Understanding Persecution

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

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Understanding Persecution

March 20, 2024 • Pastor Arthur Jackson III

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UNDERSTANDING PERSECUTION

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This beatitude begins part two of our six-part study of the Sermon on the Mount. The first part was about the CHARACTER of holy conduct, and it focused on the first seven beatitudes. The second part is about the CRUELTY for holy conduct, and it focuses on the last two beatitudes. The first part was about the VIRTUES of holy conduct and the second part is about the VEXATIONS as a result of holy conduct. The first part deals with the INWARD CONDITION of the godly; the second part deals with the OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES of the godly. The first part deals with the WALK of the godly; the second part deals with the WARFARE of the godly. What is interesting is…

▪ YOU CAN’T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

▪ YOU CAN’T RECEIVE BLESSINGS WITHOUT HAVING BURDENS

Many, if not most, Bible commentators have characterized verses 10-12 as two separate beatitudes. This is understandable because when you read these verses, you will notice at least two noteworthy differences between them. First, there is a difference in the portrayal of persecution; and second, there is a difference in the pronoun of those being persecuted. Regarding the PORTRAYAL OF PERSECUTION, the eighth beatitude (in Matt.5: 10) describes persecution in GENERAL while the ninth beatitude (in Matt.5: 11) describes a SPECIFIC form of persecution, namely, verbal attacks on the persecuted. And regarding the PRONOUN of those being persecuted, the eighth beatitude refers to the persecuted ones as “they,” while the ninth beatitude refers to the persecuted ones as “ye.” These differences are not so great as to hinder some theologians treating the two beatitudes as one, therefore we will study both beatitudes as one. THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSECUTION The character of persecution here is learned by looking at the meaning of the word “persecuted” which is found three times in these verses.  “Persecuted” – in this text means, “to pursue, or follow after.” It is used to connote the thought of being pursued in a hostile manner. A good illustration of what this word means is seen in the action of the APOSTLE PAUL when he was confronted by Jesus Christ in Acts 9. Paul was on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem to “pursue” believers, to “bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2). Paul was engaged in the aggressive, hostile, persecution of believers until Christ met him and changed his life. ■ Like a hunter pursues its prey, Paul pursued believers! ■ Please note: Persecutors are not passive; they do not sit back and wait for a believer to pass by and then persecute him. Rather, they go after the believers to persecute them! ➔ There is some stuff that is coming after you! ➔ There is a level of attack that’s tracking you right now. THE CONTINUANCE IN THE PERSECUTION There is another aspect of persecution we learn of by examining the word “persecuted” in our text.  “Persecuted” – The word is in the perfect tense, which describes a past action that continues in the present. THIS EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT PERSECUTION IS PERSISTENT! Persecution is unrelenting. Persecution does not just deliver one blow then quit, but it delivers blow after blow after blow after blow. This helps us understand something that we read in Daniel which can apply to the antichrist in the future, but will also, in principle, show the work of persecution in every age. In Daniel [7:25] we read about the man the Bible says,  “…And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most high…” ❖ Unrelenting persecution can “wear out” Saints. ▪ Elijah – I Kings 19:4 ▪ Jeremiah – Jer.20:9 ▪ Asaph – Psa.73:1-2 We can take a blow or two though cruel and painful it is, but to experience blow after blow after blow soon begins to wear on a person. The devil knows this and so relentlessly persecutes the believers. [I Pet.5:8]  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

The Shaming – The word “revile” [V.11] – means “to cast in one’s teeth” that is “it is that reproach, upbraiding, and reviling that is done in our presence—abuse that is cast at us in our faces! TO BE VERBALLY ABUSED. ▪ The Slander – “And shall say all manner of evil against your falsely”. PERSECUTORS HAVE NO REGARD FOR THE TRUTH. They will fabricate and falsify the worst of lies. ➔ JESUS WAS SLANDERED! o He was accused of being illegitimate. Jn.8:41 o He was called a Samaritan. Jn.8:48 o He was accused of being demon possessed. Jn.10:20 o He was accused of blasphemy. Matt.26:65 o While on the cross, He was verbally abused. Matt.27:39 THE CAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION The cause of the persecution is clearly stated in both verses 10 and 11.  “…Persecuted for righteousness sake” (v.10)  “…for My sake” (v.11) With righteousness as the cause of persecution, we can also eliminate many sufferers from the “persecuted” category. Many people try to claim their suffering as “PERSECUTION” when really it is “PROSECUTION.” Peter, when speaking of persecution in his first epistle, clarified this matter about who is experiencing persecution and who is not when he said,  “Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed” [I Pet. 4:15,16] ❖ PLEASE NOTE THE TWO SUFFERINGS: ■ MANY OF OUR SUFFERINGS ARE BROUGHT ON BY OUR DEFICIENCIES, NOT BY OUR DEVOTIONS. As it relates to persecution, logically it is strange that good people should be treated meanly because they are good. It is natural to think that when a person is good, then he will be treated with respect. The people we would expect to be treated roughly would be those who are bad. YET IT IS THE OPPOSITE IN LIFE. When a person who was in “darkness” gets saved, you would think that THAT person would get patted on the back; not stabbed in the back! THE TRUTH IS THAT HOLY LIVING UPSETS THOSE LIVING UNHOLY LIVES.  Holy Conduct Is an Abomination to Unholy People  “He that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked” Prov.29:27

THE COMPENSATION FOR THE PERSECUTION One of the reasons why the persecuted one can rejoice is because of the reward! ■ THERE IS A REWARD FOR THE RIDICULED!  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ▪ The Plentifulness in The Reward The reward is described as “great.” The word translated “great” here means “much, many.” It is used to express an incredibly substantial number. GOD IS NOT CHEAP! His rewards are not stingy but reflect the great wealth and benevolence of God. Whatever is done for Christ’s sake is rewarded with an abundance which comports with His greatness and glory, and which is exceedingly far beyond our ability to conceive. ▪ The Promise in The Reward “For great is your reward in heaven.” Not all the rewards God has for us are given here on this earth. Some are, but not all. This is encouraging. It tells us that the heavenly rewards are of such value that they cannot be paid to us in the currency of the earth. If all our rewards are paid in the coin of the earth, we will not get much. THE COIN OF THE EARTH DOES NOT LAST! But when God pays one in heavenly currency, it will last for eternity. It is much more valuable.

