Jesus was urging reconciliation

JESUS WAS URGING RECONCILIATION
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 5:23-2623"Therefore,if you are offering
your gift at the altar and there remember that your
brother or sisterhas somethingagainst you, 24leave
your gift there in front of the altar. Firstgo and be
reconciledto them; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settlematters quickly with your adversarywho is
taking you to court. Do it while you are still together
on the way, or your adversarymay hand you over to
the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the
officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26Truly I
tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the
last penny.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Christian Idea Of Brotherhood
Matthew 5:22, 23
R. Tuck

Our Lord illustrated the application of the new Christian principles to various
spheres and relations. Or to state more precisely his point, he showedhow the
regenerate characterwould put a new tone on all the life-associations.In a
generalway, the Christian light is to shine freely all abroad. In a particular
way, the Christian influence is to affecta man's first sphere, the sphere of
human relationships, representedby the term "brotherhood." From the
Christian point of view, our human brother is our secondself, and we are to
"love our neighbour as ourself."
I. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BROTHERHOOD IS ESSENTIALTO
PIETY. This is illustrated in vers. 23, 24. Worship cannot be acceptable to
God, when offered by men who are out of brotherly relations. The offering to
God is not acceptable as offering, but as the expressionof the man, the
declarationof his mind and heart, which God accepts in the offering. He must
put his mind and heart right towards his brother, or God will never acceptit
as right towards him. The unforgiving never worship God aright. "If we love
not our brother whom we have seen, how canwe love God whom we have not
seen;" "He who loveth God should love his brother also."
II. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BROTHERHOODRESTS WITHTHE
CHRISTIAN. That is Christ's point. It is his mission to culture and ennoble
his disciples by putting them under the pressure of serious responsibilities.
And this is one of them. However aggravating our brother may be, we, as
Christians, are bound to keep up the brotherhood. . It there are yieldings to be
done, we must do them. The Christian cannever excuse himself by saying,
"My brother will not be reconciledto me." He must be; and the Christian
must not restuntil he is. The burden of right relations rests on him.
III. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BROTHERHOODMAY INVOLVE
SELF-RESTRAINTSAND DISABILITIES. This is one of the greatspheres of
Christian self-denial and self-sacrifice. Everytrue Christian will be willing to
suffer rather than break the brotherhood. - R.T.

Biblical Illustrator
Agree with thine adversary.
Matthew 5:25
Reconciliationwith God
J. A. James, D. D.
1. Man by his sin has made God his adversary.
2. God has opened a way by which sinners, though they have thus grossly
offended, may be brought back into a state of reconciliationwith Him.
3. To show you that it is man's duty and interest to avail himself of the
opportunity of coming into agreementwith God.

I. WHO ARE THE PERSONSTHAT MAY RIGHTLY APPLY TO
THEMSELVES THE MOTIVES BY WHICH I SHALL URGE THE
BUSINESS OF AGREEMENTWITHGOD. God is the adversaryof any
child of Adam who has not availed himself of pardon, the man of private
virtue as wellas his profligate neighbour.
II. MOTIVES BY WHICH THIS BUSINESS IS URGED WON YOU.
1. Considerwhat it is I am endeavouring to enforce upon your attention. No
trifle, agreementwith God.
2. What would be the blessings that would result if you were thus reconciledto
God.
3. What will be the consequencesif you are not reconciled?
4. Let me remind you of the interest others take in your reconciliationwith
God.
III. BEGIN THAT RECONCILIATION IMMEDIATELY"Whiles thou art
in the way."
1. God is now waiting to come to agreementwith you.
2. What reasonhave you to advance why you should not.

3. Considerthe uncertainty of life.
4. All the opportunities of agreementare confined to this present life.
5. The results that in another world will follow a want of reconciliationwith
God in this, are indescribably dreadful.
6. The punishment will be inevitable and eternal.
(J. A. James, D. D.)
Agree with thine adversary quickly
G. Moberley, D. C. L.
1. The Lord warns us to make our Christian peace in time.
2. To take care that our sacramentaloffering of charity and forgiveness be not
delayed.
3. Lest our adversary be no more in the way with us; lest, among the many
partings of this world, we lose sightof him for ever.
4. And that on the ground of God's awful judgment.
5. Forto Him the unreconciledquarrels of this world must be referred.

6. He will exactthe uttermost farthing of His own incalculable debt from those
who have been unkind and unforgiving to their fellow-servants.
(G. Moberley, D. C. L.)
Agree with Thine Adversary
Charles Kingsley
Matthew 5:25
Agree with your adversary quickly, whiles you are in the way with him; lestat
any time the adversary deliver you to the judge…
Eversley, 1861. WindsorCastle, 1867.
St. Matthew v.25, 26. "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in
the waywith him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and
the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be castinto prison. Verily I say
unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hastpaid the
uttermost farthing."
This parable our Lord seems to have spokenat leasttwice, as He did several
others. For we find it also in the 12th chapter of St. Luke. But it is there part
of quite a different discourse. I think that by seeing whatit means there, we
shall see more clearlywhat it means here.

Our Lord there is speaking of the sins of the whole Jewishnation. Here He is
speaking rather of eachman's private sins. But He applies the same parable to
both. He gives the same warning to both. Not to go too far on the wrong road,
lest they come to a point where they cannot turn back, but must go on to just
punishment, if not to utter destruction.
That is what He warned the Jews all through the latter part of the 12th
chapter of Luke. He will come again, He says, atan hour they do not think of,
and then if their elders, the Scribes and Pharisees,are going on as they are
now, beating the man-servants and maid-servants, and eating and drinking
with the drunken, oppressing the people, and living in luxury and profligacy,
He will cut them asunder, and appoint them their portion with the
unbelievers.
In this, and in many other parables, He had been warning them that their
ruin was near; and, at last, turning to the whole crowd, He appeals to them, to
their common sense. "Whenye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightwayye
say, There cometha shower;and so it is. And when ye see the south wind
blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it comethto pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can
discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern
this time?" If Godcan give you common sense aboutone thing, why not about
another? Why can you not open your eyes and of yourselves judge what is
right? "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 castinto prison. Verily I sayunto thee,
Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost
farthing."
So He spoke;and they did not fully understand what He meant. They thought
that by their adversary He meant the Roman governor. For they immediately
beganto talk to Him about some Galileans whose bloodPilate, the Roman

governor, had mingled with their sacrifices(I suppose in some of those wars
which were continually breaking out in Judea). I think He meant more than
that. "Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans?
Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." As much as to say, though ye
did not rebel againstthe Romans like these Galilaeans,you have your sins,
which will ruin YOU. As long as you are hypocrites, with your mouths full of
the cantof religion, and your hearts full of all mean and spiteful passions;as
long as you cannot of yourselves discernwhat is right, and have lost
conscience, andthe everlasting distinction betweenright and wrong, so long
are you walking blindfold to ruin. There is an adversary againstyou, who will
surely deliver you to the judge some day, and then it will be too late to cry for
mercy. And who was that adversary? Who but the everlasting law of God,
which says, Thou shalt do justly? -- and you Jews are utterly unjust, false,
covetous, and unrighteous. Thou shalt love all men; and you are cruel and
spiteful, hating eachother, and making all mankind hate you. Thou shalt walk
humbly with thy God; and you Jews are walking proudly with God; fancying
that God belongs only to you; that because youare His chosenpeople, He will
let you commit every sin you choose, as long as you keepHis name on your
lips, and keepup an empty worship of Him in the temple. That is your
adversary, the everlasting moral law of God. And who is the Judge but God
Himself, who is seton His throne judging right, while you are doing wrong?
And who is the officer, to whom that judge will deliver you? There indeed the
Jews were right. It was the Romans whom God appointed to punish them for
their sins. All which our Lord had foretold, as all the world knows, came true
forty years after in that horrible siege of Jerusalem, whichthe Jews brought
on themselves entirely by their own folly, and pride, and wickedlawlessness.
In that siege, by famine and pestilence, by the Romans'swords, by crucifixion,
and by eachother's hands (for the different factions were murdering each
other wholesale up to the very day Jerusalemwas taken), thousands of Jews
perished horribly, and the rest were sold as slaves overthe face of the whole
earth, and led awayinto a captivity from which they could not escapetill they
had paid the uttermost farthing.

Now let us look at this same parable in the 5th chapter of St Matthew.
Remember first that it is part of the sermon on the Mount, which is all about
not doctrine, but morality, the law of right and wrong, the law of justice and
mercy. You will see then that our Lord is preaching againstthe same sins as in
the 12th chapterof St. Luke. Against a hypocritical religion, joined with a
cruel and unjust heart. Those of old time, the Scribes and Pharisees, said
merely, Thou shalt not kill. And as long as thou dost not kill thy brother, thou
mayest hate him in thy heart and speak evil of him with thy lips. But our Lord
says, Notso. Whosoeveris angry with his brother without a cause is in danger
of the judgment. Whosoevershallsayto him Raca, or worthless fellow, shall
speak insolently, brutally, cruelly, scornfully to him, is in danger of the
council. But whosoevershallsayunto him, Thou fool, is in danger of hell fire.
For using that word to the Jews, so says the Talmudic tradition, Mosesand
Aaron were shut out of the land of promise, for it means an infidel, an atheist,
a godless man, or rebel againstGod, as it is written, "The fool hath said in his
heart there is no God." Whosoevershallcurse his brother, who is trying to be
a goodChristian man to the best of his light and power, because he does not
happen to agree with him in all things, and callhim a heretic, and an infidel,
and an atheist, and an enemy of God -- he is in danger of hell fire. Let him
agree with his adversaryquickly, whiles he is in the way with him, lesthe be
delivered to Godthe judge, and to the just punishment of him who has not
done justly, not loved mercy, not walkedhumbly with his God.
But who is the adversary of that man, and who is the judge, and who is the
officer? Our adversaryin every case, wheneverwe do wrong, knowinglyor
unknowingly, is the Law of God, the everlasting laws, by which God has
ordered every thing in heavenand earth; and as often as we break one of
these laws, let us agree with it againas quickly as we can, lest it hale us before
God, the judge of all, and He deliver us over to His officer -- to those powers
of nature and powers of spirit, which He has appointed as ministers of His
vengeance, andthey castus into some prison of necessaryand unavoidable
misery, from which we shall never escape till we have paid the uttermost
farthing.

Do you not understand me? Then I will give you an example. Suppose the case
of a man hurting his health by self-indulgence of any kind. Then his
adversaries are the laws of health. Let him agree with them quickly, while he
has the power of conquering his bad habits, by recovering his health, lest the
time come when his own sins deliver him up to Godhis judge; and God to His
terrible officers of punishment, the laws of Disease;and they casthim into a
prison of shame and misery from which there is no escape --shame and
misery, most common perhaps among the lowerclasses:but not altogether
confined to them -- the weakenedbody, the bleared eye, the stupified brain,
the premature death, the children unhealthy from their parents' sins,
despising their parents, and perhaps copying their vices at the same time.
Many a man have I seenin that prison, fast bound with misery though not
with iron, and how he was to pay his debt and escape out of it I know not,
though I hope that Goddoes know.
Are any of you, again, in the habit of cheating your neighbours, or dealing
unfairly by them? Your adversary is the everlasting law of justice, which says,
Do as you would be done by, for with what measure you mete to others, it
shall be measured to you again.
This may show you how a bodily sin, like self-indulgence punishes itself by
bringing a man into bondage of bodily misery, from which he cannot escape;
and in the same way a spiritual sin, like want of charity, will bring a man into
spiritual bondage from which he cannot escape.And this, as in bodily sins, it
will do by virtue of that mysterious and terrible officer of God, which we call
Habit. Habit, by which, we cannot tell how, our having done a thing once
becomes a reasonfor our doing it again, and againafter that, till, if the habit
be once formed, we cannot help doing that thing, and become enslavedto it,
and fastbound by it, in a prison from which there is no escape. Look for
instance at the case ofthe untruthful man. Let him beware in time. Who is his
adversary? Facts are his adversary. He says one thing, and Factsays another,

and a very stubborn and terrible adversaryFactis. The day will come, most
probably in this life, when Facts will bring that untruthful man before God
and before men likewise -- and cry, -- Judge betweenus which of us is right;
and there will come to that false man exposure and shame, and a worse
punishment still, perhaps, if he have let the habit grow too strong on him, and
have not agreedwith his adversaryin time.
For have you not seen(alas, you have too surely seen) men who had
contractedsuch a habit of falsehoodthat they could not shake it off -- who had
played with their sense oftruth so long that they had almostforgotten what
truth meant; men who could not speak without mystery, concealment,
prevarication, half-statements; who were afraid of the plain truth, not because
there was any presentprospect of its hurting them, but simply because it was
the plain truth -- children of darkness, who, from long habit, hated the light --
and who, though they had been found out and exposed, couldnot amend --
could not become simple, honest, and truthful -- could not escape fromthe
prison of their own bad habits, and the net of lies which they had spread
round their own path, till they had paid the uttermost penalty for their deceit?
Look, again, at the case ofthe uncharitable man, in the habit of forming harsh
and cruel judgments of his neighbours. Then his adversaryis the everlasting
law of Love, which will surely at last punish him, by the most terrible of all
punishments -- loss of love to man, and therefore to God. Are we not (I am, I
know, may God forgive me for it) apt to be angry with our brethren without a
cause, out of mere peevishness? Letus beware in time. Are we not apt to say
to them "Raca" --to speak cruelly, contemptuously, fiercely of them, if they
thwart us? Let us beware in time still more. Are we not worst of all, tempted
(as I too often am) to say to them "Thou fool;" to call better men, more useful
men more pure men, more pious men than ourselves, hard and cruel names,
names from which they would shrink with horror because they cannot see
Christian truth in just exactlythe same light that we do? Oh! let us beware
then. Beware lestthe everlasting laws of justice and fairness betweenman and

man, of love and charity betweenman and man, which we have broken,
should some day deliver us up, as they delivered those bigoted Jews ofold to
God our Judge, and He deliver our souls to His most terrible officers, who are
calledenvy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness;and they thrust us into
that blackestofall prisons, on the gate of which is written, Hardness of heart,
and Contempt of God's Word and commandments, and within which is the
outer darkness into which if a man falls, he cannotsee the difference between
right and wrong: but calls evil good, and goodevil, like his companions in the
outer darkness -- namely, the devil and his angels. Oh! let us who are coming
to lay our gift upon God's altar at this approaching Christmas tide, consider
whether our brother hath aught againstus in any of these matters, and, if so,
let us leave our gift upon the altar, and be first reconciledto our brother, in
heart at least, and with inward shame, and confession, and contrition, and
resolution to amend. But we can only do that by recollecting what gift we are
to leave on Christ's altar, -- that it is the gift of SELF, the sacrifice of
ourselves, with all our selfishness, pride, conceit, spite, cruelty. Ourselves,
with all our sins, we are to lay upon Christ's altar, that our sins may be nailed
to His cross, andwashedcleanin His blood, everlastingly consumedin the fire
of His Spirit, the pure spirit of love, which is the Charity of God, that so, self
being purged out of us, we may become holy and lively sacrifices to God, parts
and parcels of that perfectsacrifice which Christ offered up for the sins of the
whole world -- even the sacrifice of Himself.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(25) Agree with thine adversary.—The imageryis changed, and returns to
that of human tribunals, which has met us in Matthew 5:22. The man whom
we have wronged appears as the “adversary,” the prosecutorbringing his
charge againstus. The impulse of the natural man at such a time, even if
conscious ofwrong, is to make the best of his case,to prevaricate, to
recriminate. The truer wisdom, Christ teaches,is to “agree”—better, to be on
goodterms with—show our own goodwill, and so win his. The whole

teaching, it is obvious, is addressedto one who has done wrong. The treatment
of a false charge involves different considerations.
The officer.—Inthis case, the officer of the court, the gaoler.
In the application of the words, the judge is clearlyGod, and the officers,
those (angels or others) who execute His judgment, and the “adversary,” those
whom we have wronged, leaving the wrong unredressed. In 1Peter5:8 the
devil is described as the great “adversary,” andthat meaning is, perhaps, not
excluded, though it is not prominent, here. Any evil deed becomes in the end
as an accusing Satan, bearing its witness againstus; and Satanhimself is the
embodiment of all such accusers.
BensonCommentary
Matthew 5:25. Agree, &c. — Here our Lord enforces the preceding
exhortation, from the considerationof what is reckonedprudent in ordinary
quarrel and law-suits. “In such cases,wise men always advise the party that
has done wrong to make up matters with his adversary while it is in his
power, lest the sentence of a judge, being interposed, fall heavy on him. For
the same reason, we, who have offended our brother, ought to make it up with
him, while an opportunity of repentance is allowedus; and that though our
quarrel should have proceededto the greatestlengths, lestthe sentence of the
Supreme Judge overtake us, and put reconciliationout of our power for
ever.” With thine adversary quickly — With any againstwhom thou hast thus
offended; whiles thou art in the way with him — Going with him to a
magistrate;or, instantly, on the spot; before you part. Lest the adversary
deliver thee to the judge — To be tried before him; and the judge, deciding
the cause againstthee, deliver thee to the officer of the court, to keepthee in
custody till satisfactionbe made, and thou be castinto prison — Not being
able to discharge an accountenhancedwith so many additional articles of
expense. Thou shalt by no means come out thence — Be releasedout of
prison; till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing — For thy antagonist, when

he has got thee at such an advantage, will be more rigorous in his demands
than before. And surely, if by impenitent wickedness thoumakestthyself the
prisoner of the divine justice, thy case will be yet more deplorable and
hopeless. Understanding the words in a figurative sense, which is, partly at
least, intended by Christ here, the prison is takenfor hell, out of which the
unrelenting sinner can never come, according to our Lord’s declaration,
because he can never be able to make that satisfaction. “Lord, we are all the
debtors, and, in one sense, the prisoners of thy justice, and of ourselves were
most incapable, not only of paying the uttermost farthing, but even of
discharging the leastpart of the debt! We bless thee for that generous Surety
who has takenand dischargedit for us; and by the price of whose atoning
blood we are delivered from the chains of darkness, and are translated into
the glorious liberty of thy children.” — Doddridge. What has hitherto been
said refers to meekness;what follows, to purity of heart.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
5:21-26 The Jewishteachers hadtaught, that nothing exceptactual murder
was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they explained away its
spiritual meaning. Christ showedthe full meaning of this commandment;
according to which we must be judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be
ruled now. All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to
understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of
one blood. Raca, is a scornful word, and comes from pride: Thou fool, is a
spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are
poison that kills secretlyand slowly. Christ told them that how light soever
they made of these sins, they would certainly be calledinto judgment for
them. We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our
brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess ourfault,
humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfactionforwrong
done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done,
we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances. And when we are
preparing for any religious exercises, it is goodfor us to make that an occasion
of serious reflectionand self-examination. What is here said is very applicable
to our being reconciledto God through Christ. While we are alive, we are in
the wayto his judgement-seat;after death, it will be too late. When we

considerthe importance of the case, and the uncertainty of life, how needful it
is to seek peace withGod, without delay!
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Agree with thine adversary quickly - This is still an illustration of the sixth
commandment. To be in hostility, to go to law, to be litigious, is a violation
always, on one side or the other, of the law requiring us to love our neighbor,
and our Saviour regards it as a violation of the sixth commandment. While
you are in the way with him, says he, that is, while you are going to the court,
before the trial has takenplace, it is your duty, if possible, to come to an
agreement. It is wrong to carry the contention to a court of law. See 1
Corinthians 6:6-7. The consequenceofnot being reconciled, he expressesin
the language ofcourts. The adversary shall deliver to the judge, and he to the
executioner, and he shall throw you into prison. He did not mean to say that
this would be literally the way with God, but that His dealings with those that
harbored these feelings, and would not be reconciledwith their brethren, were
representedby the punishment inflicted by human tribunals. That is, he
would hold all such as violators of the sixth commandment, and would punish
them accordingly.
There is no propriety in the use sometimes made of this verse, in representing
God as the "adversary" ofthe sinner, and urging him to be reconciledto God
while in the way to judgment. Nor does the phrase "thou shalt by no means
come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing" refer to the
eternity of future punishment. It is language takenfrom courts of justice, to
illustrate the truth that God will punish people according to justice for not
being reconciledto him. The punishment in the future world will be eternal
indeed Matthew 25:46, but this passagedoes not prove it.
Thine adversary - A man that is opposedto us in law. It here means a
creditor; a man who has a just claim on us.

