Sermon by Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming during SSMC Sunday Celebration on 2 Mar 2014. 2nd of 4-Part Sermon series on Hard Sayings of Jesus.

1. “Heart of Murder”
by Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming

2. 1

3. THE STORY OF THE THREE FROGS
Question:
What are the names of the three frogs ?
2

5. 1.
2.
3.
4.
Matt 5:33-37
Matt 5:21-26
Matt 5:43-48
Matt 7:21-23
Swearing oaths
Heart of Murder
Love your enemies
True or false disciples

8. Heart of Murder
Matt 5:21-26

9. 1. INTENT of the LAW
Matt 5:21
v21 "You have heard that it was said to the people
long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who
murders will be subject to judgment.’
• 6th Commandment – ‘Thou shalt not murder’
• Ref : Exo 20:13 & Deut 5:17

10. 1. INTENT of the LAW
“You have heard it said...”
Background –
i. Language
• OT written in Hebrew
• Babylonian exile – usage of Hebrew fell
• Common people could not speak or read
Hebrew
• People generally used Aramaic or Greek
ii. Cost
• Written scrolls were very costly
Q: How then did the people learn ‘the Law’ ?

11. 1. INTENT of the LAW
“You have heard it said...”
A: From SCRIBES & PHARISEES ...
Scribes
• Learned & Trained ‘theologians’ / ‘copyist’
• ‘Lawyers’ & ‘Teachers’
Pharisees
• Learned ‘practitioners’
• Extremely strict & meticulous
eg Matt 23:23

12. Eg : 5th Commandment : Keep the Sabbath Day holy,
and that on it no work is to be done.
Q: What is work?
A: To carry a burden.
Q: What’s a ‘burden’ ?
A: A ‘burden’ is –
food equal in weight to a dried fig,
enough wine for mixing in a goblet,
milk enough for one swallow,
honey enough to put upon a wound,
ink enough to write two letters of the
alphabet
Q: Can a tailor carry a needle in his robe ?
Q: Can a woman wear a brooch ?
Q: Can a man lift his child ?

13. 1. INTENT of the LAW
“You have heard it said...”
• From SCRIBES & PHARISEES
Scribes
• Learned & Trained ‘theologians’ / ‘copyist’
• Lawyers & Teachers
Pharisees
• Learned ‘practitioners’
• Extremely strict & meticulous
Matt 5:20 For I tell you that unless your
righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and
the teachers of the law, you will certainly not
enter the kingdom of heaven.

14. Matt 5:21 “... 'Do not murder, and anyone who
murders will be subject to judgment.’
• Defn: ‘Intentional taking of a life’
 God’s Law : to protect the sanctity of life
• Ref Gen 9:4-6 “... And from each man, too, I
will demand an accounting for the life of his
fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of
man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in
the image of God has God made man.”
 ‘Human Life’ is sacred
1. INTENT of the LAW

15. Matt 5:21 “... 'Do not murder, and anyone who
murders will be subject to judgment.’
BUT to the Scribes & Pharisees –
 Murder was just an external visible act...
? 1 Sam 16:7 “... The Lord does not look at the things
man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
? Matt 23:25-26 "Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, ... You clean the outside of the cup
and dish, but inside they are full of greed and selfindulgence... First clean the inside of the cup and
dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
1. INTENT of the LAW

16. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
Matt 5:22
NKJV : “But I say to you that whoever is angry with
his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment. ...”
* Not found in early manuscripts
NIV “BUT I TELL YOU that anyone who is angry
with his brother will be subject to judgment.
Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is
answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who
says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of
hell.”

17. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
“BUT I TELL YOU that anyone who is
angry with his brother will be subject
to judgment. ...”
• Anger - an emotion
• Emotion - of the HEART ...
• Angry with ‘his brother’ ...
 With or Without Cause...
 “Righteous Anger”
- right response to SIN...
- condition of the HEART...

18. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
V22
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with
his brother will be subject to judgment. ...”
 Anger by itself is not ‘Sinful’
• It’s what you do with that ‘anger’ ...
• It’s what you do because of that ‘anger’ ...
• It’s how your HEART feels & reacts ...
 Matt 15:19 ‘For out of the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander...’
 1 John 3:15 ‘Anyone who hates his
brother is a murderer, ...’

19. Cain & Abel
Gen 4:3-8
Gen 4:6-7
6 Then the Lord said to
Cain, "Why are you
angry? Why is your
face downcast?
7 If you do what is right,
will you not be
accepted? But if you do
not do what is right, sin
is crouching at your
door; it desires to have
you, but you must
master it."

20. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
V22
“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his
brother will be subject to JUDGMENT. ...”
• Being ‘ANGRY’
= JUDGMENT
• Ref V21 ‘MURDER’
= JUDGMENT
Who / What is this ‘JUDGMENT’
Ref Deut 16:18 “Appoint judges and officials for
each of your tribes in every town the Lord your
God is giving you, and they shall judge the
people fairly. “
• Size varies : 3, 7 or 23...
• Judges the affairs of the town ...

23. Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Why should police investigate the Muslim NGOs
who offered a cash reward for anyone who could
slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok? It wasn’t a threat.
(Q: Do you think ‘they’ were ANGRY ?)
If they issued a death threat, then it would be a
threat. Slapping is not,”

24. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
V22 :
“...Again, anyone WHO SAYS to his brother,
'RACA,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin...”
• Not only ‘feel’ in the HEART
 But say with his mouth – ‘RACA’ or ‘RAKA’
• ‘RACA’ – Aramaic
• Empty headed
• Worthless
• Good-for-Nothing
 Treat with CONTEMPT
 Judgment ...
 Sanhedrin – Jewish Council of 72
 Head : High Priest

25. 2. EXTENT of the LAW
V22
: “...But anyone who says, 'You fool!’ (moros)
will be in danger of the fire of hell (Gehenna) .”
• Slightly different meaning
• Eg ‘Foolish man’ building on sand...
‘Foolish maiden’ with no extra oil...
Matt 23:17 – Scribes & Pharisees
 to CONDEMN , to judge... 2 Chron 28:3; 33:6;
• Heart & Character...
 Judgment - ‘Hell’
Eg Video – Words Kill

27. Prov 18:21 The tongue has the power of
life and death, and those who love it will
eat its fruit.

28. 3. IMPLEMENT the Law
V23
"THEREFORE,
if you are
offering your
gift at the
altar
and there
remember
that your
brother has
something
against you,
Matt 5:23-26

30. 3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26
v23
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the
altar and there REMEMBER THAT YOUR
BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU,...
•It’s a problem – you know & your brother knows
* Excludes problems you do not know about
•It’s remains unsettled ...
•?? Right or Wrong ...
•‘Unsettled’ - division / barrier ...
 Settle it for : your brother’s sake
: your own sake
: the Lord’s sake
Ref Ps 24:3-4 “Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart ...”

31. 3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26
Isa 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near
to me with their mouth and honor me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is made up only of rules
taught by men.”
1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, "I love God," yet
hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who
does not love his brother, whom he has seen,
cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And
he has given us this command: Whoever loves
God must also love his brother.

33. 3. IMPLEMENT the Law
Matt 5:23-26
v24 LEAVE your gift there in
front of the altar. First go
and BE RECONCILED to
your brother; THEN COME
and offer your gift.
Worship is important
But RECONCILIATION
is more important
PRIORITY

34. 3. IMPLEMENT the Law Matt 5:23-26
 RECONCILATION is PRIORITY
v25
"Settle matters quickly with your adversary
who is taking you to court. Do it while you are
still with him on the way, or he may hand you
over to the judge, and the judge may hand you
over to the officer, and you may be thrown into
prison.
v26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until
you have paid the last penny.
 Right or Wrong !!
 URGENCY to RECONCILIATION

35. Even the World
acknowledges that
RECONCILIATION
is KEY to ...

36. Conclusion:
In Eph 4:26 - "IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN"
V22 You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF, which is
being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
v23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
v24 and to PUT ON THE NEW SELF, created to be like
God in true righteousness and holiness.
v25 Therefore each of you must PUT OFF
FALSEHOOD and speak truthfully to his neighbor,
for we are all members of one body.

37. Conclusion : Eph 4:22-32
v26
"IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN":
FOUR ‘DO NOT’S’
DO NOT let the sun go down while you are still
angry,
v27 and DO NOT give the devil a foothold....
v29 DO NOT let any unwholesome talk come out
of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen.
v30 And DO NOT grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption...

38. 1.I want first to be taken to the place
where my husband's body was burned
so that I can gather up the dust and
give his remains a decent burial."
2.I want Mr. Van der Broek to become
my son, for him to come twice a month
to my house and spend a day with me.
3.I would like Mr. Van der Broek to know
that I offer him my forgiveness
because Jesus Christ died to forgive.
This was also the wish of my husband.

39. v14
For Christ's love
Conclusion :
compels us, because
Theme Verse 2014
we are convinced that
2 Cor 5:14-15
one died for all, and
therefore all died.
v15 And he died for all, that
those who live should
no longer live for
themselves but for him
who died for them and
was raised again.

40. v17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!
v18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation:
v19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in
Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he
has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
v20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though
God were making his appeal through us. We implore
you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
v21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so
that in him (CHRIST) we might
become the righteousness of God.
Conclusion : 2 Cor 5:17-21