Sanctity of Life (Matthew 5:21–26)
The Lord Jesus Christ did not come teaching a radically new way of living. He came to rescue it. We can put it this way: Jesus came to introduce the radically old way of living! This rescue, this redemption, this reforming of their understanding was essential because the multitudes were labouring under and were were “heavy laden” with false views of true religion because of false views about true righteousness. Jesus made this patently clear with his statement in Matthew 5:19–20 and expands on it by offering some examples in vv. 21–48.
Each example is introduced with the statement, “You have heard that it was said.” He then quotes one of the Ten Commandments or similar prohibition. In the last case, however, he quotes what is clearly a twisted self-produced commandment. Regardless, what Jesus does in each case is to go below the surface of the commandment, revealing that the righteousness that the kingdom of God requires is deeper and more comprehensive than their present Judaistic religion. The righteousness that God requires is not possible by mere external box-ticking. The righteousness that the King demands is whole-person conformity to the will of God. This is vital to grasp, for no one will see the Lord without holiness (Hebrews 12:14).
As we begin, we want to remember that Jesus came to give abundant living to his followers. The key word in the Sermon on the Mount pointing to this abundant living is the word “blessed” (vv. 2–11). This is the truly flourishing life. The flourishing life is the righteous life. It is life conformed to God’s standard as revealed in his word. For this reason, we dare not marginalise it (vv. 17–20). And marginalising God’s word is precisely what the first-century Jewish religious leaders had done through mishandling, misinterpreting, and misapplying it. Jesus confronts this head on.
In this first example, Jesus addresses erroneous teaching concerning the sixth commandment. Let us listen and learn how those committed to God’s righteousness respond to this commandment. Let us examine the heart attitude of those who flourish towards others. Jesus tells us that a righteous view of the sanctity of life is much deeper than not taking human life. And so Jesus begins, “Here is what I mean about a righteousness that exceeds.”
The passage begins with a principle. Jesus restores the intent of the sixth commandment (vv. 21–24) and he provides two illustrations by way of illumination. We can say that exceeding righteousness rolls on the wheels of relationships. There are four exhortations in this text that help us properly appreciate the sanctity of life.
2. Avoid Animosity (vv. 21–22)
3. Appreciate the Necessity (vv. 23–24)
4. Act with Urgency (vv. 25–26)
Acknowledge Dignity
First, the tenor of the entire text (vv. 21–26) exhorts us to acknowledge dignity. The sixth commandment prohibits murder. It is a simple prohibition (four words in the ESV): “You shall not murder.”
It is a simple command that, externally, is simply explained: God forbids the unjust/unwarranted taking of human life. (A footnote in ESV observes that “the Hebrew word [in Exodus 20] also covers causing death through carelessness or negligence.”) But the rationale undergirding the command is because God made humans in his image. Murder is the worst act of blasphemy. (Consider, therefore, the immense evil of the murder of the man Christ Jesus!)
Murder is forbidden because of the dignity of human beings. Therefore, the command is not merely about not murdering but also about respecting life. The scribes and Pharisees missed this and thus led to hard and harsh treatment of people (e.g. their anger against Jesus for healing the afflicted on the Sabbath).
Fundamentally, Jesus is teaching that those who are truly righteous love their neighbours as themselves. Those who flourish have a righteous relationship with the Father through the Son, and this includes a righteous acknowledgement of the dignity of people. Jesus treated people with dignity. His followers are likewise to treat people with dignity.
Those who flourish are truly and fully prolife. That is, they are not only anti-abortion.
Avoid Animosity
Verses 21–22 emphasise the need to avoid animosity: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
As noted, valuing people is not a mere bodily responsibility; rather, it applies to guarding their reputation and seeking their welfare. Jesus, in these two verses, expands on this. He teaches that holding people in contempt is a form of murder. Treating people with contempt is a violation of the sixth commandment. Treating people with animosity, including derogatory name-calling, is a violation of the sixth commandment. In light of the first point, the righteous person—and therefore the one who flourishes (including relationally)—not only acknowledges human dignity but treats humans with dignity.
While teaching the obvious prohibition of this commandment, the religious leaders failed to go below the surface as to the value-motivation of the commandment. The sixth commandment includes protecting human welfare. It prohibits treating others with hatred, which is usually manifested in anger and contemptuous treatment.
