First: Be Reconciled to Thy Brother
Name of Assembly: United Apostolic Church
Type of service: Bible Study
Date: March 29th, 2022
Series: SCRIPTURAL PRIORITIES
Lesson 2: FIRST: BE RECONCILED TO THY BROTHER
Scripture Text: St. Matthew 5:21-24
“21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” – St. Matthew 5:21-24.
INTRODUCTION
Although this passage precedes our first lesson (Matthew 6:24-34) chronologically, it does not precede it in order of events in our lives. Seeking first the kingdom is a prerequisite to all other pursuits. When we place the kingdom first, we are in a spiritual condition and position to follow God’s other commands.
As God’s children we anxiously desire to do all He has commanded us, as well as doingit in the order He desires it done. One of David’s major mistakes was in trying to movethe ark of the covenant without following God’s due order. As a result, Uzza died. “3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. 5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim. 6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. 9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled” – 1 Chronicles 13:3-9.
The project was delayed until God’s method and procedure was searched out and executed accordingly. “12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.15 And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord” - 1 Chronicles 15:12-15.
Some things may strike or impress us as demanding first place when in the plan of God, they rank second. Following our intuition is always a mistake when God’s Word is clear on the subject. Before us is such a scenario. What could be more important and necessary than sacrificing to God? Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, provides us with divine insight into something that ranks even above sacrifice – reconciliation!
1) Jesus contrasted the old covenant command not to kill with His new edict concerning our brother. The law taught people not to kill. Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill” but Jesus went much further.
2) Jesus established a portion of the new covenant in contradistinction to the old with these words: “But I say unto you . . .” (Matthew 5:22). Proceeding from God manifested in the flesh came a new and profound way to treat our brother. Let us note Jesus’ teaching.
i. Being angry with our brother without cause, places us in danger of the judgment; but the Lord indicated that unjustified anger is a more serious matter than justifiable anger. “…whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” – St. Matthew 5:22.
ii. “Brother” in this text extends beyond bloodlines and familial ties to the fraternal brotherhood of the entire body of Christ. Calling someone “raca” endangered people in Christ’s day with the Jewish religious council, or Sanhedrin, denoting the seriousness of the matter.
St. Matthew 5:22 is the only passage in the Bible where the term raca is used. “Raca” comes from the Greek word rhaka (rhak-ah’), it was a derogatory expression meaning “empty-headed,” insinuating that a person is worthless or inferiority. It was an offensive name used to show utter contempt for another person. Jesus warned that the use of such a word to describe someone was tantamount to murder and deserving of the severest punishment of the law.
Saying to our brother “thou fool” places us in danger of hellfire. In this context Jesus referred to the place of everlasting punishment. “Fool” here comes from the Greek word moros (mo-ros’), meaning dull or stupid, heedless, blockhead, and absurd. According to W. E. Vine, rhaka scorns a man’s mind while moros scorns his heart and character. Notice that the verse starts off with the phrase, “ye have heard that it was said by them of old time. . .” This is not a reference to something God told Moses. Jesus is referring to the Rabbis of past generations.
Notice that the phrase “them of old time” is used. The Rabbis of the past were often referred to as the “fathers of antiquity,” or “the men of long ago.” Those are the men that Jesus is talking about, and it is their teaching that he is going to contrast with His own teaching.
Notice as well that it begins, “ye have heard.” The people were relying on the religious leaders to read the Scriptures in the synagogue service and then explain it to them. Their respect for the religious leaders led them to accept whatever they were told without doing their own investigation. Unfortunately, most of the scribes and rabbis no longer translated and explained the scriptures themselves. Instead, they taught from the Talmud which is an exhaustive codification of the rabbinic traditions. The traditions of men had replaced the word of God.
And so it is that Jesus begins the section by reminding the people what the Scribes told them, “‘Thou shalt not kill’ and ‘Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.'” They had started off well by repeating the sixth commandment from the 10 commandments of Exodus 20. However, instead of explaining what that meant, they reduced that to “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” That may not seem very important since the latter statement is still true even in our own society. Whoever commits murder is liable to the court. When someone kills someone else and they are caught, eventually their case is heard before a judge and jury to decide the proper punishment. The second statement is true, but it is a major change of meaning for it reduces and confines what God says about murder to mere punishment at the hands of a civil magistrate.
The Scribes had reduced this commandment to “if you commit murder, you will be have to go before the local court.” They defined the sin by the external action alone. However, Jesus warns that the very act of murder finds its roots in an angry, murderous spirit: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” - Matthew 5:22a. God, who examines the very thoughts and intents of the heart and will issue judgment upon unrighteous anger.