In the way with him - While you are going before the court. Before the trial
comes on. It is remarkable that this very direction is found in the Roman law
of the Twelve Tables, whichexpressly directed the plaintiff and defendant to
make up the matter while they were in the way, or going to the praetor - in
via, rem uti pacunt orato. - Blackstone's Commentary, iii. p. 299. Whether the
Saviour had any reference to this cannotbe determined. As the Roman laws
prevailed to some extent in Palestine, however, it is possible that there was
such an allusion.
The officer- The executioner;or, as we should say, the sheriff.
The uttermost farthing - The last farthing. All that is due. The farthing was a
small coin used in Judea, equal to two mites. It was not quite equal to half a
farthing of British money.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
25. Agree with thine adversary—thine opponent in a matter cognizable by
law.
quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him—"to the magistrate," as in Lu
12:58.
lest at any time—here, rather, "lestat all," or simply "lest."
the adversarydeliver thee to the judge, and the judge—having pronounced
thee in the wrong.

deliver thee to the officer—the official whose business it is to see the sentence
carried into effect.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Matthew 5:26".
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Agree with thine adversary quickly,.... These words are not to be understood
in an allegoricalsense,as if "the adversary" was the justice of God,
demanding payment of debts; "the way", this present life; "the judge", God
himself; "the officer", the devil; "the prison", the pit of hell; and "the
uttermost farthing", the leastsin, which will never be remitted without
satisfaction:but the design of them is to prevent lawsuits about debts, which
may be in dispute; it being much better for debtor and creditor, especiallythe
former, to compose suchdifferences among themselves, than to litigate the
matter in a court of judicature. By "the adversary" is meant not an enemy,
one that bears hatred and ill will, but a brother that has ought againsta man;
a creditor, who demands and insists upon payment of what is owing to him;
and for this purpose has takenmethods towards bringing the debtor before a
proper magistrate, in order to oblige him to payment: wherefore it is better
for him to make up and agree the matter directly, as soonas possible,
whilst thou art in the way with him; that is, whilst the creditor and debtor are
going togetherto some inferior magistrate, or lessercourt, as the sanhedrim,
which consistedof three persons only, before whom such causes might be
tried: for , pecuniary causes,orcauses relating to money matters, were tried
"by the bench of three" (g): and the selfsame advice is given in the Talmud
(h), as here, where it seems to be a common proverb; for it is said,
"there are men that say, or men usually say, , "whilstthou art in the way with
thine adversary, be obedient".''

Lest at any time the adversary should deliver thee to the judge, a superior
magistrate in a higher court; for if the creditor would, he could oblige the
debtor to go with him to the supreme court of judicature, and try the cause
there; for so say the Jewish(i); canons:
"if the creditor says we will go to the greatsanhedrim, they compelthe
debtor, and he goes up with them, as it is said, "the borrower is servant to the
lender",''
where it might go harder with the poor debtor; and therefore it was advisable
to prevent it by an agreement, lest
the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be castinto prison,
"It was an affirmative command in the law, says Maimonides, to appoint
"judges" and "officers" in every country and province, as it is said,
Deuteronomy 16:18. "judges" they are the judges that are fixed in the
sanhedrim, and such that engage in law suits come before them: "officers";
these are the masters of the rod and scourge, i.e. who beat and scourge
delinquents; and these stand before the judges--and all they do, is by the order
of the judges.''
Now it is one of these that is meant by "the officer";in Munster's Hebrew
Gospel, he is calledwho, when he had authority from the judge, could cast
into prison, and that for debt; of which we have no accountin the law of
Moses.

(g) Misn. Sanhedrim, c. 1. sect. 1.((h) T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 95. 2.((i)
Maimof. Hilch. Sanhedrim, c. 6. sect. 7.
Geneva Study Bible
{p} 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 castinto prison.
(p) Remove all cause for enmity.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 5:25 f. The precept, to be reconciledwith the injured person in order
not to be castinto hell by God the judge, is made clearby the prudential
doctrine of satisfying a creditor in order not to become liable to
imprisonment. To abide merely by the prudential doctrine itself which the
words convey (Theophylact, Vatablus, and others, including Paulus), is
opposedto the context (Matthew 5:21-24);to take the φυλακή, however, as the
representationof purgatory (many Catholics, not Schegg), orof Sheol(not
Gehenna)(Olshausen), is forbidden by the idea of the judgment which also
excludes the vague and indefinite “transference ofthat which is destructive
for the external life to that which is destructive in a higher sense” (de Wette).
Luke 12:58 has the preceptin quite a different connection;but this does not
justify us in not regarding it in the present passageas belonging to it (Pott,
Kuinoel, Neander, Bleek, Holtzmann, Weiss, and others), since it may be given
here and there as a popular symbolical proverb; while preciselyhere it is most
clearly and simply appropriate to the connection.
εὐνοῶν] be welldisposed—thatis, inclined to satisfy him by making payment
or composition.

τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου]The opponent (in a lawsuit) is to be conceivedofas a
creditor (Matthew 5:26). The injured brother is intended; comp. Matthew
5:23. Explanations of the Fathers referring it to the devil (Clement of
Alexandria), to God (Augustine), to the conscience(Euth. Zigabenus), see in
Tholuck.
ταχύ]without delay, without putting off, Matthew 28:7 f.; John 11:29;
Revelation2:16. “Tarda est superbia cordis ad deprecandum et
satisfaciendum,” Bengel.
ἕως ὅτου]If by ταχύ it was intimated that the compliance should begin
without delay, so it is now stated that it shall remain till the extreme
termination: even until thou art with him on the road to the judge—even then
still shalt thou yield compliance. Notof itself (in answerto Tittmann, Synon.
p. 167), but, in virtue of the context, is ἕως the inclusive “until,” as according
to the context it may also be exclusive (comp. on the passage, Matthew 1:25).
The servant of justice (ὑπηρέτης) belongs to the representative of the legal
act; and who is meant thereby, is evident from Matthew 13:41 f.
βληθήσῃ] The future, which might be dependent on μήποτε (Winer, p. 468 f.
[E. T. 629];Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 201 [E. T. 233];see on the passage,
Colossians 2:8), takenindependently, gives the appropriate emphasis to the
tragic closing act.
In Matthew 5:26 is by no means containedthe finality of the condition of
punishment, but its non-finality; since the ἀποδιδόναι,that is, the removal of
the guilt of sin, is for him who is in this φυλακή an impossibility, Matthew

18:34, Matthew 25:41; Matthew 25:46, etc. ἕως states, then, a terminus which
is never reached. Comp. Matthew 18:34.
The quadrans is ¼ As in copper, or 2 λεπτά, ¾ of a farthing (Mark 12:42);see
an the Roman coins in circulation amongstthe Jews, Cavedoni, bibl.
Numismat. I. p. 78 ff.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 5:25-26. There is much more reasonfor regarding this passageas an
interpolation. It is connectedonly externally (by the referencesto courts of
law) with what goes before, and it is out of keeping with the generaldrift of
the teaching on the hill. It occurs in a different connectionin Luke 12:58,
there as a solemn warning to the Jewishpeople, on its wayto judgment, to
repent. Meyer pleads that the logionmight be repeated. It might, but only on
suitable occasions,and the teaching on the hill does not seem to offer such an
occasion. Kuinoel, Bleek, Holtzmann, Weiss and others regardthe words as
foreign to the connection. Referring to the exposition in Luke, I offer here
only a few verbal notes mainly on points in which Matthew differs from
Luke.—ἴσθι εὐνοῶν, be in a conciliatorymood, ready to come to terms with
your opponent in a legalprocess (ἀντίδικος). It is a case ofdebt, and the two,
creditor and debtor, are on the wayto the court where they must appear
together(Deuteronomy 21:18;Deuteronomy 25:1). Matthew’s expression
implies willingness to come to terms amicably on the creditor’s part, and the
debtor is exhorted to meet him half way. Luke’s δὸς ἐργασίανthrows the
willingness on the other side, or at leastimplies that the debtor will need to
make an effort to bring the creditor to terms.—παραδῷ, a much milder word
than Luke’s κατασύρῃ, whichpoints to rough, rude handling, dragging an
unwilling debtor along whither he would rather not go.—ὑπηρέτῃ,the officer
of the court whose business it was to collectthe debt and generally to carry
out the decisionof the judge; in Luke πράκτωρ.—κοδράντην= quadrans, less
than a farthing. Luke has λεπτὸν, half the value of a κοδ., thereby
strengthening the statement that the imprisoned debtor will not escape till he
has paid all he owes.

Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
25. Agree] Lit. be friendly with. The participle in the orig. conveys the idea of
continuance. The thought of the preceding verse is extended and generalised.
By the “adversary” are meant those againstwhom we harbour that
resentment which keeps us from the kingdom of God. “While there is time in
this life put awaythe resentment. Show thyself to be a sonof Godby being a
peacemaker.”Matthew 5:9.
The imagery is takenfrom the law-courts. It would be well for a man to
compound with his creditor before the case should be brought before the
judge.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 5:25. Ἴσθι εὐνοῶν, be friendly) Seek kindly feeling by showing it
yourself.—τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ, with the adversary) to whom you owe money.—Cf.
Matthew 5:26. The language is parabolical, it applies principally to an
adversary who entertains grave animosity even beyond death.—ταχὺ, quickly)
The pride of the human heart is slow in deprecationand satisfaction.—ἐντῇ
ὁδῷ, in the way) sc. to the tribunal.—μετʼ αὐτοῦ, with him) The plaintiff used
himself to apprehend the defendant.—σε παραδῷ, deliver thee) Greatis the
powerof the adversary. God, as Judge, prosecutes the demand of him who
pleads for justice.—φυλακὴν, ward)where thou thy whole selfwilt be the
pledge of payment for the debt.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 25, 26. - Parallelpassage:Luke 12:58, 59. The question of the relation
of the two passages, as regards bothlanguage and originalconnexion, is
exceedinglydifficult. As to the former, the verbal differences seemto be such
as would hardly have been made on purpose, and to be rather due to memory;
yet the agreementis too minute to be the result of memory of a Gospelonly
oral. Perhaps memory of a document best satisfies the conditions. As to the
original connexion of the verses, they, especiallyver. 26, canhardly have been
spokentwice. Mostcritics suppose that St. Luke gives them in their proper

context; but if so, it is curious that two of his words, ὑπάγεις ἀπήλλαχθαι,
seemto recall our preceding ver. 24. One word might have been a mere
coincidence, but hardly two. It is not likely that these words in ver. 24 were
derived from Luke, for this supposes a double process in St. Matthew's mind,
rejecting them from ver. 25 and placing them in ver. 24. It is more natural
also to regard the first clause of Luke 12:58, "As... him," as an expansion of
the corresponding clause in our ver. 25 rather than this as a compressionof
that. This apparent reminiscence in Luke of what is given in our vers. 24 and
25a points to the connexion of vers. 24-26 in Matthew being original, and to it
having been brokenby Luke or by the framer of the source that he used. A
further stage in our Lord's warning. A man must not only seek reconciliation
with the injured person (ver. 23), and that in preference to fulfilling the holiest
service (ver. 24), but he must do so the more because ofthe dangerof
postponing reconciliation. It is noteworthy that our Lord in this verse does not
define on whose side the cause ofthe quarrel lies. Verse 25. - Agree with. And
that not with a merely formal reconciliation, but reconciliationbasedon a
permanent kindly feeling towards him (ἴσθι εὐνοῶν). ProfessorMargoliouth
suggeststhat this is a confirmation of what he thinks is the original text of
Ecclus. 18:20, "Beforejudgment beg off" ('Inaugural Lect.,'p. 23: 1890).
Thine adversary. Primarily the injured brother (vide infra), Quickly. For such
is not the tendency of the human heart. Whiles. Delay not in making
reconciliationwhile you have opportunity. Thayer compares Song of Solomon
1:12. Thou art. On the indicative, cf. Winer, § 41. b, 3. 2, a, note (p. 371, trans.
1870). In the way with him; RevisedVersion, with the manuscripts, with him
in the way. The right reading implies that the proximity of the persons may
perhaps not lastthroughout "the way." "The way" is the road to the judge, as
explained in -Luke. But being on the road to him is here not presented as a
possibility (Luke), but as a certainty. Forso, in fact, it is. Lest... the adversary
(ver. 26, note) deliver thee. Translating from the language of parable to that of
fact, it is only if reconciliationhas not been made, if the heart is still
unforgiving and quarrelsome, that God the Judge will take notice of the
offence. And the judge... to the officer(τῷ ὐπηρέτῃ);i.e. the officer whose
duty it was to execute the judge's commands (cf. Lightfoot, 'Hor. Hebr.,' for
illustrations). The expressionhere belongs to the figure; but in Matthew 13:41
similar duties are predicatedof the angels. If the figure was derived from the

synagogue, the officerwould doubtless be the chazzan, of which, indeed,
ὑπηρέτης is the technicalrendering (cf. Schurer, II. 2. p. 66). And thou be cast
(καὶ βληθήσῃ). The future indicative (still dependent on "lest")brings out the
reality of the danger (cf. Bishop Lightfoot, on Colossians2:8).
Vincent's Word Studies
Agree with (ἴσθι εὐνοῶν)
Lit., be well-minded toward; inclined to satisfy by paying or compromising.
Wyc., Be thou consenting to.
Officer (ὑπηρέτῃ)
Denoting a subordinate official, as a herald or an orderly, and in this sense
applied to Mark as the "minister" or attendant of Paul and Barnabas (Acts
13:5). It furnishes an interesting instance of the expansion of a word from a
limited and specialmeaning into a more generalone; and also of the influence
of the Gospelin lifting words into higher and purer associations. Formedwith
the verb ἐρέσσω, to row, it originally signified a rower, as distinguished from
a soldier, in a war-galley. This word for a galley-slave comesatlast, in the
hands of Luke and Paul, to stand for the noblest of all offices, that of a
minister of the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:2; Acts 26:16; 1 Corinthians 4:1).
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has something againstyou, (NASB:
Lockman)
Greek:eanoun prospheres (2SPAS)to doron souepi to thusiasterion kakei
mnesthes (2SAPS)oti o adelphos sou echei(3SPAI) ti kata sou,
Amplified: So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there
remember that your brother has any [grievance]againstyou (Amplified Bible
- Lockman)
KJV: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberestthat
thy brother hath ought againstthee;
NLT: "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a
sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something
againstyou (NLT - Tyndale House)
Philips: So that if, while you are offering your gift at the altar, you should
remember that your brother has something againstyou, you must leave your
gift there before the altar and go away. (New Testamentin Modern English)
Wuest: Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar of whole burnt-offerings
and there you remember that your brother has something againstyou (
Wuest: Expanded Translation: Eerdmans
)

Young's Literal: 'If, therefore, thou mayest bring thy gift to the altar, and
there mayest remember that thy brother hath anything againstthee,
THEREFOREIF YOU ARE PRESENTING YOUR OFFERING AT THE
ALTAR: ean oun prospheres (2SPAS)to doron sou epi to thusiasterion
Mt 8:4; 23:19; Dt 16:16,17;1Sal15:22;Isa 1:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17;Ho
6:6; Amos 5:21, 22, 23, 24
Therefore - Always take a moment to pause and ponder and query this term
of conclusion.
Charles Simeon - THE explanation which our Lord has given us of the sixth
commandment, shews, that we are not to confine the import of the
commandments to the mere letter of them, but to regard them as extending to
the words of our lips, and the dispositions of our hearts. Nor must we imagine
that they are intended solelyto prohibit sin: they must be understood as
inculcating all those virtues which are opposedto the sin forbidden. This is
evident from the connexion in which our text stands with the preceding
context. Our blessedLord had declared, that a wrathful word was in fact a
species anddegree of murder: and from thence he takes occasionto inculcate
the necessityof exercising in every respecta spirit of love, so as, not only to
entertain no angerin one’s own heart againstothers, but so as not to leave
room for the exercise ofit in the hearts of others towards us. The direction
which he gives us respecting it will leadus to shew, I. The duty of seeking
reconciliationwith men— Wild beasts are scarcelymore prone to injure their
own species, thanman is to oppress and injure his fellow-man. Indeed,
considering what tempers we have, and what tempers exist in others, and
what frequent occasions ofinterference with eachother must of necessity
arise, it would be a miracle if any of us had so conductedhimself on all
occasions,that no brother should on any account“have ought againsthim.”
We apprehend that no one who knows any thing of his own heart, would

profess himself so perfect, as never to have done towards another any thing
differently from what he would have wishedto be done towards himself.
Supposing then that “a brother have ought againstus,” what is to be done? I
answer, 1. We should be willing to see our fault...2. We should be ready to ask
pardon for it...3. We should be desirous to make reparationfor it....Suchis
our duty towards an offended brother. (Readthe entire sermon - Matthew
5:23-24 The Necessityof Seeking Reconciliationwith Men)
The setting is worship in the Temple in Jerusalem(or church in our day).
Here are Hebrew word studies related to the various Temple offerings...
Burnt offering (05930)'olah
Contribution (offering, heave offering) (08541)terumah
Freewilloffering (05071)nedabah
Grain offering (offering) (04503)minchah
Guilt Offering (Trespass offering)(0817)asam
Offering (07133)qorban/korban
Offering (grain offering) (04503)minchah
Offering by fire (0801)ishsheh
Ordination (setting, offering)(04394)millu
Peace offerings (08002)selem/shelem
Perfect(whole, whole burnt offering) (03632)kalil
Sin (sin offering) (02403)chattat/chattath
Wave offering (08573)tenupah

Offering (1435)(prosphero from prós = to, toward+ phéro = bring - cf related
word phosphora see Offering, Offerings) means to carry or bring something
into the presence of someone usually implying a transfer of something to that
person. Here it refers to an offering that can include gifts, prayers, or
sacrifices.
Prosphero - 47xin 45v - Mt 2:11; 4:24; 5:23f; 8:4, 16; 9:2, 32; 12:22;14:35;
17:16;18:24; 19:13;22:19; 25:20;Mk 1:44; 2:4; 10:13;Luke 5:14; 18:15;
23:14, 36; John 16:2; 19:29;Acts 7:42; 8:18; 21:26; Heb 5:1, 3, 7; 8:3f; 9:7, 9,
14, 25, 28; 10:1f, 8, 11f; 11:4, 17; 12:7. renders prosphero = bringing to(3),
brought(2), brought to(8), brought up to(1), deals with(1), getto(1),make an
offering(1), offer(8), offered(12), offering(4), offers(1), present(2),
presented(1), presenting(1).
BakerEvangelicalDictionaryOfferings and Sacrifices
Holman Bible Dictionary Sacrifice and Offering
Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Sacrifice and Offering
Morrish Bible Dictionary Burnt Offering or Sacrifice
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Daily Offering or Sacrifice
Altar (2379)(thusiasterionfrom thusia = that which is offeredas a sacrifice -
see Altar) refers to any type of altar or objectwhere gifts may be placedand
ritual observances carriedout in honor of supernatural beings.
The majority of the uses of thusiasterionrefer to literal altars - (1) the altar of
burnt offering of court of tabernacle or temple (Heb 7:13, (2) the altar of
incense before the Holy of holies (Lk 1:11) and (3) the (golden) altar in heaven
(Rev 8:3, 5, 9:13, 14:18, 16:7).

