Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13 There are two Greek words translated “anger” in the New Testament. The first is thumos, and refers to the anger one feels that causes his veins to bulge and his face to get red. The word used in Matthew 5:22, however, is orgizo, a word that refers to the anger that smolders internally day after week after month after year. Jesus said the person who harbors this kind of anger without a cause is a murderer. “Oh, but I have a cause. I have a reason to be angry,” you say. Do you? In Matthew 18, we read the story of the master who forgave his slave’s debt of ten million dollars only to discover that the slave threatened to kill a fellow slave over a debt of two thousand dollars. In telling this story, Jesus’ point was that as real as the two thousand dollar debt was, it was nothing in comparison to the debt of which he had been forgiven. In other words, if all of our mixed motives, evil intentions, and sinful imaginations were brought to light, we would see that we owe a debt far greater than any owed to us, that we are worse than the worst offense committed against us. 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. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. - Matthew 5:23–26 The only way to keep from murdering others is to be reconciled. And the only way to be reconciled is to agree with your enemy. Even if his facts are wrong, you’re a bigger sinner than he can even imagine. So you are to go to him and say, “I’m wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” If you don’t, you’ll end up in court. What court? The court that exists in your mind. You practice law daily. You gather new witnesses and new evidence systematically. You build an airtight case, and every time court convenes, you win. The other guy never wins. Consequently, your relationships dwindle and your life grows smaller. Families divide. Hell breaks out. And although you may be technically, judicially, or legally right, you’re oh, so wrong when you fail to reconcile with your adversary. I know this because Jesus absorbed the blame for us totally. On the Cross, He absorbed the full punishment for our sin, paid the entire price for you and me. Even on the Cross, He said, “Father forgive them.” And as a result, Jesus is free from the chains of death and the grave, just as you will be if you choose to absorb the blame wholly, completely, and unconditionally
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:41:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015