Some English translations of the Bible speak of anger without cause. The ESV follows the majority of Greek texts, which contain no such qualification (though see the ESV’s footnote). I think the majority evidence is correct. The qualification was probably inserted by a later scribe, who assumed that, since there is justifiable anger (see Ephesians 4:26), Jesus must have meant angry without just cause.
I think that Jesus was making an absolute statement to get our attention. Undoubtedly, most of our anger—at least most of our relational anger—is unrighteous, regardless of our denial to the contrary. At the root of our relational anger is animosity towards others.
Such animosity leads to contempt and name-calling. If you are guilty of this, let the words of King Jesus sink in.
There is no gradation here of the insults and their consequential penalty. Instead, Jesus is highlighting the serious nature of the sin of animosity. Those who treat others with contempt reveal that they are dead in sin. To angrily declare, “Go to hell!” may indicate you are headed there yourself.
Therefore, follower of Jesus—person who desires to flourish as God designed—avoid animosity.
Appreciate Necessity
As you sit under the weight of the Lord’s sobering words, convicted of animosity, towards someone, what should you do? You begin by appreciating the necessity of reconciliation: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (vv. 23–24).
What You Don’t Do
If you have transgressed the sixth commandment, don’t pretend that everything is okay. Don’t pretend that your heavenly Father is okay with it.
Our horizontal relationships (with one another) mirror our vertical relationship (with God). We cannot be right with God having unrepentantly wronged others. That is, we cannot worship God acceptably while relational blood is on our hands. To answer Cain’s cynical question, yes, we are our brother’s keeper.
The picture, of course, is someone coming to worship bringing their sacrifices with them to the temple, the place of worship. While doing so, it comes to mind a wrong they have done towards to another, a wrong the offended party is particularly aware of. Jesus makes clear that what we are not to do in such a situation is to pretend all is well, carrying on with our “worship.” There is a particular vital necessity that those who flourish need to appreciate, and when called upon, to practice (see Romans 12:9).
What You Do
Jesus says that the worshipper should prove his righteous relationship with his heavenly Father by leaving his gift at the altar. He should seek to make things right before returning to really worship. This, Jesus illustrates, is a biblical, righteous necessity that we must appreciate.
Those who respect the dignity of their fellow man, who truly uphold the sanctity of human life, see the necessity of making right with those whom they have wronged. They prioritise the necessity of reconciliation, not only with God, but also with their fellow man.
Of course, this is an illustration, and we need to guard against undoing what Jesus was doing by approaching it legalistically. Jesus is not suggesting, and the Bible elsewhere does not teach, that someone having a problem with you is necessarily your responsibility. There are plenty of people who have a problem with you that is entirely their problem. What Jesus is saying is that if we are aware of something we have wrongly done that is the source of a broken relationship, it is our responsibility to make right if our worship will be acceptable.
Act with Urgency
Finally, Jesus urges us to act with urgency: “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny” (vv. 25–26). This second illustration illumines the urgency we must exercise to make right with those with whom there has been relational breakdown, especially relational animosity.
Those who flourish in life will make haste to settle wrongs, to end disputes, and to restore relational equity. The picture is probably of someone in debt to another. The relationship has been strained by financial tensions (as is so often the case!). In those days, if one could not pay a debt, they were incarcerated in debtor’s prison until the debt was paid. Of course, the problem was that, unless someone paid your debt, you were in a hopeless situation. Incarcerated, you were unable to earn wages to pay the debt. Therefore, to avoid prison, you must urgently do everything possible to settle the matter hastily. Jesus warns that failure to see the necessity and to apply urgency means that “you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
His point is simple: Make relational reconciliation a priority. Be urgent about. There is too much at stake to treat others with contempt, including refusing to make right with the ones you have wronged.
Positively, those who have a righteous relationship with the Father make haste to treat others righteously, including making right having done wrong.
Conclusion
Exceeding righteousness requires supernatural power. We experience that power when we realise we were in debt with nothing to pay. But God, in Christ, paid our debt, liberating us from sin’s guilt. And having been freed, we show grace to others—all others. Valuing eternal life equips us to value the sanctity of every life and therefore loving our neighbour as ourself.
AMEN