ill of our fellow man in the presence of others, we seek a devilish delight. In the eyes of the Lord that is a total breach of the intent of the law. We stand in the Temple saying, “Lord I am not as that other man.” How can you or I tell one thing that is demeaning about our fellow man without exalting ourself as a Pharisee by saying “I hold myself above them.”? If we were not exalting ourself above the other man, what would there be left to tell which does not edify? We have to exalt our fellow man above ourselves because we see the emptiness of our own sinful heart.
Seeking satisfaction in one’s self by putting down another is devilish.
This was the cause of the first murder. The first murder on the face of the earth was caused by Cain seeking to set himself above his brother. We read in Gen 4:5, “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” Why? The Lord had respect unto his brother’s offering but not unto his. This made Cain wroth, or very angry.
If we are the people of light, let us shed every aspect of darkness. It comes down to the question of “how willing are we to truly being put to death”? Are we willing to lay down our name, our respect, our dignity and every other area that our life contains? If we hold to one area friends, we might as well as hold onto them all. Our Lord is not interested in being Lord over one area of our lives and allowing pride to rule the other.
We must shed every aspect of pride, die completely to self which can only be done as we grasp hold of the hand of Holy Spirit and allow Him to hold us under the power of the cross, that we through the Might of Holy God can truly be put to death, being fully baptized in the death of Christ, that we truly Live as He has called and purposed us too!
Today my dear brothers & sister, let us cry out to the Father with the prayer of His servant David; “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”.
We can never lead with a heart of un-forgiveness, we can never mature in the Lord with a life filled our hearts and thoughts anchored to un-forgiveness, we can never walk in the fullness of Christ if we allow un-forgiveness to be the reigns which steer our lives
Don’t live another day allowing un-forgiveness and selfish pride to rob you of the blessings and favor Father God has for your life.
For we indeed serve an Awesome God!
Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution 