Matthew 5:21-30: Illustrations of kingdom righteousness

Tod Kennedy, January 12, 2005

Key Verse of Matthew 5. Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Outline of Matthew 5

a.      Characteristics of Kingdom people, the repentant people, or the righteous remnant (Matthew 5:1-16).

b.     Christ’s relationship to the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-19). Christ fulfills the Law.

c.      Kingdom righteousness contrasted with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).

d.     Illustrations of Kingdom righteousness contrasted with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:21-48).

i.        Personal conflicts (Matthew 5:21-26).

ii.      Man and woman relationships (Matthew 5:27-32).

iii.    Vows (Matthew 5:33-37).

iv.    Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42).

v.      Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).

Matthew 5:21-22, Explanation of the Law and Murder

1.     In Matthew 5:21ff Jesus illustrates the kind of righteousness that the law talks about. He is not reinterpreting the law. He is explaining the Old Testament law. His main point is that each of these sins is enough to bring a guilty verdict before God. The Pharisees even commit them. Their kind of righteousness is insufficient. They also are guilty.

a.      Jesus begins by saying, “You have heard that the ancients were told.”

i.        The Rabbis of the day used this expression to enforce something from the Old Testament.

ii.      Jesus is now going to correct a misunderstanding.

b.     Jesus quotes Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17. True statements.

c.      Liable to the court (ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει) means that the person will be held by the court and subject to punishment. The court mentioned was the civil court that had jurisdiction.

2.     Matthew 5:22. Matthew 5:21 was correct as far as it went. But, Jesus wanted them to know that not only was the actual act of murder sin, but the hatred behind the act was also sin. The first, “angry,” is a mental attitude sin; while “good for nothing,” and “fool,” refer to sins of the tongue stemming from hatred or mental murder. Jesus here emphasizes that there is more to sin than the straight forward act. Brother refers to a believing disciple.

a.      Anger here is that anger that comes from hatred and motivates murder. Everyone who is angry (πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος) is the articular participle form of the verb orgizo with the adjective “everyone.” This verb is used 8x in the NT (Matthew 5:22; 18:34; Luke 15:28; Ephesians 4:26; Revelation 11:18 and 12:17). This anger moves someone to action and often the action is striking out against someone. Ephesians 4:26 warns against the striking out.

i.        Jesus is warning against an emotional anger or rage that can result in both physicals and mental murder.

ii.      His point is that sin is more than the act. Sin is also in the thought. The motive is important.

iii.    Anger at times is correct (Ephesians 4:26); at other times it is wrong (Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8); and sometimes it is borderline (James 1:19-20).

1)     In fact, Ephesians 4:32 teaches that correct anger can travel with graciousness, compassion, and forgiving others. At these times it does not express hatred or bitterness.

2)     When these three characteristics go with anger, you can know that the anger is not sin. This anger is a strong disagreement with an action or attitude and its consequences. It is rejection of ungodly thinking or acting.

b.     Another example of anger that stems from hatred and mental murder is saying to someone, “you good for nothing.” This is a sin of the tongue.

i.        The word is “raca”. It was a term of verbal abuse attacking the intelligence of someone. This is not in jest, but fully meant to injure the object. It follows up on the unjustified anger of the first instance. Used in the New Testament only here.

ii.      The supreme court is the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court in religious and political matters. It had authority to rule in Israel as long as it did not interfere with the Roman governor. The Sanhedrin would be justified to bring a guilty verdict against the speaker.

c.      Another example of anger that stems from hatred and mental murder is saying to someone, “you fool.”

i.        The word “fool” is moros (μωρός). Moros was a term of verbal abuse attacking the morality of someone. This word has to do with character, whereas raca has to do with intelligence.

1)     In Matthew 23:17 Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites and “fools,” moros. His use of “fool” helps us to understand the context and meaning of Matthew 5:21-22. Matthew 23:13 introduces the section.  By their self righteousness and hypocritical teaching they close the kingdom of heaven to themselves and to the people listening to them.

3)     They emphasized externals—outward show—instead of what they believed—the inner person. Jesus did not speak out of hate or revenge, but truthfully because of their hypocritical teaching and leading the people. He was not trying to damage them. He was trying to teach them and correct them.

ii.      The motive and intent behind calling one a fool is the important matter. To call one a fool in order to impugn their morality and to greatly damage their reputation is wrong. The is a combination of mental attitude sin and sin of the tongue.

iii.    To call someone foolish or a fool because they actually act that way and you have no intent to damage them is not wrong.

iv.    “fiery hell”  is τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Ge’enna. “Hell” is gehenna (Strong’s 1067), and refers to the Valley of the son of Hinnom. This was a valley southwest of Jerusalem and the location of the garbage dump that was continually burning. It became an illustration of God’s judgment. It is used 11 times in Matthew. See the map of Jerusalem.

1)     Valley of the Sons of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem. There, according to later Jewish popular belief, God’s final judgment was to take place. In the gospels it is used to illustrate the place of punishment in the next life, BAD3. Page 191.

2)     2 Kings 23:10 records that the Jews offered their children to the god Molech=child sacrifice.

3)     This was such a terrible place that it simply was called the Valley. It goes back to 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 28:3 and 33:6, Jeremiah 2:23, 7:31-32, and 31:40, and others. It was a place of idolatry and human sacrifice. It is implied in Isaiah 50:11 and 66:24.

4)     Gehenna came to refer to physical and spiritual punishment and is a strong warning that God has the right to judge any sin.

3.     Summary, Matthew 5:21-22

a.      Angry means a mental rage and hatred.

b.     “Good for nothing” indicates a verbal attack on one’s intelligence motivated to hurt the person.

c.      “Fool” is a verbal attack on the moral character on another because of hatred and desire to damage the person.

d.     These mental attitude and verbal sins show that a person is guilty before God and man and both can in justice condemn the person.

4.     So what? Matthew 5:21-22

a.      How is my mental attitude toward people at home, in church, and others?

b.     When I say things, am I aware that my attitude will influence what I say and what I say will help or hurt?

c.      Paul, in Ephesians 4:29-32 addresses the kind of things we are to say and our attitudes.

d.     When your anger is surrounded by graciousness, compassion, and forgiveness you can be sure that your anger is not sin.

Matthew 5:23-26, Reconciliation with Others

1.     Matthew 5:23-24, You damaged or sinned against another disciple, and he knows about it, and he is upset about it.

a.      We often concentrate on our own grievances against someone else and forget all about their rightful grievances against us. Jesus is reminding the disciples that it is often more important to clear up someone’s anger for cause against you.

b.     You are on your way to the temple to offer a sacrifice. This could have been any one of the many offerings. Before you offer the sacrifice, go and clear up the problem—if and he knows about it, and he is upset about it.

c.      If the other person is not even aware that you damaged or sinned against him in some way, do nothing. It is past. By going to one and saying, "by the way I did or said something against you and it bothers my conscience so I wanted to tell you," you are putting temptation in the other’s mind and causing more trouble. This has happened many times.

d.     The words “be reconciled” in verse 24 indicate that this is a problem to the other person. There is something to be reconciled. Reconciled means at least two sides and two parties.

2.     Matthew 5:25 and 26 take this idea a little farther. Here are two people who are going to court over a disagreement. It is far better to solve it out of court, especially if you are the guilty party. Otherwise, you will end up in jail and still have to pay the damages.

a.      “Make friends” is a present imperative calling for action. And, do it quickly before the case gets worse.

b.     We do not have to wait until the last minute.

c.      The point of these verses:

i.        Take the initiative to solve problems between believers and do it outside of court. This, of course, Paul instructed for believers who have difficulties (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).

ii.      Solve problems with believers before they become worse problems.

3.     Summary and So What? Matthew 5:23-26.

a.      Attempt to reconcile with another believer if you have wronged him and he knows you wronged him and it upsets him.

b.     Beware: much of current day so-called Christian reconciliation is simply guilt induced resurrection an unknown or forgotten problem. Leave that alone.

c.      When you are the guilty party, solve your disagreements with believers out of court. Otherwise, you may have greater punishment.

Matthew 5:27-30, Mental and Physical Adultery

1.     Matthew 5:27-28. Jesus clarifies the law about adultery (Strong’s 3431, moicheuo) found in Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, and other Scripture by teaching that adultery is not just physical, but also the mental attitude of lust.

a.      The verb is used in Matthew 5:27, 28, 32, and 19:18.

b.     The noun (moichos, Strong’s 3432) is used a number of times (Luke 18:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 13:4; James 4:4).

c.      Fantasized immorality (“in his heart,” kardia Strong’s 2588) is just as much sin as the physical act.

d.     He has again raised the mental sins to the same level as the physical act.

2.     Matthew 5:29-30. Jesus illustrates in hyperbolic language, that is, overstatement to stress a point.

a.      He uses the right eye and the right hand. These were thought to have been the best part—right eye better than left eye and right hand more significant than left hand.

b.     Is Jesus telling his disciples to actually remove the right eye and cut off the right hand? No.

i.        People have two eyes and two hands. To remove one will not prevent looking with the other eye. Removing one eye will not stop the thinking, which is the root problem. To cut off the right hand will not prevent the hands from sinning. One hand still remains and a one handed person can get into just as much trouble as a two handed person.

ii.      The point is that it is better to lose a part of the body than to be under God’s judgment. “Your whole body to be thrown into hell” and “your whole body to go into hell” indicates God’s judgment.

c.      He is not saying that one who sins in this way will not be able to be saved. He is stressing the seriousness of sin to those who live under the law and who have wrongly taught the law.

i.        “Hell” is gehenna (Strong’s 1067), and refers to the Valley of the son of Hinnom. This was such a terrible place that it simply was called the Valley. It goes back to 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 28:3 and 33:6, Jeremiah 2:23, 7:31-32, and 31:40, and others. It was a place of idolatry and human sacrifice. It is implied in Isaiah 50:11 and 66:24.

ii.      Gehenna came to refer to physical and spiritual punishment and is a strong warning that God has the right to judge any sin.

3.     Summary and So What? Matthew 5:27-30

a.      Mental adultery is fantasized immorality. It is sin just like physical adultery. Avoid it.

b.     Every sin deserves God’s judgment. Better to lose an eye or a hand than to be under God’s judgment. Avoid sin.

c.      But, God forgives because Christ’s died for all sins, unbelievers’ and believers’ sins.