More from Attitudes Necessary for Greater Works

Responding To Wrongdoing

May 22, 2024

MATTHEW 5:38-42 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Responding To WRONGDOING There is something deep within the human heart that demands justice be served for wrongs done and for atrocities committed. When we have been hurt, mocked, falsely accused, insulted, violated, injured, persecuted, wronged, betrayed, slandered, discriminated against, etc., we typically desire to take matters into our own hands and execute justice the way we see fit. In order to satisfy ourselves first and foremost. However, what complicates the situation even more is when those through whom the offense comes have little to no remorse over sins they’ve committed, they have no desire to truly change their foolish behavior but continue on their path and pattern of abuse with no consideration or remorse for injuries caused. However, how do we respond to those who show no remorse for acts committed against us? What is the proper way to respond to evil? How should you and I respond when we are wronged? As we continue to examine Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The picture he prints truly becomes clearer and clearer that God demands a “righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and the Teachers of the law” (Matthew 5:20). Jesus presented a righteousness that characterized his Father’s kingdom. thus, revealing the righteousness that God expects of the citizens of his kingdom, by contrasting it with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. So far, we have seen nothing the law actually said, but only how the Law had often been interpreted and applied by the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus had taught his disciples the importance of having the right attitude(3-12), aptitude (13-16), latitude (17-20), and now the right fortitude (5:21-7:1-27), again by contrasting what He expected of His disciples and what was taught by the scribes and Pharisees. We have seen Jesus contrast God’s righteousness with what “was said to the people long ago.” He showed from God’s perspective a righteousness that matters. In our lesson tonight, we shall look closely at what Jesus taught concerning vengeance, and how we should respond to an evil person. Let's consider first. THE LAW OF MOSES ON WRONGDOING The passages concerning an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” are expressions found in two places in the law in Exodus 21:24-25 and a parallel passage in Deuteronomy 19:21. This was both a command to punish and a limitation on punishment. The penalty must not exceed the crime. • 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. – Exodus 21:24-25 • 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. – Deuteronomy 19:21 Note carefully what is being communicated in these verses found in the books of the law – Deuteronomy 19:15-21; Exodus 21:22-23. Therefore, according to the Hebrew Bible, authority for punishment was vested in the government, not in the individual. So that these verdicts were applied only by the courts, for fair and balanced judgments. The principles given here were to guide the priests and the judges in issuing proper rewards and punishments. What the Pharisees and scribes had done, they had interpreted these statements for personal use and/or to justify personal retribution! They applied these laws by frequently taking matters of revenge into their own hands. Just as some of us do today! The law repeatedly forbids “personal” vengeance, that is taking matters into our own hands. Or become vigilantes of our own justice and retribution. Consider carefully how these other passages read in Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 20:22; 24:29 • Leviticus 19:18 • Proverbs 20: 22 • Proverbs 24: 29 These passages clearly forbid us from taking personal revenge, but instead for us to make room for God’s vengeance and his appointed governing authorities. In both the Old and New Testaments, the matter of justice was to be left up to God and His ordained agents: civil governments! Here are some examples from the scriptures. • Romans 12:19 • Romans 13:1-4 • 1 Peter 2:13-14 There is clearly no difference between what we find in the Law and what we find in the New Testament in this regard. “Personal” vengeance has no place in the lives of those who are the children of God! Vengeance is to be reserved for God and government. Secondly, let's consider… THE PROPER RESPONSE TO WRONGDOING In this passage, Jesus proclaimed two principles... First principle: Do not resist an evil person (39a) Not only should we not take vengeance into our own hands...But clearly from Jesus’ words here, we should not even oppose (resist) the evil person when the evil is being done! Second principle: Respond to evil by doing good! (39b-42) Jesus illustrates this principle with several examples... • In responding to physical abuse (39b) o How should we respond? o We respond by "Turning the other cheek." o This may refer to accepting mistreatment without personally retaliating or seeking revenge. • In responding to a civil suit o How should we respond? o We respond by giving more than what the person is suing for! (40) • In responding to government oppression o How should we respond? o We respond by offering to do more than what is being demanded of us! (41) • In responding to those asking for help. o How should we respond? o We respond by giving them what they ask! (42) In each case, the principle is the same, we are not to resist any person... • Those who would mistreat us. • Those who would try to deprive us of our possessions. Instead, we should respond positively by demonstrating love towards them. We ought to do so by freely giving them more than they were hoping to gain by power, domination, or exploitation! Should we take what Jesus is saying here literally? We have several O.T. examples... • Joseph forgave his brothers for their mistreatment of him – Genesis 45:4-15 • David spared the life of Saul, even though Saul wanted so to kill him – 1 Samuel 24:8-15. • Elisha fed the army of the Arameans and they ceased raiding Israel’s territory – 2 Kings 6:8-23. • Daniel relayed to the king his dream, although he wanted all the wise men killed Daniel being one of them. – Daniel 2:12 • Hosea's faithfulness to his wife, although she was unfaithful to him as a wife – Hosea 2 We also have several N.T. examples... • Jesus, our prime example – 1 Peter 2:20-23 • Stephen, when he was being stoned – Acts 7:59-60 • The Hebrew Christians, who "joyfully accepted" the plundering of their goods – Hebrews 10:32-34 Paul is clear in his letter to Romans, Romans 12:19-21, how we as believers should respond to wrong being down to us. I see two practical principles here… 1. We must not seek to avenge ourselves. 2. We must seek to overcome evil with good. Lastly, let's consider. SOME MORE PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO WRONGDOING How then do we apply these words of Jesus to everyday living? Here are my practical observations of Jesus’ words: 1. We are not to stand back and do nothing. 2. We are to always act in the best interest of others. 3. We are to always place justice in the hands of God and the governing authorities. 4. We are to meet the needs of those who ask, to the best of our abilities and beyond. 5. We are to reserve all punishment for God and the government. 6. We are to love and forgive, by letting God’s appointed agents handle whatever the given situation may be.