In the NT thusiasterion is employed to refer to a number of different types of
altars, including the altar for burnt offerings in the Temple, the altar of
incense, the altar which Abraham built, and the heavenly altar mentioned in
the book of Revelation.
Wikipedia - Altars (Hebrew: ‫,חבזמ‬ mizbe'ah, "a place of slaughter or
sacrifice")in the Hebrew Bible were typically made of earth or unwrought
stone. Altars were generally erectedin conspicuous places.The first altar
recordedin the Hebrew Bible is that erectedby Noah.Altars were erectedby
Abraham, by Isaac, by Jacob,andby Moses, (Adonai-nissi).
See the Hebrew word study on mizbeah a masculine noun that is frequent in
the OT (338x) and describes the place of sacrifice where offerings were made
to a deity. The first use in Ge 8:20 describes the altar built by Noahas his first
act after he survived the flood. Abraham is associatedwith an altar in Ge
12:7,8;13:4, 18;Ge 22:9. Not surprisingly the majority of OT occurrencesare
in Leviticus (88xin 72vand Exodus is not far behind - 61x in 53v). The first
offering by Cain and Abel does not mention a specific altar (Ge 4:3). "In the
developed temple ritual, the same word (mizbeah) is used for both the altar of
holocausts andthe altar of incense. Thus, an altar is a place where sacrifice is
offered, even if it is not an event involving slaughter." (Thomas W Davis)
After the theophany on Mount Sinai, in the Tabernacle—andafterwards in
the Temple—onlytwo altars were used: the Altar of Burnt Offering, and the
Altar of Incense.
RelatedResources:
American Tract SocietyAltar

BridgewayBible Dictionary Altar
BakerEvangelicalDictionaryHorns of Altar Altar
Charles Buck Dictionary Altar
Easton's Bible Dictionary Altar
FaussetBible Dictionary Altar
Holman Bible Dictionary Altar Incense Altar
Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Incense, Altar of Altar
Hastings'Dictionary of the NT Altar Altar
Torrey TopicalTextbook Altars Altar of Burnt-Offering, the Altar of Incense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Altar Horns of the Altar
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Altar Altars forms of
The JewishEncyclopedia Altar
Thusiasterion- 23xin 21v - see all uses below.
In the present context"the altar" refers to the one in the inner court of the
Temple in Jerusalem. There amidst a background of solemnworship, the
worshiper experiences recollectionof a brother with something againsthim
(see Mark 11:25) and Jesus says this should prompt immediate efforts to be
reconciledfor only then is formal worship acceptable.
THOUGHT - One wonders how many in church eachSunday would be well
advised to pay heed to Jesus'instruction in this passage? Whatwould our
worship services look like if this principle were diligently practiced(under
grace not law)? How brightly would the light of Christ's life in us through His
Spirit shine into the darkness ofthe unregenerate world if brothers and sisters
were diligent to practice this principle of personalreconciliation!One is

reminded of the words of Tertullian who preserved the amazing pagan
observationof the Christians, “Look...howthey love one another; and how
they are ready to die for eachother.” Is that what the lost world says about
your church?
The principle is obedience begets genuine worship as Samuel recordedin his
address to the disobedient King Saul who had offered to the Lord sacrifices
that were to have been destroyed...
And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, andto heed than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
In Psalm 51 apparently motivated by David's sins of adultery and murder
records a similar train of thought...
For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise Iwould give it; Thou art not
pleasedwith burnt offering. The sacrificesofGod are a brokenspirit; A
broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. (Psalm51:16-17 -
See comments)
Spurgeonon verse 17 - The sacrifices ofGodare a broken spirit. All sacrifices
are presentedto thee in one, by the man whose brokenheart presents the
Saviour's merit to thee. When the heart mourns for sin, thou art better
pleasedthan when the bullock bleeds beneath the axe. "A broken heart" is an
expressionimplying deep sorrow, embittering the very life; it carries in it the
idea of all but killing anguish in that regionwhich is so vital as to be the very
source of life. So excellent is a spirit humbled and mourning for sin, that it is
not only a sacrifice, but it has a plurality of excellences, andis preeminently

God's sacrifices. Abroken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
A heart crushed is a fragrant heart. Men contemn those who are contemptible
in their own eyes, but the Lord seethnot as man seeth. He despises whatmen
esteem, and values that which they despise. Neveryet has God spurned a
lowly, weeping penitent, and never will he while God is love, and while Jesus is
calledthe man who receivethsinners. Bullocks and rams he desires not, but
contrite hearts he seeksafter;yea, but one of them is better to him than all the
varied offerings of the old Jewishsanctuary.
THOUGHT - How are you doing in this area? Is your worship perfunctory?
hypocritical? devoid of obedience and a brokenness overyour sin? Below are
a few devotionalthoughts to help you searchyour heart with the Spirit's
omnipotent assistance:
MAN TO MAN RECONCILIATION - THE STRAIGHT STORY- Watch
this true story (IT GETS 8/10 STARS!). "The Straight Story" chronicles a
trip made by 73-year-oldAlvin Straight from Laurens, Iowa, to Mt. Zion,
Wis., in 1994 while riding a lawn mower. The man undertook his strange
journey to mend his relationship with his ill, estranged, 75-year-oldbrother
Lyle.
Our Daily Bread Devotional - GOING STRAIGHT - How far would you
travel to put things right with a brother who hadn’t spokento you in 10
years? Would you go 300 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin? On a riding lawn
mower? Unable to drive a car and despising bus travel, Alvin Straight did
exactly that in the intriguing film The Straight Story (watchit on youtube). It
is the true-life drama of a 73-year-oldman who decided it was time to end the
silence, stopthe hating, and break down the wall of angerhe and his brother
had built betweenthem. As I watchedthe film in a packedtheater, where the
audience was silent from beginning to end, I thought of all the broken
relationships that must have surfacedin the minds of people sitting there in

the darkness. Ialso pondered the words of Jesus aboutsetting things right
with those from whom we’ve been estranged. He said, “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
reconciledto your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-
24). Is there a relative, a friend, or a brother in Christ with whom you need to
make things right? Then why not go straight to that person and do it today?
Lord, let me feelthe pain of a wounded soul
And seek to heal that wounded one I pray;
Yes, I would take the reconciling role,
And bring an end to pain and strife today.
—Hess
An offense againstyour neighbor builds a fence betweenyou and God.
SPIRITUAL CLEANSING - Read:Exodus 30:17-21 |Cleanse your hands, you
sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. —James 4:8
Plutonium, a naturally radioactive element, is one of the deadliestsubstances
known to man. Its radiation can make normal cells cancerous.Forthat
reason, it was headline news a number of years ago when two scientists from
the University of California announced they had found a substance that could
remove plutonium from living tissue.
Today, man is rightly concernedabout the importance of decontamination.
But long ago, Godshowedmankind the more criticalneed for spiritual

cleansing. This is seenin that wonderful “house of symbols” known as the
tabernacle. Betweenthe bronze altar of sacrifice and the “tabernacle of
meeting” was a bronze washbasinwhere the priest of God cleansedhis hands
and his feet before going into the holy place (Ex. 30:17-21). Bronze symbolizes
judgment. Germs were not the issue—sinwas. Godwas teaching His people
that after He had provided a sacrifice at the altar, a continual self-judging and
cleansing from personal defilement was necessary.
This principle still applies today. Only the cleansedpersoncan move into the
“holy place” of worship, fellowship, and service. Since believers are priests
(Rev. 1:6), we must be careful to washour hands and our hearts daily.
Searchme, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wickedway in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and setme free. —Orr
The road to worship begins at the cross.
THOUGHT - Is there any "spiritual plutonium" in your life which has
resulted in estrangementfrom another human soul, be they spouse or
stranger? First, "wash" offyour "spiritual radioactivity" in the blood of the
Lamb (1 John 1:7), confessing your toxic sins to your Father (1 John 1:9).
Then reconcile your irreconcilable differences with the one (or ones)with
whom you are estranged. Thenwalk forth filled with the Spirit of Jesus our
greatReconcilerand seek reconciliationas much as it is possible with you.
Beloved, when we begin to fathom the infinite distance that Jesus "walked" to
cleanse us for our toxic, deadly sins and effectour eternal
RECONCILIATION with His Father, how canwe not walk across the room,

across the street, or across the land to reconcile with our those with whom we
are at active enmity? Or even ride a lawnmowertractor hundreds of miles to
mend a broken fence (as did Alvin Straight in the The Straight Story)!
What's your excuse? Pride? Stubbornness? An unforgiving spirit? Deep
seatedbitterness? You need to "geton your lawn tractor" today and make the
trip to mend that fence!
EIGHT COWS ON THE ALTAR - PastorEd Dobsonwas speaking to a
congregationon “putting all on the altar” in total surrender to Christ. After
the service, anold German farmer came forward. He told Dobsonthat he had
eight cows that were dying, which would mean greatfinancial loss, and he had
been struggling with accepting this as God’s will. Then he said, “Becauseof
your message, I have found peace. TonightI put them all on the altar.”
Christ’s lordship touches every area, every relationship, every concernof our
lives. If we are willing to submit to Him, any loss in life will be seenas an
opportunity of giving back to God what is rightfully His and trusting Him to
provide what is needed. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac,He
seemedto be undermining His own purposes. Isaac was the sonof promise
through whom God would bless the world. Yet Abraham’s faith had grown
strong overthe years, and baffled though he must have been, he said, “God
will provide for Himself the lamb” (Genesis 22:8). The issue is the same for us.
Can we entrust everything to God—our possessions, job, health, family? If we
commit ourselves to Him eachday and thank Him for every blessing, our
confidence in Him will survive any test.
You have longedfor sweetpeace andfor faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blest
Until all on the altar is laid. —Hoffman

Submission to God means taking our hands off what belongs to Him.
I would add, cleansing our hands of everything that offends Him, such as
unforgiveness or bitterness!
KEEP THE FIRE BURNING - Modern furnaces have takenthe work out of
keeping warm in coldclimates. We simply set the timer on the thermostat,
and the house is warm when we getup in the morning. But in former days,
fire was carefully tended and fuel supplies were closelymonitored. Running
out could be deadly. The same is true spiritually. If we think our “spiritual
fire” can be ignited as easilyas a modern furnace, we risk losing our fervor
for the Lord. In ancient Israel, the priests were instructed not to let the fire on
the altar go out (Lev. 6:9,12-13). This required a lot of work, not the leastof
which was collecting firewoodin a land not knownfor its dense forests. Some
scholars see the fire on the altar as a symbol for the flame of our devotion for
the Lord. Spiritual passionis not something to be treated lightly or takenfor
granted. It will grow coldif we fail to keepit supplied with fuel. The apostle
Paul addressedthe subject of spiritual fervor in his letter to the Romans 12:1-
2,11. To keepthe fire of our devotion burning strong, we must continue the
hard work of stocking our fuel supply with hope, patience, steadfastprayer,
generosity, hospitality, and humility (Ro 12:11-16).
O God, my heart is the altar
And my love for you is the flame;
I’ll keepthe fire burning for You, Lord,
And I will rejoice in Your name. —Hess
Our love for Jesus is the key to spiritual passion.

And I would add that our love for Jesus, our greatReconciler, should serve as
a strong motivator for us (enabled by His Spirit) to reconcile our differences
with those with whom we are estranged, whetherthey be spouses, children,
relatives, co-workers, etc!
TIME FOR A CHANGE - There he built an altar to the Lord and called on
the name of the Lord. —Genesis 12:8
Many believers long to spend daily time with God, praying and reading His
Word. Yet, we are often distractedby a busy schedule. Frustrations mount as
busyness seems to crowdout an opening in our schedules.
Popular Bible teacherOswaldChambers once wisely commented on the
powerof even 5 minutes in the presence of the Lord. Indeed, even a short time
spent in prayer and the Word still has greatvalue: “It is not the thing on
which we spend the most time that moulds us, but the thing that exerts the
greatestpower. Five minutes with God and His Word is worth more than all
the restof the day.” Now, it may sound like Chambers has made an
overstatement. Yet powerful results can come from even a short time of
prayer because Godis powerful. Sometimes our days are filled with busy
demands that crowd out time spent in listening to and responding to God. But
no matter where we are, any time takento build our own spiritual “altar” to
the Lord as Abram did (Gen. 12:8) opens the door to His transforming power.
If you are having trouble finding time with God, you could start with just 5
minutes and see where it leads. Our God longs to meet with us and show His
powerin our lives. - Dennis Fisher
TALK WITH GOD—HE WANTS TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU.
But remember that in order to enjoy perfect communion with Him, make sure
you are at amity not enmity with others, be they near or far away!

AS IT IS WRITTEN - Read:Ezra 3:1-6 | [They] built the altar . . . to offer
burnt offerings on it, as it is written. —Ezra 3:2
When it comes to putting things together—electronics, furniture, and the
like—my son and I have differing approaches. Steve is more mechanically
inclined, so he tends to toss the instructions aside and just start in. Meanwhile,
I’m poring over the “ReadThis Before Starting” warning while he has
already put the thing halfway together. Sometimes we can getby without the
instructions. But when it comes to putting togethera life that reflects the
goodness andwisdom of God, we can’t afford to ignore the directions He’s
given to us in the Bible. Jesus shows us the way to live. The Israelites who had
returned to their land after the Babylonian captivity are a goodexample of
this. As they beganto reestablishworship in their homeland, they prepared to
do so “in accordancewith what is written in the Law of Moses”(Ezra 3:2). By
building a proper altar and in celebrating the Feastof Tabernaclesas
prescribed by God in Leviticus 23:33-43, theydid exactly what God’s
directions told them to do.
Christ gave His followers some directions too. He said, “Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your souland with all your mind.” And
“love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39). Whenwe believe in Him
and come to Him, He shows us the wayto live. The One who made us knows
far better than we do how life is supposed to work. Remind us, Lord, as we
start eachday that You have already shown us by Your example how to live.
Help us to read Your Word and follow the directions You so graciously
provide for us.
If we want God to lead us, we must be willing to follow Him.

THOUGHT - And we must be willing to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS
OURSELVES which may mean we need to initiate RECONCILIATION with
our neighbor (Greek = plesion which literally means near, quite near, nearby
= position quite close to another position. Figuratively, plesion means to be
near someone). Is there someone who used to be NEAR TO but are now FAR
FROM because of"irreconcilable differences"(man's viewpoint, not God's!)?
Then ask God to enable you by His Spirit's giving you the desire and the
powerto "mend the fence" for the glory of God. Amen!
AND THERE REMEMBERTHAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING
AGAINST YOU
Ge 41:9; 42:21,22;50:15, 16, 17;Lv 6:2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 1Ki 2:44; Lam 3:20; Ezek
16:63;Lk 19:8
Remember ( (3415)(mnaomai - see more detail below)means to recall
information from memory. Paul uses the perfect tense which emphasizes the
continuing state. Timothy is always remembered by Paul!
Why would one "remember"? Undoubtedly the convicting ministry of the
Holy Spirit plays the key roll in prompting such a recall. And when you
remember acton that truth. Don’t waitfor your angry brother or sister to
take the first step. You take it, and take it quickly before things getworse!
Brother (80) (adelphos from a = denoting unity + delphus = womb) refers to
one from the same womb, and in this case is used by Jesus more generallyto
refer to one of the same nature, for all men are born into Adam. So here Jesus
refers to a fellow man as a brother

Jesus is calling for the offender to take the initiative in this process. Thatis,
even if we hold nothing againsthim, if he is angry with or hates us, we should
do everything in our power to be reconciledto him. We might have expected
Jesus to focus primarily on the offended party, since they are the most likely
to feel angertowards another. Instead, in these verses it is the offender who
initiates the process ofreconciliation. Elsewhere Jesus urges the offended
party to make the first move (Mt 18:15). Both share an obligationto work for
resolution when there has been a conflict. Ideally, the two would meet en route
to one another and settle their differences “onthe way.”
How important is it to deal with enmity, disagreements, animosity, or anger?
Reconciliationis so important that it takes priority over everything else. It
even takes precedenceoverworship. God would rather see us resolve our
differences than receive our offerings!
THOUGHT - Let's get practicalfor a moment. Do you know someone who is
angry with you? Is there someone who has offended you? How canyou take
the initiative in eachcase to reconcile with that person? Before attempting to
reconcile, take some time to think through your strategy. For example,
reconciliationmay be better attempted face to face rather than over the
phone. You may even want to write out what you will sayin advance. Note
that there is no way to guarantee how the other personwill respond, but you
can be certain of God’s help as you “make every effort” to be at peace with all
men.
Luke gives us an excellentexample of a new citizen of the Kingdom of heaven
who put this into practice "And Zaccheus (a chief tax gatherer)stopped and
said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions Iwill give to the poor,
and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as
much." And Jesus saidto him, "Todaysalvationhas come to this house,

because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Sonof Man has come to seek
and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:8-10)
The Preacher's Commentaryhas the following illustration of reconciliation
(albeit it deals with angerin the one who remembers) "At a communion
service in the South Pacific Islands, a man kneeling at the altar to receive the
emblems suddenly gotup and moved to the back of the auditorium with an
agitatedexpression. Later he rejoined the communicants and participated in
the sacrament. Whenasked, following the service, about his action, he
revealedthat he had seenthe man kneeling at the other end of the altar rail
who had killed his father. He was so angry in his spirit that he could not
partake of the emblems until God enabled him to experience a forgiving spirit.
Just so, Jesus elevatesreconciliationwith one’s brother to a greater
importance than religious rites. And the ministry of reconciliationwas
ultimately expressedby the Masterwho, while we were enemies, died for us.
(Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. Vol. 24:The Preacher's Commentary
Series, Volume 24: Matthew. Nashville, Tennessee:Thomas NelsonInc) (Ed
note: see the serious warning regarding taking communion in an unworthy
manner in 1Cor11:27-34 )
Today in the Word has the following devotional on Jesus'teaching in Mt 5:23-
24...
Writer Shannon Woodwardrelates this recent experience in a bookstore. A
little boy came running into the store and rushed up to his father who was
calmly browsing the children's books. The boy had a request to make, but
before he could finish, his father exploded and angrily told him to go back to
the family van. A few minutes later an older girl came into the store and tried
to talk to the father. But in a voice that turned every head in the store, he
screamedat her to go outside and stay put. As the girl left red-faced, the man
calmly resumed his browsing.

