Sermon outline

INTRODUCTION
Jesus came to fulfill the law and prophets, not to abolish them. Beginning in 5:21, He shows in some detail what that means.

THE TEXT
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment . . . .” (Matthew 5:21-30).

JESUS AND THE LAW
Jesus quotes directly from the Ten Words (Exodus 20:12), the warning about judgment on murderers comes from the Law (Exodus 21:12; Numbers 35:12; Deuteronomy 17:8-13), and the phrase “it was said to the ancients” implies that God is the one speaking (cf. Romans 9:12). Jesus cites the Torah, but doesn’t contradict it. Everything He says could be reasoned out from the Law and Prophets. But He is teaching what it means to “fulfill” the law with a righteousness that goes beyond the scribes and Pharisees. By saying “I say to you” Jesus puts Himself in the place of God: God spoke before, but now God speaks His final word.

ANGER
Anger is not inherently wrong. God gets angry, and very occasionally the Bible refers to justified human anger (Exodus 11:8; Acts 23:3; Ephesians 4:26). Like other emotions, anger motivates action, and indignation with evil impels us to oppose it. Yet, Jesus warns that much human anger, whether felt or expressed in angry words, puts us in danger of punishment (v. 22). He may be exaggerating: Would the Sanhedrin really put someone on trial for calling his brother Raca? More likely, He’s showing that unchecked anger leads to conflicts that will bring punishment (Proverbs 15:18; 29:8; 30:33). Cain was angry with his brother before he murdered him.

BE RECONCILED
Jesus doesn’t say, “Don’t be angry.” Instead, His commandments in verses 23-26 show how we can defuse anger before they escalate to strife. Instead of putting off reconciliation, Jesus says that reconciliation is a higher priority even than worship. If your brother has something against you, take care of it now (v. 23). If someone is initiating legal action against you, seek a quick agreement before the case goes to court (v. 24). Jesus says that we shouldn’t escalate conflict but defuse it. This is how we are to obey the command “Do not murder.”

LUST
The pattern of Jesus’ teaching is very similar in verses 27-30. He quotes from the law, but then asserts His own authority to show what “fulfilled” righteousness looks like. You don’t have to engage in sex to commit adultery; you can commit adultery with a desirous glance, by staring at computer pornography. Unchecked lust leads to hell (vv. 29-30; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18-20). Jesus doesn’t say, “Don’t lust,” though He clearly implies that. He instead tells us what to do about lust. He tells us to cut off whatever causes us to lust. Jesus is not advocating mutilation (as Origen unfortunately thought). He is saying that we should destroy whatever makes us stumble into lust. If a relationship leads to sexual immortality, cut it off; if your computer or TV offends, cut the cord.