The Scribes were only concerned with the letter of the law and not its spirit. This enabled them to be confident in their self-righteous legalism that they were not liable for any punishment even though they were guilty of breaking the spirit of the law. God looks beyond actions to examine the hearts and motives of people. Psalm 7:9 states that “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” Proverbs 16:2 explains, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.”1 Samuel 2:3 states that “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”
Resolving and eliminating this problem becomes the focus of Christ’s extended teaching on the matter. He provided for us a proper sequence of events should we have hidden or expressed problems with our brother. Christ told us what to do first, before we go any further in our Christian responsibilities and rites.
Let us study the picture Christ portrayed for us in Matthew 5:23-24. A man brings his sacrifice to the altar. (This extends far beyond an animal sacrifice and speaks of born-again believers offering themselves and their other gifts to God.) Upon approaching God, the man remembers that a brother has something against him. What is he to do at this juncture? Here Jesus established a biblical order and direction for our lives. As strange as it may seem and sound, He told us to leave the gift—literally leave off sacrificing at this time—until we settle a matter of greater importance than sacrificing. What could that be?
A. “First, be reconciled to thy brother.” We note here that the brother who is not present has “ought” (anything whatsoever) against the brother who is presenting the gift to God. Upon remembering the brother’s feelings, the offerer is to leave his gift, go, and first be reconciled to his brother.
“Reconciled” here comes from the Greek work diallasso (dee-al-las’-so), meaning to change thoroughly, to conciliate. Something occurs in this confrontation that changes the existing enmity to friendship.
Surprisingly, sacrificing, Christian people, Christ made offering our gift to Him secondary to relationships. How vital our association and fellowship with our brethren must be to God for Him to give such directives!
The path to reconciliation involves:
1. Facing the problem. God’s Spirit will smite and convict us when there are unsettled differences between us and our brother. Being mature enough to face the matter within itself usually brings peace.
2. Being willing to admit there is a problem. We must get it out in the open and quit ignoring deep-seated, long-held resentments.
3. Showing true Christian humility. Humility usually precedes our going but must be manifested throughout the reconciliation process.
4. Having a repentant spirit, which is essential in any effort of reconciliation.
5. Seeking forgiveness on our part and our brother’s part. This must take place both now and in the future.
Reconciliation is a powerful New Testament doctrine, and, in this context, it arises to new proportions, making demands on all our lives where interpersonal relationships are concerned.
Tremendous importance is placed upon brotherhood, not only in this text but throughout the Bible. Broken relationships and fellowship are serious matters in the eyes of God and can have eternal consequences in our lives:
1. Medical science has proven, beyond question, the stressful impact that broken relationships have upon people. Of course, they also produce severe spiritual conditions.
2. Bitterness, hatred, and backsliding are evident where irreconcilable differences exist.
3. Hatred toward our brother places us in the role of a murderer in the eyes of God (I John 2:9-11; 3:14-15; 4:20-21).
4. Cain apparently could have corrected his mistaken order of sacrifice had he so desired (Genesis 4:6-7). Instead, he allowed an offense, hatred, to arise in his heart, resulting in the murder of his brother. (See I John 3:11-18).
5. Esau’s deep, seething anger toward Jacob developed into hatred until his descendants were eradicated from the earth. Jacob offered the olive branch of reconciliation, but apparently Esau could not find it in his heart to forgive completely, for there was ongoing strife between their descendants. Obadiah devoted his message of 21 verses to Esau’s descendants. Impending doom and destruction awaited them simply because they failed to be reconciled to their brethren.
6. Joseph, a type of Christ, is the epitome of a true child of God. His fame was distinctly related to his forgiving spirit toward his brethren (Genesis 50:15-20).
7. Christ told us how to handle trespasses between brethren (Luke 17:3-4). He taught us how to practice forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35.
Good relationships are essential to our mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Proper relationships between brethren are more important than offering gifts before the altar of God. If our Lord feels this strongly about the matter, should not the church adopt His views and practice them?
B. Second, we should offer our gift at the altar to God. Remember, we came to do this first, but God said something else was more important. Therefore, we arose, left our gift, and became reconciled to our brother. Now we bring the sacrifice of ourselves and our praise to God (Romans 12:1-2).
Could it be that God will not accept us, our worship, talents, singing, or money if we are at odds with our brother or sister in Christ? Let us put first things first, and then the smallest gift will be acceptable to God.
CONCLUSION
Without question, Jesus Christ established a higher level of fellowship and association than previously required by the Old Testament. Killing our brother is irrefutably a sin in any age. Under our age of grace, Christ laid greater demands upon His church beyond refraining from the physical act murder.
He taught that the things they thought were of no consequence such as anger, calling other people names and attacking other people’s character, brought about the same or greater danger of punishment.
Calling our brother, a fool violates the principles of Christianity and endangers our own soul.
Relationships and sacrifice are both important and essential for a Christian. Obeying 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” provides the impetus and motivation we need. When we fail and offenses, trespasses, and misunderstandings arise, let us follow Jesus’ command— “first be reconciled to thy brother”!