Woodwardwatchedsadly, amazed at the way this father erupted with anger
and then browsedas if nothing had happened. Such scenes are painful to
witness, yet if we are honest with ourselves we would admit this is often the
way we approach our worship of God.
We may come into God's presence, readyto worship Him, yet we come
knowing that things are not right ""outside,""where family or friends are
feeling the effects of our disrupted relationships with them.
God wants us to remove this hindrance before we bring Him our praise and
our gifts--a necessarystep of preparation for worship that Jesus addressedin
the Sermonon the Mount... Applying this to our worship, Jesus turned the
situation around from what we might expect(Matt. 5). The problem here is
not what others have done to offend us, but what we might have done to cause
offense to a brother or a sister.
Why did Jesus state the case this way? Probably because we are a lot quicker
to forget our own offenses than we are to forget the offenses otherpeople
commit againstus. The altar Jesus was talking about was locatedin the inner
portion of the temple, where solemn worship took place (v. 23)
Remember (3415)(mnaomai)means to recallto mind, to recollect, to
remember, to come (or have) to one's remembrance.
Mnaomairefers primarily to people remembering as an act of mental recall
(e.g., Mt 5:23; 27:63; Lk 16:25; Jn 2:17, 22;Acts 11:16; 2Ti1: 4; 2Pe 3:2;
Jude 1:17).

Some uses of mnaomai conveythe idea of “be mindful of,” with a view to
acting in a certainway. The penitent thief on the cross, forexample, pleads for
Christ to remember him in paradise (Lk 23:42, cp Lxx us Ps 106:4). In other
words, the idea is to recallor be aware ofinformation, and as a result to
respond in an appropriate manner (e.g., punishing = Rev 16:19, helping = Ge
8:1, Ge 30:22, Heb 13:3, etc) depending on context.
To remember means to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind.
To recall information from memory, but without necessarilyan implication
that one has actually forgotten.
In Ps 143:5 we see remember is associatedwith meditation. It is difficult to
meditate on what one does not remember.
Renn - When predicatedof God, mnaomai mnaomai refers to divine
remembering in the anthropomorphic sense of initiating an aspectof his
redemptive purposes. Lk 1:54 speaks ofGod “remembering” to be merciful
(cf. also Acts 10:31).Lk 1:72 affirms that God will remember his covenant.
Heb. 8:12; 10:17 promise that God will remember the sins of his people no
more. God is said to remember Babylon in Rev. 16:19, with a view to
punishing her for her sins. (Expository Dictionary)
Gary Hill makes an interesting observationbasedon the fact that all of the
uses of mnaomai are in the middle voice (the subject initiates the action and
participates the the process orresults) - "The high level of personal
involvement and personalinterest motivating this remembering accounts for
why it is always in the middle voice." (The DiscoveryBible).

Many of the uses of mnaomai in the Septuagint are very instructive and
encouraging as they speak of God remembering His covenant(see uses at the
end of this note), remembering individuals (Noah, Abraham, Rachel), and
remembering His ChosenPeople. Perhaps you are in time of doubting God's
goodness andHis remembrance of you, especiallyif you are experiencing
difficult circumstances. If so, let me strongly recommend prayerfully
pondering some of the uses of mnaomai, especiallythose in the Septuagint. In
Nu 15:39-40 Godinstructs His people to use the tassels ontheir garments to
aid their remembering the commandments so that they might keepthem.
The lastwords of the godly leaderNehemiah were a prayer - "Remember
(Lxx = mnaomai) me, O my God, for good." (Neh13:31)
In the Septuagint and in the NT in Heb 8:12, 10:17 (see note below) mnaomai
can conveythe idea of not remembering someone’s sins or to let someone’s
sins go unpunished - Ps 25:7; 79:8; Is 43:25;Heb 8:12; 10:17 (both quoting
from Jer 31:34 where in the New CovenantJehovah says to Israel"their sin I
will remember no more.")
It is interesting to note that the Greek wordfor "tomb" (Acts 13:29)is
mnēmeíon (3419)which is derived from mnáomai and thus a tomb is a
memorial, sepulcher or monument (something set up so that a departed one is
remembered)
Websteron remember - to bring to mind or think of again, to keepin mind
for attention or consideration. We are saidto remember any thing, when the
idea of it arises in the mind with the consciousnessthatwe have had this idea
before.

BDAG (summary) - 1. to recall information from memory = remember,
recollect, remind oneself2. to think of and call attention to something or
someone = to make mention of someone (Acts 10:31, Rev 16:19) 3. give careful
considerationto = to remember, think of, care for, be concernedabout, keep
in mind (Ge 30:22, Lk 23:42, Heb 2:6, 13:3
Friberg on mnaomai - 1) reflexively; (a) of recollectionremember, call to
mind, think about again (Heb 10.17);(b) of solicitous concernbe mindful of,
think of, care for (Lk 23.42);(2) passive be mentioned, be noticed(Acts 10.31);
the perfectpassive has a derived meaning have been reminded equivalent to
remember (2Ti1.4) (Analytical Lexicon)
Liddell-Scott state that the primary meaning of Mnaomai in classical
literature is “to be mindful of, to turn one’s mind to a thing.” After Homer the
term was used to describe one’s pursuit for appointment to an office or
solicitationof a favor. So, when a young man turned his mind to seeking a
bride, mnaomai described the courtship process.
Mnaomai- 21x in 21v - Usage:recall(1), remember(12), remembered(8),
rememberest(1), remembrance (m)(1).
Matthew 5:23 "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has something againstyou,
Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said,
"Before a cock crows,you will deny Me three times." And he went out and
wept bitterly.

Matthew 27:63 and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that
deceiversaid, 'After three days I am to rise again.'
Luke 1:54 "He has given help to IsraelHis servant, In remembrance of His
mercy,
Luke 1:72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy
covenant,
Luke 16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you
receivedyour goodthings, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is
being comforted here, and you are in agony.
Comment: What a horrible remembrance it will be for those who are
separatedeternally from the glorious presence of the Holy One! To have such
memories eternally is simply unfathomable to me (although I believe that is
what the Scriptures clearly teach).
Luke 23:42 And he was saying, "Jesus,remember me when You come in Your
kingdom!" (And Jesus saidHe would - Luke 23:42)
Comment: There was a prayer petition found on gravestonesthat one be
remembered at the resurrection
Luke 24:6 "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you
while He was still in Galilee,

Luke 24:8 And they remembered His words,
John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zealfor Thy house
will consume me."
John 2:22 When therefore He was raisedfrom the dead, His disciples
remembered that He saidthis; and they believed the Scripture, and the word
which Jesus had spoken.
John 12:16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but
when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were
written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
Acts 10:31 and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms
have been remembered before God.
Acts 11:16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say,
'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
1 Corinthians 11:2 Now I praise you because you remember (perfect tense -
speaks ofpermanence of their memory of Paul) me in everything, and hold
firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.
2 Timothy 1:4 longing to see you, even as I recallyour tears, so that I may be
filled with joy.

Hebrews 8:12 "ForI will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember
(Divine passive indicating God as the agent)their sins no more."
Zodhiates on remember in this context(cp Heb 10:17)- This does not mean
that God does not exercise memory with which He has so beneficially
endowedHis creatures;nor does it mean that when we appear before Him to
have our lives reviewedand judged that God will forgetall that we have ever
done (Rom. 14:10;1 Cor. 3:11–15;2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11–15). The
apportionment of rewards to the believers necessitates God’s andtheir
remembrance of their works (James 2:12, 13). The Heb. 8:12 and 10:17
passagesspecificallyspeak ofthe new covenantof the Lord with Israelwhich,
being accepted, brings an end to His remembrance by Him regarding whether
or not they kept the old covenant. This is equivalent to God forgetting all the
sins of the individual before he was savedand ushered into the kingdom of
God. However, there is certainly a remembrance of all one’s works, whether
goodor bad (2 Cor. 5:10), performed during his entire life of faith from the
moment he has been attachedto the body of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). (The
complete word study dictionary: New Testament)
Hebrews 10:17 "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no
more."
Hebrews 13:3 Remember (present imperative) the prisoners, as though in
prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are
in the body.
2 Peter3:2 that you should remember the words spokenbeforehandby the
holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spokenby your
apostles.

Jude 1:17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken
beforehand by the apostles ofour Lord Jesus Christ,
Revelation16:19 And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of
the nations fell. And Babylon the greatwas remembered before God (Here in
the sense that He remembers the sins -- just the opposite of the idea in Heb
8:12, 10:17, the latter reflecting His gracious new covenant), to give her the
cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
Mnaomai- 271 uses in the Septuagint - Gen. 8:1; 9:15-16;19:29;30:22; Ge
40:13-14, 20, 23;42:9; Exod. 2:24; 6:5; 20:8; 32:13; Lev. 26:42, 45; Num. 11:5;
15:39f; Deut. 5:15; 7:18; 8:2, 18;9:7, 27;15:15; 16:3, 12; 24:9, 18, 20, 22;
25:17;32:7; Jos. 1:13;Jdg. 8:34; 9:2; 16:28; 1 Sam. 1:11, 19; 4:18; 25:31;2
Sam. 19:19;2 Ki. 20:3; 2 Chr. 6:42; 24:22;Neh. 1:8; 4:14; 5:19; 6:14; 9:17;
13:14, 22, 29, 31;Est. 2:1; 4:8, 17;10:3; Job 4:7; 7:7; 10:9; 21:6; 28:18;36:24;
41:8; Ps. 8:4; 9:12; 16:4; 20:3; 22:27; 25:6f; 42:4, 6; 45:17;71:16; 74:2, 18, 22;
77:3, 5, 11; 78:35, 39, 42;79:8; 83:4; 87:4; 88:5; 89:47, 50;98:3; 103:14, 18;
105:5, 8, 42;106:4, 7, 45;109:16;111:5; 115:12;119:49, 52, 55;132:1; 136:23;
137:1, 6f; 143:5; Prov. 31:7; Eccl. 5:20;9:15; 11:8; 12:1; Isa. 12:4; 17:10;
26:16;38:3; 43:25f;44:21; 46:8f; 47:7; 48:1; 54:4; 57:11; 62:6; 63:7, 11;64:5,
7, 9; 65:17;66:9; Jer. 2:2; 11:19;14:10, 21;15:15; 18:20;31:20, 34; 33:8;
44:21;51:50; Lam. 1:7, 9; 2:1; 3:19f; 5:1; Ezek. 3:20; 6:9; 16:22, 43, 60f, 63;
18:22, 24;20:43; 21:23;23:27; 36:31;Dan. 5:10; Hos. 2:17; 7:2; 8:13; 9:9;
Amos 1:9; Jon. 2:7; Mic. 6:5; Nah. 2:5; Hab. 3:2; Zech. 10:9; Mal. 4:4
The first 5 uses of mnaomai in the Septuagint of Genesis are powerful as they
speak of the Holy God Who condescends to remember His creatures.
THOUGHT - Dearbeliever do you ever feel like God has forgottenabout you,
especiallyif you are experiencing adversity or affliction? Then meditate on the

passagesbelow and ask the Spirit to open the eyes of your heart to see the
Father's greatunconditional love for you. You may feel like Joseph, forgotten
by men, but ultimately ((when all was said and done) remembered by God.
(Ge 40:23)Joseph's Godis your God beloved!
Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle
that were with him in the ark; and God causeda wind to pass over the earth,
and the water subsided.
Genesis 9:15 and I will remember My covenant, which is betweenMe and you
and every living creature of all flesh; and never againshall the waterbecome
a flood to destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:16 “When the bow (rainbow) is in the cloud, then I will look upon it,
to remember the everlasting covenantbetweenGod and every living creature
of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Genesis 19:29 Thus it came about, when God destroyedthe cities of the valley,
that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the
overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
Genesis 30:22 ThenGod remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and
opened her womb.
Ex 2:24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Ex 6:5 “And furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel,
because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage;and I have remembered
My covenant.
Lev 26:42 then I will remember My covenantwith Jacob, and I will remember
also My covenant with Isaac, andMy covenantwith Abraham as well, and I
will remember the land.
Lev 26:45 ‘But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors,
whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I
might be their God. I am the LORD.’”
Num 15:39 “And it shall be a tassel(tasselsonthe corner of their garments -
Nu 15:38)for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the
LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own
eyes, after which you played the harlot, Num 15:40 in order that you may
remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God.
One of the most encouraging uses ofmnaomai is in Isaiah65:17 where God
says “Forbehold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former
things shall not be remembered or come to mind."
Matthew 5:24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be
reconciledto your brother, and then come and present your offering. (NASB:
Lockman)

Greek:aphes (2SAAM) ekeito doron sou emprosthen tou thusiasteriou, kai
hupage (2SPAM)proton diallagethi(2SAPM) to adelphos sou, kaitote elthon
(AAPMSN) prosphere (2SPAM)to doron sou.
Amplified: Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your
brother, and then come back and present your gift. (Amplified Bible -
Lockman)
KJV: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
NLT: leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciledto that
person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Philips: you must leave your gift there before the altar and go away. Make
your peace with your brother first, then come and offer your gift. (New
Testamentin Modern English)
Wuest: leave there your gift before the altar of whole burnt-offerings and be
going away. First be reconciledto your brother, and then, having come, be
offering your gift. (
)
Young's Literal: leave there thy gift before the altar, and go -- first be
reconciledto thy brother, and then having come bring thy gift.

LEAVE YOUR OFFERINGTHERE BEFORE THE ALTAR AND GO:
aphes (2SAAM) ekeito doron sou emprosthen tou thusiasterioukai hupage
(2SPAM)
Mt 18:15, 16, 17;Job 42:8; Proverbs 25:9; Mark 9:50; Romans 12:17,18;
1Corinthians 6:7,8; 1Timothy 2:8; James 3:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18;5:16; 1Peter
3:7,8
THE RIGHT WAY
TO WORSHIP!
Spurgeon- It is saidthat, in Hindostan, there is a complete divorce of religion
from morality, so that a man may be supposed to be eminently religious even
while living in the utmost filthiness and vice; but it must never be so among
us. We must never imagine that God canacceptan offering from us while we
harbor any enmity in our hearts. Perhaps, after reading this passage,you say,
“If I had anything againstmy brother, I would go to him at once, and seek to
be reconciledto him.” That would be quite right; but you must go further
than that, for Christ says, “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberestthat thy brother hath ought againstthee.” It is much more easy
to go to the man who has wrongedyou than to the one whom you have
wronged. Yet the secondis evidently the clearerduty, and should be attended
to at once: neither can we expect the Lord to attend to us unless we attend to
this duty.
Leave (863) (aphiemi [word study] from apo = prefix implies separation+
hiemi = put in motion, send) conveys the basic idea of an action which causes
separationand means to send from one's self, to forsake, to hurl away, to put
away, let alone, disregard, put off. It conveys the basic idea of an action which
causes separationand refers to total detachment, total separation, from a
previous locationor condition. It means to send forth or awayfrom one's self.

It refers to the act of putting something away or of laying it aside. In secular
Greek aphiemi initially conveyed the sense of to throw and in one secular
writing we read "let the pot drop" (aphiemi). From this early literal use the
word came to mean leave or let go.
This verb presents the interesting picture - "Let go of your offering". How
often do we give to God, but in a sense (with our heart for example) try to
hold on to it? He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Everything we have
belongs to Him. O, so slow to learn this liberating truth!
Offering (1435)(doron) a gift offered to God (eg, to honor Him, Mt 2:11). A
present. An offering (used to support gift to maintain divine service, Lk 21:4 ~
the "offering box") .
Doron - 19x in 17v - Matt 2:11; 5:23f; 8:4; 15:5; 23:18f; Mark 7:11; Luke
21:1, 4; Eph 2:8; Heb 5:1; 8:3f; 9:9; 11:4; Rev 11:10. The renders doron as
gift(1), gifts(8), given(2), offering(8).
Before (1715)(emprosthen) in front of.
Emprosthen - 48x in 45v - Matt 5:16, 24; 6:1f; 7:6; 10:32f;11:10, 26; 17:2;
18:14;23:13; 25:32;26:70; 27:11, 29;Mark 2:12; 9:2; Luke 5:19; 7:27; 10:21;
12:8; 14:2; 19:4, 27f; 21:36;John 1:15, 30;3:28; 10:4; 12:37;Acts 10:4; 18:17;
2 Cor 5:10; Gal 2:14; Phil 3:13; 1 Thess 1:3; 2:19; 3:9, 13; 1 John 3:19; Rev
4:6; 19:10;22:8. The renders it as ahead(3), before(30), higherrank(2), in
front(1), in front of(3), in the presence of(4), in the sight of(3).

