The Gospel Series Part VI
Our Bible study on The Sermon On the Mount continues.
Proverbs 15:18 NKJV — A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
Emotions. They seem to control our lives every minute of the day. No matter how hard we try, they always get the best of us. Get in a car and drive down the street, it won’t be long before someone cuts you off and you feel the anger rise up inside of you.
When we’re dealing with what people call, “The affairs of the heart,” we find ourselves dealing with our emotions and how the Lord wants us to react to the diversities of our lives.
As we continue reading The Sermon On the Mount, Jesus speaks on emotions and our feelings. The toll they can take if we react the wrong way. For some of us, some of the subjects the Lord speaks of could hit a little close to home.
Matthew 5:21-26 NKJV — “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. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, “leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. “Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
At the time of the Lord’s ministry on Earth, many Scribes and Pharisees had been teaching murder was not so much a sin against God but more a sin against humanity. The Lord reminds us, there is a reason for such an action. The action is a result of the emotional state of anger. Being angry about a situation or a result can be an emotion to be expected and something which requires prayer and fasting so the Holy Spirit can help us resolve the unwanted result of an event. Anger, on the other hand, can fester in our hearts and could lead to ugly and uninvited actions, including demeaning someone.
Matthew 5:22 is the only passage in the Bible where the term “raca” is used. Raca comes from the Aramaic term reqa. It was a derogatory expression meaning “empty-headed,” insinuating a person’s stupidity or inferiority. It was an offensive name used to show utter contempt for another person. Jesus warns us, the use of such a word to describe someone is tantamount to murder and deserving of the severest punishment of the law. Maybe we should think twice before we label someone as an “air-head” with our thoughts and our words?
Here is a passage to remind us, bitterness can stand in the way of fellowshipping with God.
Psalm 66:18 NKJV — If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
Anger, as well as other emotions, can lead to actions which could break the heart.
Matthew 5:27-32 NKJV — “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
In today’s society, marriage is not taken as seriously as it may have been 1 or 2 generations ago. Many see it as a contract to be negotiated, renegotiated, extended or concluded every 3 to 5 years. If the married couple find someone else during the time of their union, then they part ways, move on not thinking or feeling they did anything wrong. Hearts are broken, families torn apart and children are forced to choose which side to be on. This is not what God planned or intended between a man and a woman. Jesus speaks on the usual first betrayal of a troubled marriage, adultery.
If we’re concentrating on not committing the physical act, then we’re thinking as the Pharisees thought. Even the tenth commandment, “Thou shalt not covet,” shows us the desire for our neighbor’s wife is wrong. The Lord is interested in what comes out of our hearts because as Matthew 12:34 states; “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We fall into sin when we entertain sinful desires in our hearts. We’re not to join in with the trend of thinking as the world thinks. We should cleanse ourselves daily with the Word of God.
Jesus also stresses the importance of avoiding hell, even at the cost of losing a part of one’s own body. We dare not do those things which arouse our fleshly desires. Of course, plucking out an eye or cutting off a leg can be quite painful without the proper medical tools and protocols. We must understand, the Lord is asking us to turn away from temptation and break away or cut off the influences which allow you to be tempted. As an example, it may be better to do without Social Media than to be led to a lake of fire just because it gives a little pleasure.
How can someone get help in dealing with temptation? Here are some important things we should remember.
- Do not think you can handle it yourself. Find a Spirit filled counselor and support group.
- Resist the devil.
- Start reading more of the Word of God.
- Pray and enter into His Holy Presence. Draw closer to God and He will draw closer to you.
In the generations before Jesus, the hearts of the people had become hardened to God’s plan for marriage, God wanted to establish this law to finalize divorce. At the time, there were two schools of thought in regards to the law.
- One particular and major belief was held by most Scribes and Pharisees. They interpreted “uncleanness” as meaning anything which was not pleasing to the man. This deprived the woman of her rights as the man could not be divorced against his will.
- The other belief – This law referred to moral “uncleanness.” Jesus proclaims there should only be one cause for divorce. God’s intention for marriage is they (husband and wife) be no longer two, but one flesh. The sin of adultery is pardonable. Matthew 12:31 NKJV — “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” This doesn’t mean we can use the grace of God to cover our own sinfulness.
God established marriage vows so the family unit could be strong. The breakdown of the family unit will have grave consequences if we continue to regard marriage as a contract and not a covenant between a man, his female wife and God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV — Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
In our ongoing series dealing with the Gospel, we will continue the Bible study on “The Sermon on the Mount.”
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