The Book of Matthew

May 15, 2024 • Pastor Ludence Robinson • Matthew 5:33–37

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW 5:33-37 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have to the Lord made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear at all; either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes ’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” ‘KEEP YOUR WORD’ We live in a world in which the truth is often the first casualty among men. We would rather lie than tell the truth. And because of this predisposition, we have built an elaborate system of lawyers, notaries, contracts, and written agreements in order that men may keep the word they have made to each other. We sign these binding agreements to ensure that we do what we say we will do for each other. However, the sad commentary is, that none of it makes people more truthful or honest, because most of the dishonesty is in the fine print. Are you a man or woman of your word? When you say “yes” or “no”, do people take it as “gospel” (i.e., truth)? Are you someone whose word is questioned, unless confirmed with an oath? Last week we saw how Jesus dealt with divorce, when persons who were once married and bonded by an oath, reneged on the promises they made to each other and ended up going their separate ways. So, to further his teaching on commitment Jesus now speaks on the issue of oath swearing. In which He set a high standard for His disciples and devotees to follow. A standard that was to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, and also exceed the standards followed by many people today. This evening, we will reflect on what it means to ‘keep our word.’ And we will consider what Jesus taught from the standpoint of four questions: What did the Law of Moses teach concerning the swearing of oaths? How did the Scribes and Pharisees, interpret the Law? What did Jesus teach in response to the scribes and Pharisees' interpretation of the Law concerning oaths? Was Jesus forbidding the swearing of oaths in court? To answer the first question, what did the Law of Moses teach concerning the swearing of oaths? Let's consider first... THE LAW OF MOSES AND ITS VARIOUS QUOTATIONS ON SWEARING OF OATHS The Mosaic Law contained several prohibitions against swearing falsely by the name of God. Four scriptural passages will help us to see more clearly how these quotations are written in the Torah. Exodus 20:7 Leviticus 19:12 Numbers 19:12 Deuteronomy 23:21 The emphasis in all these passages of scripture is on truthfulness and faithfulness to God and your fellow man. To swear by God’s name meant that he was your witness and that you were telling the truth. Therefore, we must be truthful when we swear an oath; We must truly mean it. We must also be faithful in keeping the oath and ensure that it is carried out to completion. Do not misrepresent yourself in any way, shape or form. This emphasis on truthfulness was also conveyed by the psalmists and the prophets who stressed that truth should proceed from the heart. The Psalmist Psalm 15:1-2 Psalm 24:3-4. The Prophets Jeremiah 5:1-2 Hosea 4:1-2. So, the teaching of the Law is clear: Vows made to the Lord should be kept, and truthfulness in all things is expected. This leads me to our second question: How did the Scribes and Pharisees, interpret the Law? Let's consider secondly... THE SCRIBES' AND PHARISEES’ INTERPRETATION OF LAW CONCERNING THE SWEARING OF OATHS It appears from the words of Jesus here in Matthew 5:33 that the emphasis had shifted from truthfulness in all things to just honoring only those oaths that have been made to the Lord. Jesus says, “again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.” So from Jesus' words, the teaching long ago was, that only those vows made to the Lord were binding…this can also be seen clearly in the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:16-19 Due to these interpretations offered by the scribes and Pharisees, daily conversations were often spiced with meaningless oaths and fruitless impressions. They sought to avoid the impropriety of swearing falsely by God’s name by substituting it for “I swear by heaven”, “I swear by the throne of God”, “I swear...by the earth...by Jerusalem...by the altar...by the temple...by my head...” so that those oaths made only to the Lord were binding. These fruitless impressions released them from any responsibilities. By shifting the emphasis from truthfulness to honoring only those vows made to the Lord, the Scribes and Pharisees in their treatment of the Law justified the use of meaningless vows. This brings us to our third question: What did Jesus teach in response to the Scribes and Pharisees' interpretation of the Law concerning oaths? Let's consider Lastly... JESUS’ ILLUSTRATION AND EXPLANATION OF THE LAW ON OATHS Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees in their arbitrary distinctions. Jesus is clear that to make a distinction between vows made to the Lord and vows made to anything else, is meaningless, as he puts it “But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.” Jesus’ argument here clearly shows that when one swears by... “The temple” “The altar” “The Heavens” “The Earth” “The City of Jerusalem” “Your head” “The throne of God”...because regardless of where you swear, we cannot eliminate God from any of it, it all belongs to him. It is His creation, and it is all under His control. So that wherever you swear, you are swearing by the LORD also. The point Jesus was making here was that one cannot swear by these things without involving God. Jesus like the psalmist and the prophets appealed to the truthfulness of the heart. Jesus says, “Simply let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Law Abiding Citizens