Altar (2379)(thusiasterionfrom thusia = that which is offered as a sacrifice)is
the place of sacrifice and thus an altar where gifts may be placedand ritual
observancescarriedout in honor of supernatural beings (the Living God of
course in this context). An altar "is a structure used in worship as the place
for presenting sacrifices to God or gods."
RelatedResource:
What is an altar?
Jesus'point is that angerand hatred affectour relationship to God. As long as
there is internal sin, outward acts of worship are not acceptable to God.
Reconciliationmust precede worship because unresolvedconflicthas priority
and must be settled. Settle the breach betweenyou and your brother before
you try to settle the breach betweenyou and God. Not to do that is to be a
hypocrite by asking for forgiveness without repenting.
THOUGHT - Mark it down beloved. If you bring anger to the altar, you
cannot worship God, so getrid of the anger quickly. Do not be deceived. Is
there someone God's Spirit is bringing to your mind to reconcile with so that
you might then worship Him in spirit and in truth? The Fatherdesires and
seeks true worshipers (John 4:23). Don't put off until tomorrow what you
should dealwith today. And remember your obligation is only as far as it is
possible (the other party may make it totally impossible) for you to be at peace
with all men (see Romans 12:14-17;12:18-21). A clear, cleanconscienceis a
wonderful thing.
Ray Pritchard on the Interpersonal Animosity Jesus describedin Mt 5:23-24 -
The principle is easyto grasp: Solving problems now saves trouble later. And
delayed reconciliationmeans increasedanimosity. Jesus is speaking aboutthe
priority of reconciliation. It’s more important than coming to church; it’s

more important than giving money; it’s more important than praying in
public or going to a Bible study. Sometimes we canharbor hatred toward
others even while attending church on Sunday morning. If that’s true of you,
then when we pass the offering plates in a little while, please kindly keepyour
money to yourself. God doesn’t want money from a murderer! That’s what
you are if you harbor bitterness and resentment in your heart toward
someone else.
FIRST BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER AND THEN COME AND
PRESENTYOUR OFFERING:proton diallageqi(2SAPM)to adelphos sou,
kai tote elthon (AAPMSN) prosphere (2SPAM) to doron sou
Mt 23:23;1Co 11:28
RECONCILIATION
BETWEENMEN
First (4413)(proton) means first in time, place, order or importance. Here
Jesus speaksofthe priority, and the necessitythat reconciliationofan
animosity should take over worship.
Be reconciled(1259)(diallasso from diá = denoting transition + allasso [word
study] = conveys basic sense is “to make other than it is,” - see Reconciliation
or Reconcile)means to change one's feelings towards anotherand so to
become reconciled. It means to be restoredto normal relations or harmony
with someone. This could apply to a enmity, animosity or a quarrel in which
the fault may be two-sidedor one-sided. The context must show which side the
active enmity is on, but in this case it is the brother who is somehow offended.

Friberg on diallasso - as dealing with mutual hostility change from enmity to
friendship, reconcile;only passive in the NT become reconciled, make peace
with someone (Analytical Lexicon)
BDAG on diallasso - to be restoredto normal relations or harmony with
someone, become reconciled
Vine - diallasso - "to effectan alteration, to exchange,"and hence, "to
reconcile," incases ofmutual hostility yielding to mutual concession, and thus
differing from No. 1 (under which see Lightfoot's remarks), is used in the
Passive Voice in Matthew 5:24 , which illustrates the point. There is no such
idea as "making it up" where God and man are concerned. (Reconcile,
Reconciliation- Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words)
Liddell-Scott on diallasso - (I) Med. to change one with another, interchange,
to make an exchange. (II) Act. to exchange, i.e., (1) to give in exchange (2) to
take in exchange;to change one land for another - to pass through a land (3)
Simply to change (III) to change enmity to friendship, to reconcile one to
another, to make friends, to be reconciled
Thayer on diallasso - (1) to change (2) to change the mind of anyone, to
reconcile
Diallasso is usedin the Septuagint in 1 Sa 29:4 1 where the Philistines
questioned David's loyalty to King Achish - "But the commanders of the
Philistines were angry with him (Achish), and the commanders of the
Philistines saidto him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his
place where you have assignedhim, and do not let him go down to battle with
us, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what could this

man make himself acceptable (Lxx = diallasso)to his lord? Would it not be
with the heads of these men?"
Jesus teachesthat we should take every reasonable stepto promote an effect
opposite of murder (whether it is with or without guns or knives). In this case,
instead of murdering by hand or mouth, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven
are those who should seek with all their powerto establishright relationships
with their brothers.
Guzik phrases it this way "Jesus considersit far more important to be
reconciledto a brother than to perform a religious duty. Jesus says we must
first be reconciledto your brother. We can’t think that our service towards
the Lord justifies bad relationships with others. We should do what Paul
commanded in Romans 12:18: If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live
peaceablywith all men."
Ray Pritchard - In the Bible, wheneveryou find the word reconcile or
reconciliation, it always implies at leasttwo things. 1) Reconciliationbetween
people, nations, races, groups orindividuals and God. Reconciliationalways
involves first of all a removal of that which causedthe enmity in the first
place. Reconciliationis impossible until you deal with the problem that caused
the separation, that has forced people apart, that has forcedthe wedge
between. Reconciliation, then, is impossible without dealing with the sin and
failure that divides us and pushes us apart. 2. Reconciliationalways involves
the restorationof a relationship of friendship and conciliation. Whenever you
see the word reconcile or reconciliationin the Bible, whether betweenpeople
or people and God, it always involves the removal of the problem and the
restorationof friendship. (Reconciliation - Enemies No More)
RELATED RESOURCES:

Reconciliation-Enmityto Amity
Reconciliation- Baker's EvangelicalDictionaryof BiblicalTheology
Reconciliation- Hastings'Dictionary of the New TestamentTorreyTopical
Textbook
American Tract SocietyReconciliation
BridgewayBible Dictionary Reconciliation
BakerEvangelicalDictionaryReconciliation
Charles Buck Dictionary Reconciliation
CARM TheologicalDictionaryReconcile, reconciliation
FaussetBible Dictionary Reconciliation
Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Reconciliation
Hastings'Dictionary of the NT Reconciliation Reconciliation Reconciliation
with God
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Reconcile;Reconciliation
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Reconciliation
What is ultimate reconciliation?
What is Christian reconciliation? Why do we need to be reconciledwith God
Reconcile (2644)katallasso
Reconcile (604)apokatallasso
Reconciliation(2643)katallage
Brothers is not used in the sense ofChristian brotherhood but in the sense
that all mankind is relatedthrough Adam's lineage ("the brotherhood of
mankind") and all are to be treated as those made in the image of God.

Present(4374)(prosphero from pros = before + phero = bear) to bear before
and so to bring unto.
Vine - prosphero - primarily, "to bring to" (pros, "to," phero, "to bring"),
also denotes "to offer," (a) of the sacrifice ofChrist Himself, Hebrews 8:3; of
Christ in virtue of his High Priesthood(RV, "this high priest;" AV, "this
man"); Hebrews 9:14,25 (negative),28;10:12; (b) of offerings under, or
according to, the Law, e.g., Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Acts 7:42; 21:26;
Hebrews 5:1,3; 8:3; 9:7,9; 10:1,2,8,11;(c) of "offerings" previous to the Law,
Hebrews 11:4,17 (of Isaac by Abraham); (d) of gifts "offered" to Christ,
Matthew 2:11 , RV, "offered" (AV, "presentedunto"); (e) of prayers
"offered" by Christ, Hebrews 5:7; (f) of the vinegar "offered" to Him in
mockeryby the soldiers at the cross, Luke 23:36;(g) of the slaughter of
disciples by persecutors,who think they are "offering" service to God, John
16:2 , RV (AV, "doeth"); (h) of money "offered" by Simon the sorcerer, Acts
8:18 . See BRING , A, No. 8, DEAL WITH, No. 2. (Offer, Offering - Vine's
Expository Dictionary of NT Words)
Offering (gift) (1435)(doron from didomi = to give) is relatedto dorea which
describes a free gift, stressing its gratuitous character. Something offeredin
expressionof honour. A gift is something voluntarily transferred by one
person to another without compensation. Something presentedas an actof
worship and/or devotion (Mt 2:11). Doron is used of offerings to Godexcept in
Eph 2:8 and Rev 11:10. In classicalGreek doronreferred to a votive
(expressing a vow, wish or desire)gift or offering to a god (little g) or a gift
from the gods, as wellas a presentgiven as a tribute or even as a bribe. Of the
166+ uses ofdoron in the non-apocryphal Septuagint, most are used in the
context of an offering to God(cf Ge 4:4, Lev 1:2, 3, 10, 2:1, Nu 5:15, Dt 12:11,
1Chr 16:29, Jer 33:11, etc).

Vine - doron is akin to didomi, “to give,” is used (a) of “gifts” presentedas an
expressionof honor, Matt. 2:11; (b) of “gifts” for the support of the temple
and the needs of the poor, Matt. 15:5; Mark 7:11; Luke 21:1, 4; (c) of “gifts”
offered to God, Matt. 5:23, 24;8:4; 23:18, 19; Heb. 5:1; 8:3, 4; 9:9; 11:4; (d) of
salvationby grace as the “gift” of God, Eph. 2:8; (e) of “presents” formutual
celebrationof an occasion, Rev. 11:10. (Gift, Giving - Vine's Expository
Dictionary of NT Words)
John MacArthur wisely comments that "Obviously we cannot change another
person’s heart or attitude, but our desire and effort should be to close the
breach as much as is possible from our side and to hold no angerourselves
even if the other persondoes. Regardlessofwho is responsible for the break in
relationship-and often there is guilt on both sides-we should determine to
make a reconciliationbefore we come before God to worship. True worship is
not enhancedby better music, better prayers, better architecture, or even
better preaching. True worship is enhancedby better relationships between
those who come to worship. Worship may be improved by our staying away
from church until we have made things right with those with whom we know
our relationship is strained or broken. When there is animosity or sin of any
sort in our heart there cannot be integrity in our worship. (MacArthur, J:
Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New TestamentCommentary Chicago:Moody Press)
(Bolding added)
Sinclair Fergusondraws an illustration "Picture a man in church. He is about
to express his devotion to the Lord in worship and in his offering. But he has
not been enjoying fellowshipwith his brother. There is disharmony in the
relationship. Jesus says the man should leave his offering, be reconciledto his
brother, and then return to worship God with a clearconscienceandfull
heart. Is Jesus saying that the only important thing in worship is right
relationships with our fellow men? Hardly! He recognizes that our
relationship with God is primary, but we always appearbefore God as those
who are related, rightly or wrongly, to our fellow men. What we are before

God involves how we are related to others (cf 1Jn1:6, 7). And if we are at
enmity with others, how canwe come into the Lord's presence with clean
hands and a pure heart (cf Mt 5:8-note)? It is monstrous to think that he will
find our hypocritical offering acceptable.Obedience is better than sacrifice
(1Sa 15:22). As Petershows, this principle extends to the home and family:
husbands are to treat their wives with respectand as heirs of the gracious gift
of life so that nothing will hinder their prayers (1Pe 3:7-note). The principle is
clear:right relationships with others are part of the meaning of the
commandment not to murder. They are essentialif our righteousness is to go
down deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees.(Ferguson, Sinclair:
Sermon on the Mount :Banner of Truth) (Bolding added)
Max Lucado quips "As far as I know, this is the only time God tells you to slip
out of church early. Apparently, he’d rather have you give your olive branch
than your tithe. If you are worshiping and remember that your mom is
hacked-offat you for forgetting her birthday, then get off the pew and find a
phone. Maybe she’ll forgive you; maybe she won’t. But at leastyou can return
to your pew with a cleanconscience. (Lucado, M. When God Whispers Your
Name. Page 127. Dallas:Word Pub).
G Campbell Morganwrites that "Godseeks andvalues the gifts we bring
Him—gifts of praise, thanksgiving, service, and material offerings. In all such
giving at the altar we enter into the highest experiences offellowship. But the
gift is acceptable to God in the measure to which the one who offers it is in
fellowship with Him in characterand conduct; and the test of this is in our
relationships with our fellow men. We are thus chargedto postpone giving to
God until right relationships are establishedwith others. Could the neglectof
this be the explanation of the barrenness of our worship?
Charles Ellicott - The words describe an act which would appearto men as a
breach of liturgical propriety. To leave the gift and the priest, the actof

sacrifice unfinished, would be strange and startling, yet that, our Lord
teaches, were betterthan to sacrifice with the sense ofa wrong unconfessed
and unatoned for, and, à fortiori, better than the deeper evil of not being
ready to forgive. The Talmud gives a curious rule, to which the words may
perhaps allude: “If a man is on the point of offering the Passover, and
remembers that there is any leavenleft in the house, let him return to his
house, and remove it, and then come and finish the Passover” (Pesachim, f.
49). What the scribes laid down as a duty in regard to the “leavenof bread,”
our Lord applies to the leaven of malice and wickedness.It is not enough to
see in this only a command to remove ill-will and enmity from our own mind,
though that, of course, is implied. There must be also confessionofwrong and
the endeavourto make amends, to bring about, as far as in us lies,
reconciliation, or atonement. (Matthew 5 Ellicott's Commentary for English
Readers)
F B Meyer has the following devotional thoughts entitled "First,
Reconciliation"focusing on Mt 5:23-24...
THERE IS a marked difference betweenmemory and recollection.
Memory resembles a greatbox or chestinto which a man casts his letters,
accounts, and MSS.;recollectionis the readiness, be it less or more, with
which he canlay his hand on what he requires. We know that it is somewhere
in our possession, we rememberto have seenand turned it over, but searchas
we may we cannotfind or recallit.
But there is a moment of quickened recollectionwhenwe stand before God:
"When thou bringest thy gift to the altar and rememberest." As the Divine
searchlightplays upon our past life it reveals many things which had passed
from our mind. Conscienceis a keenquickenerof our powers of recollection.

What has your brother againstyou? This--that you flamed out againsthim in
passion, with bitter, angry words, in hatred and contempt; or this--that you
have been sullen and sulky, scarcelyanswering his advances, meeting his
salutations with grudging courtesy. Perhaps you have done him a positive
wrong, and have takenfrom him his only covering, or have forborne to help
him when he stood in sore need (Ex 22:26, 27; 23:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
We are bidden to get right with man, as the first step to acceptancewith God--
" first be reconciledto thy brother." Humility is necessaryin every approach
to God, and nothing so humbles our pride as to confess our faults to our
brethren. Truth is necessaryto all right dealings with God, and nothing will so
promote truth in our inward parts as to be transparent and simple in our
dealings with our fellows. Sincerityin confessionofsin is an essential
beginning of peace with God, but how can we be sure that our confessionis
sincere unless it costs us something more than words. "'First, be reconciled
with thy brother"--not only with the brother of human flesh--but with our
greatBrother in the Glory (Ge 1:17, 18, 19, 20, 21;He 2:11 [note]). Then
cometOffer thyself, as thy gift; He will acceptthee, and thy gifts.
PRAYER Give unto us, O Lord, we beseechThee, brokenand contrite hearts.
Help us to do all that ought to be done to make amends, and grant unto our
brother the willingness to meet us with forgiveness andpeace. So shall we
have peace with Thee, our Elder Brother, againstwhom we have grievously
sinned. AMEN. (Our Daily Walk)
Today in the Word has the following devotional thoughts on Mt 5:23, 24...
When D. L. Moody was four years old, his father died, leaving a large,
impoverished family. The eldestson ran awayfrom home, but eachnight his

mother put a light in the window, hoping for his return. Mr. Moody recalled
that when his older brother did come home, he was barely recognizable
behind a heavy beard. It was only as he beganto cry that Mrs. Moody realized
it was her son and invited him in. ""No, mother,"" he said, ""I will not come
in until I hear first that you have forgiven me."" Mrs. Moody threw her arms
around her son and brought him indoors. Moody's older brother was clearly
in the wrong and he knew it, which made his mother's gift of forgiveness and
reconciliationa specialone. We as believers have the gift of re-conciliationto
offer others, and Jesus urges us to give it freely. In fact, Jesus commands us to
initiate reconciliationwhetherwe are in the right or in the wrong. In Matthew
5:23-24, Jesus doesn'tdefine who is the guilty party or who is responsible for
the brokenrelationship. The point is not to assignblame, but to make the
situation right. The same is true in the courtroomscene Jesus outlined in
verses 25-26. He didn't say the person being taken to court will definitely be
found guilty, although that seems to be the likely outcome if the case goesto
trial. It doesn't matter who's right or who's wrong--again, the point is to
""settle matters quickly.""
Taking the first step in re-conciliationis our responsibility as believers. When
we fail to do so, we often try to justify ourselves by saying something like,
""I'm not mad at her, she's mad at me. It's her problem. She needs to deal
with it."" But Jesus turns that kind of logic upside-down. God wants us to do
everything we can to remove barriers and offenses betweenus and other
Christians. Otherwise, our acts of worship are hollow to Him. That ought to
be motivation enough to seek peace!Let's admit it. These are tough
commands to follow. Why? Becauseit's difficult for us to set aside the issue of
blame. When we feel we are innocent, most of us want justice. It's only when
we are in the wrong that we want mercy.
Our Daily Bread has the following devotionals - These are used by permission
of Radio Bible Class (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Going Straight- How far would you travel to put things right with a brother
who hadn't spokento you in 10 years? Would you go 300 miles from Iowa to
Wisconsin? On a riding lawn mower?
Unable to drive a car and despising bus travel, Alvin Straight did exactlythat
in the intriguing film The Straight Story. It is the true-life drama of a 73-year-
old man who decided it was time to end the silence, stopthe hating, and break
down the wall of angerhe and his brother had built betweenthem.
As I watchedthe film in a packedtheater, where the audience was silent from
beginning to end, I thought of all the broken relationships that must have
surfacedin the minds of people sitting there in the darkness. Ialso pondered
the words of Jesus about setting things right with those from whom we've
been estranged. He said, "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something againstyou, leave your gift there
before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciledto your brother, and
then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23, 24).
Is there a relative, a friend, or a brother in Christ with whom you need to
make things right? Then why not go straight to that person and do it today?
—D C McCasland
Lord, let me feelthe pain of a wounded soul
And seek to heal that wounded one I pray;
Yes, I would take the reconciling role,
And bring an end to pain and strife today. —Hess

An offense againstyour neighbor builds a fence betweenyou and God.
Apology Hotline - Marvin Williams - Matthew 5:24 - JesseJacobs has created
an apologyhotline that makes it possible to apologize without actually talking
to the personyou’ve wronged. People who are unable or unwilling to
unburden their conscience in personcall the hotline and leave a messageonan
answering machine. Each week, 30 to 50 calls are logged, as people apologize
for things from adultery to embezzlement. “The hotline offers participants a
chance to alleviate their guilt and, to some degree, to own up to their
misdeeds,” saidJacobs.
The apologyhotline may seemto offer some relief from guilt, but this is not
how Jesus instructed His followers to handle conflict. In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus told us to deal with conflictby taking the initiative and going to
the offended brother to apologize for the offense (see also Matt. 18). In fact,
Jesus taught that the problem of human estrangementis so serious that we
should even interrupt our worship to go on a personalmission of
reconciliation(Matt. 5:24). The MasterencouragedHis followers to be
reconciledwith one another eagerly, aggressively, quickly, and personally(Mt
5:25).
Are any of your relationships broken or estrangedbecause ofsomething you
said or did? Take the initiative. Go now and do all you can to be reconciled.
God cannot prosperthose who try
To cover sin and wrong deny;
But all who humbly will confess,
The Saviorwith His love will bless.

