THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT #14

TEACHINGS AGAINST HATRED

(Matthew 5:21-26)

INTRODUCTION

A. If a visitor from Mars were to visit an average congregation
of Christians, having read the Sermon on the Mount on the
way, he would perhaps be shocked by the contrast!

1. Our Lord has just called His first disciples, first
showing them the nature of true discipleship (Mt. 5:
3-16)

2. Now in Matthew 5:17-48, Jesus is teaching His
disciples what true discipleship means

B. Obedience to God had come to be regarded as a thing of
mere outward constraint or mechanical conformity.

1. Our Lord exposes this fatal error, taking up commandment
after commandment, unfolding the spirituality and true
content of the requirement.

2. Jesus shows that the Law was not just to regulate
conduct, but more importantly to regulate our heart or
mind.

3. This is why Jesus makes the pivotal statement in Matthew 5:20

a. Here is a new call to holiness, one that would effect a
great change on man’s temper and conduct

b. Jesus says you must be more than they, and better than

they, or you will fall short of heaven.

c. Jesus will in Matthew 5:21-26 show one of the ways that

this can be accomplished.

DISCUSSION

A. HATRED AND MURDER

1. Matthew 5:21-22

2. Notice that Jesus does not say “it is written,” but “it was
said to those of old time.”

a. Thus we see that Jesus was not here to correct the
teaching of the Law of Moses, but was here to correct the
oral tradition that grew out of Law by the Pharisees.

b. Jesus did not care what the leading scholars of His day
thought or wrote.

c. Jesus was going to point His listeners back to the
“old path,” that they might understand what Moses
really said and intended.

3. Jesus said that your teachers have been teaching,
“Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be
in danger of the judgment.”

a. This was Biblical teaching

1) “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:13); KJV

2) This refers to the intentional shedding of blood with
malice, could be translated as,  “You shall not
murder.” – ESV

b. Here alluded to also is the punishment that the murderer
is to receive

1) Exodus 21:12

2) Numbers 35:16, 31

4. The problem with these Jews was that they were
concerned only with the wrong doing, but not the
attitude that led to the sin.

a. Matthew 5:22

b. Do you realize that there could be murderers among
us  today?!

1) You may have never directly murdered someone
willfully and deliberately as in a case of homicide.

2) But have you ever practiced the indirect murder of
cruelty or meanness?

3) 1 John 3:15 – God never intended the prohibition of

murder to be limited to the actual act,  but one’s
disposition is also under consideration.

c. We must realize that one cannot go to heaven if they
have hatred in their heart for people – be it racial, social,
preacher, elder, or brotherhood hatred.

5. Jesus is not teaching that anger is intrinsically wrong,
but  being angry without a righteous reason is.

a. Anger must be guarded carefully that it not turn to sin

b. Ephesians 4:26

c. Anger must never be unloving or hostile, for Jesus
became angry but was still loving (Mk. 3:5).

6. Our Lord’s condemnation of the terms “raca” and
“fool” show that our passing words, or state of feeling,
are subject to the judgment of God.

a. Our words may bring us into a guilt and penalty like that

of the vilest criminal.

b. “Raca” means empty-headed or stupid, and comes
from a word meaning to spit out.

c. “Fool” means morally worthless or an apostate,
a scoundrel.

d. It is not the mere words here that Jesus is condemning,
but the temper that is associated with the use of the
words, for Jesus called the Pharisees fools in Matthew
23:17.

e. Thus we must be careful that our anger does not turn
into hate, which might led to our hurting others by our
words or even taking the life of another.

B. RECONCILIATION AND OUR WORSHIP

1. Matthew 5:23-26

2. Worship requires a closeness to God

a. Sin separates man from God (Isa. 59:1-2)

1) Sin not repented of will keep God from hearing and
answering our prayers.

2) Psalm 66:18

b. We must also have the proper attitude and recognize
our nothingness before God

1) Worship is drawing near to God

2) Without the proper attitude we cannot draw near to
God

3) The Hebrew writer tells us how to draw near to God
Hebrews 10:22

3. We must be right with out brethren, to be right with
God

a. This has not been taught enough!!!

1) We have brethren moving from one congregation to
another out of anger, not doctrine

2) We have people of the same congregation who hardly
speak to one another

b. We need to consider seriously 1 John 4:20

1) This principle is also seen in Matthew 25:37-40

2) Thus being right with God requires that we be right
with our fellow man.

4. “THEREFORE if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave  there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; FIRST be reconciled to thy brother, AND THEN come and offer thy gift” (Mt. 5:23-24).

a. Several things are seen here:

1) Be conscious of our offenses … examine ourselves

2) We must not wait for the offended one to come to us,
we need to go to them

3) We must right any wrong before our worship will be
acceptable unto God.

b. Some things may not be able to be reconciled, but we
must try – Romans 12:18

5. Remember, we must “agree with our adversary
quickly.”

a. All too often we all disagreements to go unsettled for so
long that it is almost impossible for reconciliation.

b. Things need to be settled right then!

c. We will not be found guiltless until we have done this,
we can not escape the consequences of not being
reconciled to our brother.

CONCLUSION

A. Do not allow HATRED to destroy your worship

B. Do not allow HATRED to destroy your soul