April 24, 2024 • Pastor Arthur Jackson III

“LAW ABIDING CITIZENS” Matthew 5:21-26 (NRSV) “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. The section of scripture that we will consider tonight marks the first of six contrasting statements in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus shares with His newly called disciples. These statements are regarding what the disciples (and the people of that day) had been taught, versus what Jesus was now teaching. These six contrasting statements all begin with “…Ye have heard…But I say unto you” to show the contrast between what was taught then and what is being taught now. ▪For clarity: It’s important to note that Jesus WAS NOT contrasting His teaching to that of the teachings of Moses, but He was contrasting His teaching to that of the Pharisees and scribes. Christ had no argument with Moses; His argument was with the scribes and Pharisees of His day who perverted the truth in what they taught the people. The primary issue Jesus had with the teachings of the Pharisees and Scribes was how they LIMITED THE AREA OF APPLICATION concerning the law. They delighted in specific precepts but never saw an all-encompassing principle in any law. ■For example, if the law said, “Thou shalt not steal thy neighbor’s watermelon,” they would reason that it was only the neighbor’s watermelons that mattered therefore it was perfectly permissible for them to steal watermelons of someone who was not their neighbor. Furthermore, they would be very specific about defining who their “neighbor” was and it would be defined in the narrowest of limitations so that they could steal from as many people as possible. The Pharisees never saw THE PRINCIPLE in the command that conveyed all stealing was wrong. So, in regard to the command about murder, they limited it to the actual killing of someone. They never saw any enlargement of the command to include that which provoked the act of murder, or verbal abuse—which we know can lead to death. They focused on the DEED, NOT THE DISPOSITION which brought about the deed. THEREFORE, JESUS IN OUR TEXT EXPANDS ON THE LAW REGARDING MURDER. ➔Matthew 5:21-22 (NRSV) "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. Jesus is trying to impress upon His disciples that conformity to the law must not be thought of in terms of actions only! Our thoughts, our motives, our intentions as well as our desires are equally important. THE LAW OF GOD IS CONCERNED WITH WHAT LEADS TO THE ACTION AS WELL AS THE ACTION ITSELF. THE LETTER OF THE LAW VERSUS THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW. oTHE LETTER OF THE LAW – refers to the literal interpretation of the law, focusing on the exact wording and language used in the legal text. It emphasizes strict adherence to the explicit requirements and rules stated in the law. oTHE SPIRIT OF THE LAW – refers to the intended purposes or the underlying principles behind the law. It looks beyond the literal wording of the law to consider the broader objectives, values, and goals that the law is designed to achieve. ■The trouble with the Pharisees and Scribes is they concentrated only on the LETTER, and they did so to the exclusion of the SPIRIT. It was such a problem that the Apostle Paul had to deal with the matter in his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul said in 2 COR. 3:5-6 [KJV] – “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” This is the attitude (the one the Pharisees possessed) THAT WANTS A SPECIFIC COMMANDMENT FOR EVERY EVIL! And if there is not a specific commandment for it, they do not see and will not recognize the conduct as evil. E.g., there’s no specific commandment regarding smoking. In regard to the enlarging of the application of the command against