—D. De Haan
At the heart of all conflict is a selfishheart.
$7.23 Plus Pride- As I was studying the Old Testamentlaw about making
restitution for theft and property loss, I beganto wonder how it applied to me.
Immediately the words Bill's pump came to mind. Months before, I had
borrowedmy neighbor's pump to inflate a bicycle tire. It broke while I was
using it. But I'm ashamed to admit that I returned it without saying anything
to him.
It was obvious that God wantedme to confess my wrong to Bill and buy him a
new pump. But my rationalizations were swift: It was old, and it would have
broken anyway. It would be embarrassing to revealmy failure and show what
a weak Christian I am.
My excuses soundedhollow. I knew the Lord wantedme to make it right. So I
bought a pump and went over to Bill's house, but he was out of town. At
church the next morning, I started to drop my offering in the plate and
remembered, "Firstbe reconciledto your brother, and then come and offer
your gift" (Mt. 5:24). The money went back in my pocket.
When Bill returned, I told him what I'd done, apologized, and gave him the
new pump. He graciouslyunderstood. It cost$7.23 plus pride--a small price to
restore a relationship with a neighbor and a clearconsciencewith God. --D C
McCasland
Show us, Lord, where we have failed

And sinned againsta brother;
Give us courage to confess
Our faults to one another. --Sper
The only way to make things right is to admit that you've been wrong.
Matthew 5:25 "Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are
with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the
judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. (NASB:
Lockman)
Greek:isthi (2SPAM)eunoon (PAPMSN) to antidiko sou tachu eos otouei
(2SPAI) met' autou en te odo, mepote se parado (3SAAS) o antidikos to krite,
kai o krites to uperete, kaieis phulaken blethese;(2SFPI)
Amplified: Come to terms quickly with your accuserwhile you are on the way
traveling with him, lestyour accuserhand you over to the judge, and the
judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Agree with thine adversaryquickly, whiles thou art in the waywith
him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be castinto prison.
NLT: Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are
draggedinto court, handed overto an officer, and thrown in jail. (NLT -
Tyndale House)

Philips: Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you have the
chance, or else he may hand you over to the judge and the judge in turn hand
you over to the officer of the court and you will be thrown into prison. (New
Testamentin Modern English)
Wuest: Be friendly and well-disposedtowardyour opponent in a suit at law,
quickly while you are with him in the road, lestat any time the opponent
deliver you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and into prison you
are thrown. (
)
Young's Literal: 'Be agreeing with thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the
way with him, that the opponent may not deliver thee to the judge, and the
judge may deliver thee to the officer, and to prison thou mayest be cast,
MAKE FRIENDS QUICKLY WITH YOUR OPPONENTAT LAW WHILE
YOU ARE WITH HIM ON THE WAY: isthi (2SPAM) eunoon(PAPMSN)to
antidiko sou tachu eos otou ei (2SPAI) met' autou en te hodo
Genesis 32:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,13-22;33:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11;1Sa 25:17-35;Pr
6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 25:8; Luke 12:58,59;14:31,32
Charles Simeon - IT is thought by many, that prudential considerations are
unworthy the attention of a Christian. That he ought to be influenced by
higher principles, we readily admit. The love of Christ should be to him in the
place of all other incentives, so far at leastthat he should not need any other
motive for doing the will of God. But Christians are men, and feel the force of
every principle which can operate upon the human mind: and therefore
subordinate motives may fitly be proposedto them in aid of those which are

more worthy of their regard. Our blessedLord, having explained the sixth
commandment, inculcates the duties contained in it, particularly that of
seeking reconciliationwith an offended brother: and this he does, first from
the considerationofthe offence which a want of a conciliatoryspirit gives to
God, and next from a considerationof the dangerto which it exposes
ourselves. In the former view we have treated of it in the foregoing verses;in
the latter view we are to speak of it at this time. But the peculiarly emphatic
manner in which our Lord speaks in the words before us, will naturally, and
almost necessarily, leadour thoughts beyond the mere concerns of time, to
another tribunal before which we must all appear. (Read the entire sermon -
Matthew 5:25, 26 The NecessityofSeeking Reconciliationwith God)
Literally this read "be wellminded towards" where the verb "be" (1510)is a
command in the present imperative, calling for it to be the continual attitude
and actionof citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Spurgeon- There is nothing like ending disputes at once, before the rancor
grows, and your adversarybecomes determined to push you to extremes. Oh,
for more of that spirit of yielding! You know how people say, “If you tread on
a worm: it will turn;” but, brethren, a worm is not an example for a
Christian, even if the poor wounded creature does turn toward you in its
agony. If you turn, turn to kiss the hand that smites you, and to do goodto
them that evil entreatyou.
Make friends (only use in the Bible)(2132)(eunoeo from eúnoos = benevolent,
kindly from eú = well + noús = mind) means be well–disposed, well-minded
towards or well–intentioned towardanother, to be friends (Mt 5:25) and
inclined to satisfy by paying or compromising. Jesus is using an illustration
from the common practice of imprisoning a person for an unpaid debt. He is
teaching that if someone holds a debt of any sort againstus, he is to make it
goodas soonas possible and before it is too late and he is imprisoned.

Moulton cites a secularuse "where a woman comes under a solemnpromise
eunoein, “to be well-disposed” towards herhusband."
Quickly (5035)(tachu) pertains to a very short extent of time and so means
this making of friends is to be carried out hurriedly, speedily or with haste.
Jesus is calling for reconciliationto be soughteagerly, aggressivelyand
quickly even if it involves self-sacrifice.Paulalludes to the fact that it is better
to be wrongedthan to allow a dispute betweenbrethren to be a cause for
dishonoring Christ
Actually, then, it is alreadya defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one
another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? (1Cor.
6:7).
Opponent (476)(antidikos from antí = against+ díke = cause orsuit at law)
refers to an opponent in a lawsuit. Antidikos is used once of the devil (see
notes 1 Peter5:8) the accuserofthe brethren. Roman law provided that a
plaintiff could bring the accusedwith him to face the judge. The two
themselves could settle the matter on the way, but not after the court became
involved.
Here the antidikos, the opponent or adversaryis some kind of opponent to
whom we apparently owe money and who is apparently in a position to take
legalaction, without further specific information as to his identity or the
nature of the case.
On the way or on the road while not specific adds obviously emphasis to the
urgency of the callto reconcile. In other words, don't wait until you get to the

lobby of the courthouse!Once the legalprocess is setin motion, the judge will
pass sentence and its too late to settle. Don't miss the golden opportunity to
settle. It is interesting that the backgroundhere seems to be non-Jewishsince
the Jews did not imprison for debt.
Freemanin Manners and Customs of the Bible has the following summary of
Mt 5:25 - According to Roman law, if a person had a quarrel that he could not
settle privately, he had the right to order his adversaryto accompanyhim to
the praetor(Roman magistrate ranking below a consul and having chiefly
judicial functions). If he refused, the prosecutortook someone presentto
witness by saying, “May I take you to witness?” If the personconsented, he
offered the tip of his ear, which the prosecutortouched; a form that was
observedtoward witnesses in some other legalceremonies among the Romans.
Then the plaintiff (one bringing the legalaction) might drag the defendant to
court by force in any way, even by the neck, but worthless persons such as
thieves and robbers might be draggedbefore the judge without the formality
of calling a witness. If on the way to the judge the difficulty was settled, no
further legalsteps were taken. Jesus refers to this custom in the text. When
the accusedis thus legallyseizedby the accuser, he is urged to make up his
quarrel while on the way to the judge, so that no further legalprocess should
be necessary. (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. Manners & Customs of the
Bible. 1996. WhitakerHouse)
SO THAT YOUR OPPONENT MAY NOT HAND YOU OVER TO THE
JUDGE AND THE JUDGE TO THE OFFICER, AND YOU BE THROWN
INTO PRISON:mepote se parado (3SAAS) o antidikos to krite, kai o krites to
huperete, kaieis phulaken blethese;(2SFPI)
Job 22:21;Psalms 32:6; Isaiah55:6,7; Luke 13:24,25;2Cor6:2; Hebrews
3:7,13;Hebrews 12:17) (1Ki 22:26,27

So that - This is a term expressing purpose (See term of explanation). Always
asks "Whatis the purpose?" It seems pedantic or simple but it gives you an
opportunity to review the context and allow the Spirit to give added insights!
Opponent (476)(antidikos from anti = against+ dike = a cause orsuit at law)
was used first as a word for an opponent in a lawsuitand then came to mean
an adversary or enemy without reference to legalaffairs. It describes one who
is actively and continuously hostile toward someone. An adversaryis one that
contends with, opposes, orresists.
Antidikos - 5x in 4v - Matt 5:25; Luke 12:58;18:3; 1 Pet 5:8. renders it as
adversary(1), opponent(3), opponent at law(1).
Hand over (3860)(paradidomi [word study] from para = alongside, beside, to
the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give
over from one's hand to someone orsomething, especiallyto give over to the
powerof another. Synonyms used for paradidomi include surrender, yield up,
entrust, deliver up, give over.
Paradidomi -119xin 117v- Matt 4:12; 5:25; 10:4, 17, 19, 21; 11:27;17:22;
18:34;20:18f; 24:9f; 25:14, 20, 22; 26:2, 15f, 21, 23ff, 45f, 48; 27:2ff, 18, 26;
Mark 1:14; 3:19; 4:29; 7:13; 9:31; 10:33;13:9, 11f; 14:10f, 18, 21, 41f, 44;
15:1, 10, 15;Luke 1:2; 4:6; 9:44; 10:22;12:58; 18:32;20:20; 21:12, 16;22:4, 6,
21f, 48; 23:25;24:7, 20;John 6:64, 71; 12:4; 13:2, 11, 21; 18:2, 5, 30, 35f;
19:11, 16, 30;21:20; Acts 3:13; 6:14; 7:42; 8:3; 12:4; 14:26; 15:26, 40;16:4;
21:11;22:4; 27:1; 28:17;Rom 1:24, 26, 28;4:25; 6:17; 8:32; 1 Cor 5:5; 11:2,
23; 13:3; 15:3, 24; 2 Cor 4:11; Gal2:20; Eph 4:19; 5:2, 25;1 Tim 1:20; 1 Pet
2:23; 2 Pet 2:4, 21; Jude 1:3. The renders paradidomi as betray(13),
betrayed(9), betraying(9), betrays(3), commended(1),
committed(3),deliver(10), deliver up(7), delivered(17), delivered over(2),

delivered up(16), delivering(3), delivers up(1), entrusted(3),entrusting(1), gave
over(3), gave up(3), given over(1), handed down(3), handed over(4),
permits(1), put(1), putting(1),risked(m)(1), takencustody(2), turn over(1).
Judge (2923)(krites) is one who has the right to render a decisionin legal
matters, one who passes judgment on anything or who makes decisions based
on examination and evaluation (refers to both human and divine judges - God
in Acts 10:42).
Krites - 19x in 17v - Matt 5:25; 12:27;Luke 11:19;12:14, 58; 18:2, 6; Acts
10:42;13:20; 18:15;24:10; 2 Tim 4:8; Heb 12:23; Jas 2:4; 4:11f; 5:9
Officer (5257)(huperetes from hupó = under, beneath + erétes = a rower or
eresso = to row) is literally an under roweror an under-oarsman on the ship
with severalranks of rowers. These were the men down in the ship's, doing
one thing -- rowing and with their eyes on one man, the man standing at the
front of the hull, shouting "Row, Row, Row."!
Huperetes - 20xin 20v - Mt 5:25; 26:58;Mark 14:54, 65; Luke 1:2; 4:20; John
7:32, 45f;18:3, 12, 18, 22, 36; 19:6; Acts 5:22, 26; 13:5; 26:16;1 Cor 4:1. The
renders huperetes as attendant(1), helper(1), minister(1), officer(1),
officers(13), servants(3).
Huperetes describedthe bottom rower, the galley-slave, then any servant, the
attendant in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). Luke describes John Mark in his
relation to Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:5) as a huperetes. Luke also applies
huperetes to the “ministers of the word” (Luke 1:2). The idea is that of a
subordinate, a servant, an attendant, or an assistantin general. Here Jesus

refers to the subordinate official who waitedto accomplishthe commands of
his superior.
Prison (5438)(phulake from phulasso = watch, keepfrom escaping, be on
guard) describes the place where someone is watched, guarded or kept in
custody and thus a prison. In context Jesus is referring to debtor’s prison, (as
implied by the phrase "until you have paid up the lastcent") where the
person could work to earn back what he had defrauded.
Phulake - 47x in 45v - Matt 5:25; 14:3, 10, 25; 18:30;24:43; 25:36, 39, 43f;
Mark 6:17, 27, 48;Luke 2:8; 3:20; 12:38, 58;21:12;22:33; 23:19, 25;John
3:24; Acts 5:19, 22, 25;8:3; 12:4ff, 10, 17; 16:23f, 27, 37, 40;22:4; 26:10; 2
Cor 6:5; 11:23;Heb 11:36;1 Pet 3:19; Rev 2:10; 18:2; 20:7. The renders
phulake as guard(1), imprisonment(1), imprisonments(2), prison(34),
prisons(3), time of the night(1),watch(4).
Jesus is using this illustration from secularlife as a picture of sin against
another person. He is emphasizing that such sin, like unpaid debts, must be
resolvedquickly to avoid having to face a sentence from the divine Judge. We
are to make every effort, with no delay, to make our relationship right with
our brother (not speaking of Christian brothers but of mankind in general)
before our relationship can be right with God and we canavoid chastening.
MacDonaldnotes that "While there is some disagreementamong scholars
about the identity of the people in this parable, the point is clear:if you are
wrong, be quick to admit it and make things right. If you remain unrepentant,
your sin will eventually catchup with you and you will not only have to make
full restitution but suffer additional penalties as well. And don’t be in a hurry
to go to court. If you do, the law will find you out, and you will pay the last

penny. (MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old
and New Testaments. Nashville:Thomas Nelson)
Hagner sums up Mt 26-27 noting that "In His exegesisofthe truest meaning
of the Mosaic commandment—andpresentation of the level of righteousness
required by the kingdom—Jesus goesfarbeyond the letter of the text (where
some may have been inclined to stop). By his explication of “thou shalt not
murder,” Jesus penetrates to the spirit of the commandment. Since the spring
of a person’s conduct is the heart, or inner person, the transforming powerof
the kingdom must be especiallyexperiencedthere. Anger and insults spoken
from angerare evil and corrupting, and they therefore call forth God’s
judgment, just as the actof murder itself does. Accordingly, the worship and
service of God cannotbe performed as long as angerinfects the soul. Thus,
the recipient of the grace ofthe kingdom is one who initiates and seeks
reconciliation, both with members of the community of faith and with
adversaries (cf. Mt 5:9). The underlying and key messageofthese
astonishingly authoritative words is that a person is held accountable for his
or her angry thoughts, not merely for external acts of violence againstothers.
Here, as in the beatitudes, the truly revolutionary characterof the kingdom
and its ethics makes itself felt. (Hagner, D. A. Vol. 33A: Word Biblical
Commentary: Matthew 1-13. Word Biblical Commentary Page 118. Dallas:
Word, Incorporated)
Virgil Hurley has the following illustration entitled "Even in Wartime" - On
April 1, 1945, in the TaiwanStrait, the U.S. submarine Queenfish fired
multiple torpedoes at what the ship’s radar suggestedwas a Japanese
destroyer. When the sub later pulled aboard the only survivor, the captain
learned he had sunk the Awa Maru, a Japanesecargoship the U.S. State
Department had guaranteedsafe passagefora round-trip from Japanto
Singapore. With white crosses paintedon her hull and two thousand tons of
relief supplies for American soldiers in Japanese prisoncamps in her hold, the
Awa Maru was to pass unharmed through the gauntlet of submarines

swarming the depths in her path. The Queenfish never receiveda clear
version of that order. On April 17, the U.S. State Department and the U.S.
Navy issued an official apologyto the Japanese government, offering to
replace the Awa Maru with a similar ship. It didn’t have to be done because
the warended four months later. Mostof our apologies willnot be so
dramatic, but, when we are wrong, they should be as direct. We should
assume total responsibility for our mistakes and offer restitution if at all
possible. Accepting more than our share of guilt and allowing another more
than his share of innocence disarms the egotismthat won’t and empowers the
humility that will … apologize. (Hurley, V. Speaker's SourcebookofNew
Illustrations Page 8. Dallas:Word Publishers)
Matthew 5:26 "Truly I sayto you, you will not come out of there until you
have paid up the last cent. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek:amen lego (1SPAI) soi, ou me echeltes (2SAAS)ekeitheneos an apodos
(2SAAS) ton eschatonkodranten.
Amplified: Truly I say to you, you will not be releaseduntil you have paid the
last fraction of a penny. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Verily I sayunto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou
hast paid the uttermost farthing.
NLT: I assure you that you won't be free again until you have paid the last
penny. (NLT - Tyndale House)

Philips: Believe me, you will never getout againtill you have paid your last
farthing! (New Testamentin Modern English)
Wuest: Assuredly, I am saying to you, you will not in any case come outfrom
there until you have paid off the last farthing. (
)
Young's Literal: verily I say to thee, thou mayestnot come forth thence till
that thou mayest pay the lastfarthing.
TRULY I SAY TO YOU, YOU WILL NOT COME OUT OF THERE UNTIL
YOU HAVE PAID UP THE LAST CENT
Mt 18:34;25:41,46;Luke 12:59;16:26; 2 Th 1:9; James 2:13
Truly (281)(amen from aman = be firm, steady)was a term of strong, intense
affirmation and means firm, trustworthy, surely. Amen acknowledgesthat
which is valid and binding. The OT often used "Amen" at the end of a
sentence to confirm the preceding words and invoke their fulfillment.
Only the Lord Jesus uses "Amen" at the beginning of a sentence andwhen He
beganby saying in essence "Itell you the truth" it was time to be quiet and
listen for this is a weighty statementthat you need to hear.. "Amen" thus
guarantees the truth of His saying and affirms His authority. In the present
context Jesus uses "Amen" to confirm the specialimportance of what He was
about to say. Jesus was saying, “Isay this to you absolutely, without
qualification and with the fullest authority.”

Jesus not infrequently mentions the peril of judgment is a theme in Jesus'
teaching to stress the fact that these instructions are not optional for men and
women who are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. To neglector ignore what
Jesus says has awful consequencesas indicatedby the emphatic phrase "you
will not come out". In fact He uses the "double negative" (ou me) which
strengthens the denial and says in essence, "no never", "notat all", "in no
case".These are strong words that all need to heed.
In Jesus'instruction to Peter(and all of us) on what forgiveness seventimes
seventy means, Jesus emphasizedthat the forgiven but then unforgiving slave
would be punished...
"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him overto the torturers until he
should repay all that was owedhim. So shall My heavenly Fatheralso do to
you, if eachof you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (Mt 18:33-
34)
Hendriksen summarizes verses 25,26 paraphrasing them as follows "as if
Jesus were saying, “Be not surprised about the urgency of my command that
you be reconciled;for, should it be that you were to pass from this life with a
heart still at variance with your brother, a condition which you have not even
tried to change, that wrong would testify againstyou in the day of judgment.
Moreover, dying with that spirit of hatred still in your heart, you will never
escape from the prison of hell.” (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. Vol. 9:
New Testamentcommentary : Exposition of the GospelAccording to
Matthew)
Let me add to Hendriksen's comment that the emphasis I would place is on
his statement"a condition which you have not eventried to change". Jesus is

not saying we canearn our salvationor lose our salvation. What He is saying
is that if you are genuinely saved, you are in a New Covenant (Jeremiah31:31,
32, 33, 34), possessa new heart and a new Spirit (Ezekiel36:26, 27), and so
you have the motivation (the Law is now written in your heart and the Spirit
will cause you to walk in God's statutes)to seek reconciliation. The person
who never has any desire whatsoeverto seek reconciliationis not manifesting
a new heart which seeks to deal with hatred. Now, you may be asking "How
far do I go? Is the burden on me entirely? What happens when the one in
adversarialrelation refuses?" The answeris when you have done all in your
powerto seek to bring about a reconciliation, and the one at enmity refuses,
the guilt will rest on the adversary. Jesus Himself sought reconciliationwith
evil men who repeatedly refused and who themselves will pay the penalty.
Ferguson- These two examples are not pieces ofadvice, or laws, either for
church behaviour or for solving legalproblems! They are, rather, illustrations
of how vital it is to have right relationships with others. The illustration of the
man in church underlines the necessityof reconciliation. The illustration of
two men going to court underlines the urgency of reconciliation. Animosity is
a time bomb; we do not know when it will `go off.' We must deal with it
quickly, before the consequencesofour bitterness get completely out of
control. Most human relationships that are destroyed could have been
preservedif there had been communication and action at the right time. Jesus
says that the right time is as soonas we are conscious thatwe are at enmity
with our brother (Matt. 5:23).... Jesus is telling us that we should, as far as
possible, remove all basis for enmity. But he is not urging us to share every
thought in our hearts during the process ofreconciliation. Our secretthoughts
and sins will not be sanctified by telling others about them. Doing so has led
many Christians (and those they have spokento) into unhappy and sometimes
disastrous situations. Jesus is not telling us to 'hang out our dirty linen in
public,' but rather to deal urgently and fully with all breakdowns in
fellowship before they lead to spiritual assassination. (Ferguson, Sinclair:
Sermon on the Mount :Banner of Truth) (Bolding and italics added)

Paid up (591) (apodidomi from apó = from + didomi = give) means to give
back and speaks offulfilling an obligation or expectationas in paying one's
taxes or paying wages owed.
Apodidomi - 48xin 46v- Matt 5:26, 33; 6:4, 6, 18; 12:36;16:27; 18:25f, 28ff,
34; 20:8; 21:41;22:21; 27:58;Mark 12:17; Luke 4:20; 7:42; 9:42; 10:35;
12:59;16:2; 19:8; 20:25;Acts 4:33; 5:8; 7:9; 19:40;Rom 2:6; 12:17; 13:7; 1
Cor 7:3; 1 Thess 5:15;1 Tim 5:4; 2 Tim 4:8, 14;Heb 12:11, 16; 13:17;1 Pet
3:9; 4:5; Rev18:6; 22:2, 12. The renders apodidomi as account*(1), award(1),
fulfill(2), gave back(2), give(3), give back(1), given over(1),giving(1),
make(m)(1), paid(2), paid up(1), pay(2), pay back(4), recompense(1),
render(7), repay(10), repayment to be made(1), repays(1), returning(1),
sold(3), yielding(1), yields(1)
Cent (2835)(kodrantes)is the same as assárion, a Romanbrass coin equal to
one tenth of a denarion (the usual pay for a day's labor). It was a small brass
coin equal to two leptá (mite) the smallestcoin in use among the Jews.
Wayne Grudem - Jesus here tells us that wheneverwe come to worship we
should be sure that our relationships with others are right, and if they are not,
we should act quickly to make them right and then come to worship God. This
admonition ought to be especiallytrue when we come to the Lord’s Supper.
(Systematic Theology)
ALTAR - Thusiasterion
New TestamentUses
Thusiasterion- 23xin 21v - all uses translated "altar" (once plural). Matt.
5:23f; 23:18ff, 35;Lk. 1:11; 11:51;Rom. 11:3; 1 Co. 9:13; 10:18; Heb. 7:13;

13:10;Jas. 2:21; Rev. 6:9; 8:3, 5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18;16:7. Notice that about 1/3
of the uses of altar are found in the book of the Revelation!
24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciledto
your brother, and then come and present your offering.
Matthew 23:18 "And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but
whoeverswears by the offering on it, he is obligated.'
19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that
sanctifies the offering?
20 "Therefore, whoeverswears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by
everything on it.
35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the sonof
Berechiah, whom you murdered betweenthe temple and the altar.
Luke 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appearedto him, standing to the right of
the altar of incense.
Luke 11:51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed
betweenthe altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged
againstthis generation.'

Romans 11:3 "Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY
HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND
THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."
1 Corinthians 9:13 Do you not know that those who perform sacredservices
eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have
their share from the altar?
1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at the nation Israel;are not those who eatthe
sacrifices sharersin the altar?
Hebrews 7:13 For the one concerning whom these things are spokenbelongs
to another tribe, from which no one has officiatedat the altar.
Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle
have no right to eat.
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
up Isaac his son on the altar?
Revelation6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the
altar the souls of those who had been slain because ofthe word of God, and
because ofthe testimony which they had maintained;
Revelation8:3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden
censer;and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the
prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

5 Then the angel took the censerand filled it with the fire of the altar, and
threw it to the earth; and there followedpeals of thunder and sounds and
flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Revelation9:13 Thenthe sixth angelsounded, and I heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Revelation11:1 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and
someone said, "Getup and measure the temple of God and the altar, and
those who worship in it.
Revelation14:18 Then another angel, the one who has powerover fire, came
out from the altar; and he calledwith a loud voice to him who had the sharp
sickle, saying, "Putin your sharp sickle and gatherthe clusters from the vine
of the earth, because hergrapes are ripe."
Revelation16:7 And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the
Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
ALTAR - Thusiasterion
Old TestamentUses
Septuagint
Thusiasterion- 334 verses.

Genesis 8:20 ¶ Then Noahbuilt an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean
animal and of every cleanbird and offeredburnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I
will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared
to him.
8 Then he proceededfrom there to the mountain on the eastof Bethel, and
pitched his tent, with Bethelon the westand Ai on the east;and there he built
an altar to the LORD and calledupon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 13:4 to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and
there Abram calledon the name of the LORD.
18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks ofMamre,
which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.
Genesis 22:9 ¶ Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and
Abraham built the altar there and arrangedthe wood, and bound his son
Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Genesis 26:25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the
LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.
Genesis 33:20 Thenhe erectedthere an altar and calledit El-Elohe-Israel.
Genesis 35:1 ¶ Then God saidto Jacob, "Arise, go up to Betheland live there,
and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from
your brother Esau."
3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God,
who answeredme in the day of my distress and has been with me whereverI
have gone."
7 He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God
had revealedHimself to him when he fled from his brother.
Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner;

Exodus 20:24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice
on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheepand your
oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to
you and bless you.
25 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones,
for if you wield your toolon it, you will profane it.
26 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will
not be exposedon it.'
Exodus 21:14 "If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor,
so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may
die.
Exodus 24:4 Moses wrote downall the words of the LORD. Then he arose
early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with
twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
6 Mosestook half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the
blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Exodus 27:1 ¶ "And you shall make the altar of acaciawood, five cubits long
and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three
cubits.
3 "You shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its
basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.
5 "You shall put it beneath, under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will
reachhalfway up the altar.
6 "You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlaythem
with bronze.
7 "Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles shall be on the
two sides of the altar when it is carried.
Exodus 28:43 "They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the
tent of meeting, or when they approachthe altar to minister in the holy place,

so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and
to his descendants afterhim.
Exodus 29:12 "You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the
horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the
base of the altar.
13 "You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver,
and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke
on the altar.
16 and you shall slaughterthe ram and shall take its blood and sprinkle it
around on the altar.
18 "You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt
offering to the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.
20 "You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the
lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the lobes of his sons'right ears and on the
thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and
sprinkle the restof the blood around on the altar.
25 "You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the
altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the LORD; it is an
offering by fire to the LORD.
36 "Eachday you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you
shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it
to consecrateit.
37 "Forsevendays you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it;
then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
38 ¶ "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs
eachday, continuously.
44 "I will consecratethe tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate
Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me.

Exodus 30:1 ¶ "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning
incense;you shall make it of acacia wood.
18 "You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for
washing;and you shall put it betweenthe tent of meeting and the altar, and
you shall put water in it.
20 when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that
they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up
in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD.
27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and
the altar of incense,
28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its
stand.
Exodus 31:8 the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with
all its utensils, and the altar of incense,
Exodus 32:5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron
made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shallbe a feastto the LORD."
Exodus 35:16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles, and
all its utensils, the basin and its stand;
Exodus 38:1 ¶ Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acaciawood, five
cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high.
3 He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the
basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze.
4 He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge,
reaching halfway up.
30 With it he made the socketsto the doorwayof the tent of meeting, and the
bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar,
Exodus 39:38 and the gold altar, and the anointing oil and the fragrant
incense, and the veil for the doorwayof the tent;

Exodus 40:5 "Moreover, youshall setthe gold altar of incense before the ark
of the testimony, and setup the veil for the doorwayto the tabernacle.
6 "You shall setthe altar of burnt offering in front of the doorwayof the
tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
10 "You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and
consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy.
26 Then he placedthe gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;
29 He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorwayof the tabernacle of
the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering,
just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 He placed the laver betweenthe tent of meeting and the altar and put
waterin it for washing.
33 He erectedthe court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up
the veil for the gatewayof the court. Thus Moses finished the work.
Leviticus 1:5 'He shall slaythe young bull before the LORD; and Aaron's sons
the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar
that is at the doorwayof the tent of meeting.
7 'The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood
on the fire.
8 'Then Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the
suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.
9 'Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall washwith water. And the priest
shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by
fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.
11 'He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and
Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
12 'He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest
shall arrange them on the woodwhich is on the fire that is on the altar.

13 'The entrails, however, and the legs he shall washwith water. And the
priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt
offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.
15 'The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up
in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the
altar.
16 'He shall also take awayits crop with its feathers and castit beside the
altar eastward, to the place of the ashes.
17 'Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not severit. And the priest
shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a
burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 2:2 'He shall then bring it to Aaron's sons the priests;and shall take
from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense.
And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar,
an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.
8 'When you bring in the grain offering which is made of these things to the
LORD, it shall be presentedto the priest and he shall bring it to the altar.
9 'The priest then shall take up from the grain offering its memorial portion,
and shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire of a soothing
aroma to the LORD.
12 'As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they
shall not ascendfor a soothing aroma on the altar.
Leviticus 3:2 'He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at
the doorwayof the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle
the blood around on the altar.
5 'Then Aaron's sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the burnt
offering, which is on the woodthat is on the fire; it is an offering by fire of a
soothing aroma to the LORD.

8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slayit before the
tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
11 'Then the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering
by fire to the LORD.
13 and he shall lay his hand on its head and slay it before the tent of meeting,
and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
16 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering
by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the LORD'S.
Leviticus 4:7 'The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the
altar of fragrant incense which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and
all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt
offering which is at the doorwayof the tent of meeting.
10 (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and
the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.
18 'He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before
the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he shall pour out at the
base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorwayof the tent of
meeting.
19 'He shall remove all its fat from it and offer it up in smoke on the altar.
25 'Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his
finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its
blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
26 'All its fat he shall offer up in smoke on the altar as in the case ofthe fat of
the sacrifice ofpeace offerings. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him
in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven.
30 'The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the
horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the restof its blood he shall pour
out at the base of the altar.

31 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the
sacrifice ofpeace offerings;and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the
altar for a soothing aroma to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make
atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
34 'The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger
and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the restof its
blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
35 'Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed
from the sacrifice ofthe peace offerings, and the priest shall offer them up in
smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall
make atonement for him in regard to his sin which he has committed, and he
will be forgiven.
Leviticus 5:9 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on
the side of the altar, while the restof the blood shall be drained out at the base
of the altar: it is a sin offering.
12 'He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as
its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings
of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 6:9 "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law for the
burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar
all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it.
10 'The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments
next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the
burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar.
12 'The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the
priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt
offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on
it.
13 'Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

14 ¶ 'Now this is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present
it before the LORD in front of the altar.
15 'Then one of them shall lift up from it a handful of the fine flour of the
grain offering, with its oil and all the incense that is on the grain offering, and
he shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, a soothing aroma, as its memorial
offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 7:2 'In the place where they slay the burnt offering they are to slay
the guilt offering, and he shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.
5 'The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire
to the LORD; it is a guilt offering.
31 'The priest shall offer up the fat in smoke on the altar, but the breast shall
belong to Aaron and his sons.
Leviticus 8:10 ¶ Moses thentook the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle
and all that was in it, and consecratedthem.
15 Next Moses slaughteredit and took the blood and with his finger put some
of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured
out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecratedit, to make
atonement for it.
16 He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver,
and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offeredit up in smoke on the
altar.
19 Moses slaughteredit and sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
21 After he had washedthe entrails and the legs with water, Mosesofferedup
the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing
aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had
commanded Moses.
24 He also had Aaron's sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on
the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big

toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the restof the blood around on
the altar.
28 Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on
the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a
soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD.
30 ¶ So Moses took some ofthe anointing oil and some of the blood which was
on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on
the garments of his sons with him; and he consecratedAaron, his garments,
and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.
Leviticus 9:7 Moses thensaid to Aaron, "Come nearto the altar and offer
your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for
yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you
may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded."
8 ¶ So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughteredthe calfof the sin
offering which was for himself.
9 Aaron's sons presentedthe blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the
blood and put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the
blood at the base of the altar.
10 The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then
offered up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
12 ¶ Then he slaughteredthe burnt offering; and Aaron's sons handed the
blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar.
13 They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he
offered them up in smoke onthe altar.
14 He also washedthe entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke
with the burnt offering on the altar.
17 Next he presented the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it
and offeredit up in smoke on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the
morning.

18 ¶ Then he slaughteredthe ox and the ram, the sacrifice ofpeace offerings
which was for the people; and Aaron's sons handed the blood to him and he
sprinkled it around on the altar.
20 they now placedthe portions of fat on the breasts;and he offeredthem up
in smoke on the altar.
24 Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt
offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it,
they shouted and fell on their faces.
Leviticus 10:9 "Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons
with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die-- it
is a perpetual statute throughout your generations--
12 ¶ Then Moses spoketo Aaron, and to his surviving sons, Eleazarand
Ithamar, "Take the grain offering that is left over from the LORD'S offerings
by fire and eatit unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.
Leviticus 14:20 "The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain
offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he
will be clean.
Leviticus 16:12 "He shall take a firepan full of coals offire from upon the
altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground sweetincense, and
bring it inside the veil.
18 "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make
atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood
of the goatand put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.
20 ¶ "When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and
the altar, he shall offer the live goat.
25 "Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement
for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the
priests and for all the people of the assembly.

Leviticus 17:6 "The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD
at the doorwayof the tent of meeting, and offer up the fat in smoke as a
11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the
altar to make atonementfor your souls;for it is the blood by reasonof the life
that makes atonement.'
Leviticus 21:23 only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar
because he has a defect, so that he will not profane My sanctuaries. ForI am
the LORD who sanctifies them.'"
Leviticus 22:22 'Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a
running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make
of them an offering by fire on the altar to the LORD.
Numbers 3:31 Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the
altars, and the utensils of the sanctuarywith which they minister, and the
screen, and all the service concerning them;
Numbers 4:11 "Over the golden altar they shall spreada blue cloth and cover
it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles;
13 "Then they shall take awaythe ashes from the altar, and spread a purple
cloth over it.
14 "They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection
with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of
the altar; and they shall spreada coverof porpoise skin over it and insert its
poles.
Numbers 5:25 'The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousyfrom the
woman's hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and
bring it to the altar;
26 and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial
offering and offer it up in smoke onthe altar, and afterward he shall make the
woman drink the water.

Numbers 7:1 ¶ Now on the day that Moses hadfinished setting up the
tabernacle, he anointed it and consecratedit with all its furnishings and the
altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecratedthem also.
10 The leaders offeredthe dedicationoffering for the altar when it was
anointed, so the leaders offeredtheir offering before the altar.
11 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Letthem present their offering, one
leadereachday, for the dedication of the altar."
84 ¶ This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel
when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold
pans,
88 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams
60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. This was the dedication
offering for the altar after it was anointed.
Numbers 16:38 "As for the censers ofthese men who have sinned at the cost
of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets fora plating of the altar,
since they did presentthem before the LORD and they are holy; and they
shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel."
39 So Eleazarthe priest took the bronze censers whichthe men who were
burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar,
46 Moses saidto Aaron, "Take yourcenserand put in it fire from the altar,
and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregationand make
atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has
begun!"
Numbers 18:3 "And they shall thus attend to your obligation and the
obligation of all the tent, but they shall not come near to the furnishings of the
sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.
5 "So you shall attend to the obligations of the sanctuary and the obligations
of the altar, so that there will no longerbe wrath on the sons of Israel.

7 "But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthoodfor
everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform
service. I am giving you the priesthoodas a bestowedservice, but the outsider
who comes nearshall be put to death."
17 "But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a
goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on
the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a
Deuteronomy 12:27 "And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and
the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your
sacrifices shallbe poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you
shall eat the flesh.
Deuteronomy 16:21 ¶ "You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any
kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make for
yourself.
Deuteronomy 26:4 "Then the priest shall take the basketfrom your hand and
setit down before the altar of the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 27:5 "Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the LORD
your God, an altar of stones;you shall not wield an iron tool on them.
6 "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones, and you
shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God;
Deuteronomy 33:10 "Theyshall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your
law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on
Your altar.
Joshua 8:30 ¶ Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, in
Mount Ebal,
Joshua 9:27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of woodand drawers of
waterfor the congregationand for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the
place which He would choose.

Joshua 22:19 'If, however, the land of your possessionis unclean, then cross
into the land of the possessionofthe LORD, where the LORD'S tabernacle
stands, and take possessionamong us. Only do not rebel againstthe LORD, or
rebel againstus by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the
LORD our God.
28 "Therefore we said, 'It shall also come about if they saythis to us or to our
generations in time to come, then we shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the
LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice;rather
it is a witness betweenus and you."'
29 "Farbe it from us that we should rebel againstthe LORD and turn away
from following the LORD this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for
grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is
before His tabernacle."
Judges 2:2 and as for you, you shall make no covenantwith the inhabitants of
this land; you shall teardown their altars.'But you have not obeyed Me; what
is this you have done?
Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The
LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 ¶ Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take yourfather's bull
and a secondbull sevenyears old, and pull down the altar of Baalwhich
belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;
26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in
an orderly manner, and take a secondbull and offer a burnt offering with the
woodof the Asherah which you shall cut down."
28 ¶ When the men of the city arose earlyin the morning, behold, the altar of
Baalwas torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and
the secondbull was offeredon the altar which had been built.
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may
die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the
Asherah which was beside it."