murder, Christ gives two examples of the enlargement of its application: One examples has to do with MURDER WITH OUR TEMPER and the other is MURDER WITH OUR TONGUE. MURDER WITH OUR TEMPER Jesus said, “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; ■ALL ANGER IS NOT EVIL oJesus was angry with those who opposed Him healing on the Sabbath – Mark 3:5 oGod’s anger was kindled against the shepherds [rulers] Zech.10:3 oPaul said, “Be angry but sin not” Eph.4:26 The anger Jesus is referring to in the text is the emotion that oft times leads to violence, destruction and/or death. It is evil anger that has no justification. It is anger without cause. And it is this anger which He condemns that makes one just as guilty of violating the sixth commandment as actual murder itself. ❖CRIME OF PASSION – A term that describes a criminal act that is committed in the heat of the moment due to strong emotions such as anger, jealousy, or betrayal. These crimes are often associated with intense emotional reactions that lead to impulsive and violent behavior. What Jesus is conveying to His disciples in the text is that it is not just the deed of taking someone’s life that is the sin. It is the disposition that one has prior to taking someone’s life that is the sin as well! This concept contradicts the Pharisees, because they would say you are only in danger of the judgment when you actually murder a man, but Jesus said, “But I say unto you that if you are angry in your heart with a brother without a cause you are exposed to precisely the same punishment of the law.” MURDER WITH OUR TONGUE “…and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. ■JESUS IS FORBIDDING VERBAL ABUSE ■ABUSIVE LANGUAGE REVEALS THE TRUE STATE OF THE HEART Jesus said in MATT.12:34 [NIV] – “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Jesus said in MATT.15:18 [NIV] – “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” The word translated “Fool” means “stupid, dull” and we get the word “moron” via transliteration from the word. The word translated “Raca” means “empty”. It was a word use frequently to show contempt of a person. ■The Point Jesus Is Making Is That Words Can Be Murderous Prov.18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” ❖Lawsuit Claims Bullying, Verbal Abuse Led to US San Diego Athlete’s Suicide – THE NEED FOR RECONCILIATION So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. These sins which are included against the sixth commandment are sins that WE MUST PUT AWAY BEFORE WE WORSHIP! The teaching that Jesus is emphasizing is… RECONCILIATION HAS PRIORITY OVER WORSHIP! We normally think of worship as having the highest priority, but Christ tells us of a higher priority than worship…and that is RECONCILIATION with a brother with whom we have offended with sins that are against the sixth commandment. What Jesus is teaching is… ➔You Can’t Come and Worship With Me…When You’ve Done Wrong To Me! ➔Reconciliation Comes Before Worship. It was the doctrine of the Scribes, and the practices of the Pharisees corresponded with it, that anger, hatred, and the expression of these, if they did not go so far as the demonstration of an overt act of violence, God would not severely judge them and, in turn, accept their acts of worship, but Jesus refutes that notion. ❖THE FIRING OF KING SAUL ILLUSTRATES THE FUTILITY OF THIS NOTION. I Sam.15:22 – “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Jesus Said Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Here it is the great need of promptness to take care of the reconciliation matter lest judgment comes before reconciliation is accomplished. Let’s be reminded of Paul’s commandment to the church at Ephesus: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil”.