31 But Joashsaidto all who stood againsthim, "Will you contend for Baal, or
will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by
morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someonehas torn
down his altar."
32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal
contend against him," because he had torn down his altar.
Judges 13:20 For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward
heaven, that the angelof the LORD ascendedin the flame of the altar. When
Manoahand his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.
Judges 21:4 It came about the next day that the people arose early and built
an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
1 Samuel 2:28 'Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My
priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me;
and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons
of Israel?
33 'Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes
will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase ofyour house
will die in the prime of life.
1 Samuel 7:17 Then his return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and
there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar to the LORD.
1 Samuel 14:35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that
he built to the LORD.
2 Samuel 24:18 ¶ So Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go up,
erectan altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
21 Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?"
And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an
altar to the LORD, that the plague may be held back from the people."

25 David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the
plague was held back from Israel.
1 Kings 1:50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, wentand
took hold of the horns of the altar.
51 Now it was told Solomon, saying, "Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King
Solomon, for behold, he has takenhold of the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let
King Solomonswearto me today that he will not put his servant to death with
the sword.'"
53 So King Solomonsent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he
came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomonsaid to him,
"Go to your house."
1 Kings 2:28 ¶ Now the news came to Joab, for Joabhad followed Adonijah,
although he had not followedAbsalom. And Joabfled to the tent of the LORD
and took hold of the horns of the altar.
29 It was told King Solomonthat Joabhad fled to the tent of the LORD, and
behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomonsent Benaiahthe son of Jehoiada,
saying, "Go, fall upon him."
35 The king appointed Benaiahthe son of Jehoiada overthe army in his
place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
1 Kings 3:4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great
high place;Solomon offereda thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
15 ¶ Then Solomonawoke, andbehold, it was a dream. And he came to
Jerusalemand stood before the ark of the covenantof the Lord, and offered
burnt offerings and made peace offerings, andmade a feastfor all his
servants.
1 Kings 6:20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in
width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also
overlaid the altar with cedar.

1 Kings 7:48 ¶ Solomonmade all the furniture which was in the house of the
LORD: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the bread of the
Presence;
1 Kings 8:22 ¶ Then Solomonstood before the altar of the LORD in the
presence ofall the assembly of Israeland spread out his hands toward heaven.
31 ¶ "If a man sins againsthis neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he
comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
54 ¶ When Solomonhad finished praying this entire prayer and supplication
to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on
his knees with his hands spreadtoward heaven.
64 On the same day the king consecratedthe middle of the court that was
before the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering
and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings;for the bronze altar
that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering and the
grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.
1 Kings 12:32 Jeroboaminstituted a feastin the eighth month on the fifteenth
day of the month, like the feastwhich is in Judah, and he went up to the altar;
thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he
stationedin Bethelthe priests of the high places which he had made.
33 Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethelon the fifteenth
day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own
heart; and he instituted a feastfor the sons of Israel and went up to the altar
to burn incense.
1 Kings 13:1 ¶ Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethelby
the word of the LORD, while Jeroboamwas standing by the altar to burn
incense.
2 He cried againstthe altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar,
altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David,
Josiahby name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places
who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"

3 Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD
has spoken, 'Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it
shall be poured out.'"
4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried
againstthe altar in Bethel, Jeroboamstretchedout his hand from the altar,
saying, "Seize him." But his hand which he stretchedout againsthim dried
up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.
5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar,
according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the
LORD.
32 "Forthe thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the
LORD againstthe altar in Bethel and againstall the houses of the high places
which are in the cities of Samaria."
1 Kings 16:32 So he erectedan altar for Baalin the house of Baalwhich he
built in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared
it and calledon the name of Baalfrom morning until noon saying, "O Baal,
answerus." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped
about the altar which they made.
30 ¶ Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come nearto me." So all the people
came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been
torn down.
33 Then he arrangedthe wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the
wood.
35 The waterflowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.
1 Kings 19:10 He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of
hosts;for the sons of Israelhave forsakenYour covenant, torn down Your
altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they
seek my life, to take it away."

14 Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts;
for the sons of Israel have forsakenYour covenant, torn down Your altars
and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek
my life, to take it away."
2 Kings 11:11 The guards stoodeachwith his weapons in his hand, from the
right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the
house, around the king.
18 All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his
altars and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the
priest of Baalbefore the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the
house of the LORD.
2 Kings 16:10 ¶ Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser
king of Assyria, and saw the altar which was at Damascus;and King Ahaz
sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all
its workmanship.
11 So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had
sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made it, before the coming of King
Ahaz from Damascus.
12 When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then the king
approachedthe altar and went up to it,
13 and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink
offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.
14 The bronze altar, which was before the LORD, he brought from the front
of the house, from betweenhis altar and the house of the LORD, and he put it
on the north side of his altar.
15 Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great
altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the
king's burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the
people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and

sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the
sacrifice. Butthe bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by."
2 Kings 18:22 "But if you sayto me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,'is it not
He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiahhas takenaway, and has said
to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem
'?
2 Kings 21:3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had
destroyed; and he erectedaltars for Baaland made an Asherah, as Ahab king
of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heavenand served them.
4 He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In
JerusalemI will put My name."
5 Forhe built altars for all the hostof heavenin the two courts of the house of
the LORD.
2 Kings 23:9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not go up to the
altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their
brothers.
12 The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the
kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manassehhad made in the two
courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he smashedthem
there and threw their dust into the brook Kidron.
15 ¶ Furthermore, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which
Jeroboamthe son of Nebat, who made Israelsin, had made, even that altar
and the high place he broke down. Then he demolished its stones, ground
them to dust, and burned the Asherah.
16 Now when Josiahturned, he saw the graves that were there on the
mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them
on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man
of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

17 Then he said, "What is this monument that I see?" And the men of the city
told him, "It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and
proclaimed these things which you have done againstthe altar of Bethel."
20 All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughteredon the
altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 6:49 ¶ But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt
offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place,
and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of
God had commanded.
1 Chronicles 16:40 to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt
offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written
in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:18 ¶ Then the angelof the LORD commanded Gad to sayto
David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the
threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
22 Then David saidto Ornan, "Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I
may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it to me,
that the plague may be restrained from the people."
26 Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answeredhim with
fire from heavenon the altar of burnt offering.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness,
and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.
1 Chronicles 22:1 ¶ Then David said, "This is the house of the LORD God,
and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel."
1 Chronicles 28:18 and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and
gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their
wings and coveredthe ark of the covenantof the LORD.

2 Chronicles 1:5 Now the bronze altar, which Bezalelthe son of Uri, the sonof
Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD, and Solomon
and the assembly soughtit out.
6 Solomonwent up there before the LORD to the bronze altar which was at
the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
2 Chronicles 4:1 ¶ Then he made a bronze altar, twenty cubits in length and
twenty cubits in width and ten cubits in height.
11 ¶ Huram also made the pails, the shovels and the bowls. So Huram
finished doing the work which he performed for King Solomonin the house of
God:
19 ¶ Solomonalso made all the things that were in the house of God: even the
golden altar, the tables with the bread of the Presenceonthem,
2 Chronicles 5:12 and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and
their sons and kinsmen, clothedin fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres,
standing eastof the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests
blowing trumpets
2 Chronicles 6:12 ¶ Then he stoodbefore the altar of the LORD in the
presence ofall the assembly of Israeland spread out his hands.
22 ¶ "If a man sins againsthis neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he
comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
2 Chronicles 7:7 ¶ Then Solomonconsecratedthe middle of the court that was
before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the
fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which Solomonhad made
was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.
9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedicationof the
altar they observedsevendays and the feastsevendays.
2 Chronicles 8:12 ¶ Then Solomonoffered burnt offerings to the LORD on the
altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch;

2 Chronicles 14:3 for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore
down the sacredpillars, cut down the Asherim,
5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of
Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him.
2 Chronicles 15:8 ¶ Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which
Azariah the sonof Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage andremoved the
abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities
which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restoredthe
altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 23:10 He stationedall the people, eachman with his weaponin
his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the
altar and by the house, around the king.
17 And all the people went to the house of Baaland tore it down, and they
broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal
before the altars.
2 Chronicles 26:16 ¶ But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that
he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he
entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
19 But Uzziah, with a censerin his hand for burning incense, was enraged;
and while he was enragedwith the priests, the leprosy broke out on his
foreheadbefore the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of
incense.
2 Chronicles 28:24 Moreover, whenAhaz gatheredtogetherthe utensils of the
house of God, he cut the utensils of the house of God in pieces;and he closed
the doors of the house of the LORD and made altars for himself in every
corner of Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 29:18 ¶ Then they went in to King Hezekiahand said, "We have
cleansedthe whole house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all of
its utensils, and the table of showbreadwith all of its utensils.

19 "Moreover, allthe utensils which King Ahaz had discardedduring his
reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated;and behold,
they are before the altar of the LORD."
21 They brought sevenbulls, sevenrams, sevenlambs and sevenmale goats
for a sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah. And he ordered
the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
22 So they slaughteredthe bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled
it on the altar. They also slaughteredthe rams and sprinkled the blood on the
altar; they slaughteredthe lambs also and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
24 The priests slaughteredthem and purged the altar with their blood to
atone for all Israel, for the king ordered the burnt offering and the sin
offering for all Israel.
27 Then Hezekiah gave the order to offer the burnt offering on the altar.
When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began with the
trumpets, accompaniedby the instruments of David, king of Israel.
2 Chronicles 30:14 They arose and removed the altars which were in
Jerusalem;they also removed all the incense altars and castthem into the
brook Kidron.
2 Chronicles 32:12 'Has not the same Hezekiah takenawayHis high places
and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, "Youshall worship before
one altar, and on it you shall burn incense "?
2 Chronicles 33:4 He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the
LORD had said, "My name shall be in Jerusalemforever."
5 Forhe built altars for all the hostof heavenin the two courts of the house of
the LORD.
15 He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the
LORD, as wellas all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the
house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.

16 He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificedpeace offerings and thank
offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 34:4 They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and
the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the
Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and
ground to powder and scatteredit on the graves of those who had sacrificedto
them.
5 Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah
and Jerusalem.
7 he also tore down the altars and beatthe Asherim and the carved images
into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of
Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 35:16 ¶ So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day
to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the
LORD according to the command of King Josiah.
Ezra 3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and
Zerubbabel the sonof Shealtieland his brothers arose and built the altar of
the Godof Israelto offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of
Moses,the man of God.
3 So they setup the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of
the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD,
burnt offerings morning and evening.
Ezra 7:17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and
lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on
the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 10:34 Likewise we castlots for the supply of wood among the
priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of
our God, according to our fathers' households, atfixed times annually, to
burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law;

Esther 4:17 So Mordecai wentaway and did just as Esther had commanded
him.
Psalm26:6 I shall washmy hands in innocence, And I will go about Your
altar, O LORD,
Psalm43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And
upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
Psalm51:19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering
and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
Psalm84:3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.
Psalm118:27 The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival
sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
Isaiah6:6 ¶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coalin his
hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
Isaiah19:19 ¶ In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of
the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD near its border.
Isaiah56:7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them
joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrificeswill be
acceptable onMy altar; For My house will be calleda house of prayer for all
the peoples."
Isaiah60:7 "All the flocks ofKedar will be gatheredtogetherto you, The
rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptanceonMy
altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house.
Lamentations 2:7 The Lord has rejectedHis altar, He has abandoned His
sanctuary; He has delivered into the hand of the enemy The walls of her
palaces. Theyhave made a noise in the house of the LORD As in the day of an
appointed feast.

Ezekiel6:4 "So your altars will become desolate and your incense altars will
be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols.
5 "I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israelin front of their idols;
and I will scatteryour bones around your altars.
6 "In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be
desolate, thatyour altars may become waste and desolate, youridols may be
broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your
works may be blotted out.
13 "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among
their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the
mountains, under every greentree and under every leafy oak-- the places
where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols.
Ezekiel8:16 ¶ Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house.
And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, betweenthe porch
and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of
the LORD and their faces towardthe east;and they were prostrating
themselves eastwardtowardthe sun.
Ezekiel9:2 Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which
faces north, eachwith his shattering weaponin his hand; and among them
was a certainman clothed in linen with a writing case athis loins. And they
went in and stoodbeside the bronze altar.
Ezekiel40:46 but the chamber which faces towardthe north is for the priests
who keepcharge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from the sons
of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to Him."
47 He measured the court, a perfect square, a hundred cubits long and a
hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the temple.
Ezekiel41:22 The altar was of wood, three cubits high and its length two
cubits; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. And he said to me,
"This is the table that is before the LORD."

Ezekiel43:13 ¶ "And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the
cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): the base shall be a cubit and the
width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one span; and this shall
be the height of the base of the altar.
18 ¶ And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'These are
the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer burnt offerings on it and
to sprinkle blood on it.
20 'You shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the
four corners of the ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall
cleanse it and make atonement for it.
22 'On the secondday you shall offer a male goatwithout blemish for a sin
offering, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansedit with the bull.
26 'For sevendays they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so
shall they consecrate it.
27 'When they have completedthe days, it shall be that on the eighth day and
onward, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings on the altar, and your
peace offerings;and I will acceptyou,' declares the Lord GOD."
Ezekiel45:19 "The priest shall take some of the blood from the sin offering
and put it on the door posts of the house, on the four corners of the ledge of
the altar and on the posts of the gate of the inner court.
Ezekiel47:1 ¶ Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold,
waterwas flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for
the house facedeast. And the waterwas flowing down from under, from the
right side of the house, from south of the altar.
Hosea 3:4 For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or
prince, without sacrifice orsacredpillar and without ephod or household
idols.
Hosea 4:19 The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed
because oftheir sacrifices.

Hosea 8:11 Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, They have become
altars of sinning for him.
12 Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are
regardedas a strange thing.
Hosea 10:1 ¶ Israelis a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The
more his fruit, The more altars he made; The richer his land, The better he
made the sacredpillars.
2 Their heart is faithless; Now they must beartheir guilt. The LORD will
break down their altars And destroy their sacredpillars.
8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; Thorn and
thistle will grow on their altars;Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover
us!" And to the hills, "Fallon us!"
Hosea 12:11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are worthless. In Gilgal
they sacrifice bulls, Yes, their altars are like the stone heaps Beside the
furrows of the field.
Joel1:9 The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off From the house
of the LORD. The priests mourn, The ministers of the LORD.
13 Gird yourselves with sackclothAnd lament, O priests; Wail, O ministers
of the altar! Come, spend the night in sackclothO ministers of my God, For
the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your
God.
Joel2:17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, Weepbetweenthe porch and
the altar, And let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not make
Your inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they
among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"
Amos 2:8 "On garments takenas pledges they stretch out beside every altar,
And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been
fined.

Amos 3:14 "Foron the day that I punish Israel's transgressions, I will also
punish the altars of Bethel;The horns of the altar will be cut off And they will
fall to the ground.
Amos 9:1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said, "Smite the
capitals so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of
them all! Then I will slaythe rest of them with the sword;They will not have a
fugitive who will flee, Or a refugee who will escape.
Zechariah 9:15 The LORD of hosts will defend them. And they will devour
and trample on the sling stones;And they will drink and be boisterous as with
wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificialbasin, Drenched like the corners
of the altar.
Zechariah 14:20 ¶ In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the
horses, "HOLY TO THE LORD." And the cooking pots in the LORD'S house
will be like the bowls before the altar.
Malachi1:7 "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say,
'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be
despised.'
10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, thatyou
might not uselesslykindle fire on My altar! I am not pleasedwith you," says
the LORD of hosts, "nor will I acceptan offering from you.
Malachi2:13 ¶ "This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the
LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer
regards the offering or accepts itwith favor from your hand.
24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciledto
your brother, and then come and present your offering.

LOWELL JOHNSON
Something More Important Than Worship Matt. 5:23-26
Before Reading the Passage
God places a high premium on worship and praise unto Him.
-Ps. 29:2 - “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
-Ps. 150:1,6 - “Praise ye the Lord! Praise God in His Sanctuary...Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”
-The whole book of Leviticus was written to instruct the Jews in the proper
way to worship the Lord.
-Hebrews 10:25 warns us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together
for worship in the last days.
-Then, there is to be private worship betweenus and our God. But here, Jesus
said that there is something more important than worship. The truth we are
about to read must be an extremely important one for Jesus to put it before
worship.
Readthe Passage:

You will remember that Jesus has just talkedabout heart-murder. It is not
just the act of murdering someone, but it is also the attitude of hate and anger
that God sees, andif murder is in our hearts, God writes it down as murder
whether we committed the actor not.
-Many people believe that they can continue to harbor resentment and
bitterness in their hearts toward a brother or sisterin Christ so long as they
are faithful in their attendance, their service, and their gifts to God.
-Jesus says, “Not so”. Jesus clearlypoints out that it is far more important to
be reconciledto your brother than to fulfill the external duties of worship.
Worship is merely make-believe if we have offended others in such a way that
they are holding grudges againstus.
-Having a clearconscienceis a priority in the Christian life. We must make
sure our lives are right with God and right with men, because we cannotbe
right with God until we are right with men.
-Act 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a consciencevoid
of offence toward God, and toward men.
Jesus offereda plan to move people from alienationto reconciliation. The only
way to get overanger is to forgive. The only way to heal broken relationships
is to seek reconciliationwith the offender.

-The Lord gave a simple way to deal with anger. First, we remember exactly
what happened. Next, we drop what we are doing and seek reconciliation.
Finally, we give glory to God for His grace and forgiveness.
I am convincedthat some folks ought not to be in church trying to worship.
They ought to be off getting right with their brother or sister in Christ.
-The devil doesn't care how pious you and I look sitting in church as long as
there is discord in our hearts toward a brother. I sayagain, no man canbe
right with God if he is consciouslywrong with his brother.
-1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he
that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he
hath not seen?
We would be surprised to know how often and how much the Spirit of God is
quenched by folks who are not right with their brother.
-It doesn't matter how prayed up and prepared the preacher may be, if one
brother is at Odds againstanother, God is hindered from working. No matter
how beautiful the music is, if one brother is not right with another brother,
worship is hindered.
-Every preacherknows how important it is for those he is preaching to to be
right with eachother; yet, severalyears ago I was in revival in a nice size
church in Alabama. The revival started on Sunday morning and we had a
greatservice. The pastor and the people were excitedabout what God did in
the morning service and they expressedthat they were looking forward to

what God was going to do the rest of the week. We had a church-wide lunch in
the FellowshipHall and I satnext to the pastor. He turned to me and said,
“Thatwas a greatservice. What are you going to preachon tonight?” I told
him that I felt the Lord would have me preachon the very passage I'm
preaching on now; being right with your brother; being reconciledwith your
brother. He suddenly turned pale and said, “Pleasedon't preach on that
tonight or any time this week. If you do, I'll have to leave this church.” It was
the only time a preacher had ever askedme not to preach on a passageof
scripture. I wrestledthe restof the afternoon with what I would do. He told
me what had happened betweenhimself and a member of the church. I tried
to get him to go to the man and getit right, but he refused. It is the only time
in my ministry that I did not preach what God had clearly lead me to preach.
He said before eachservice, “Pleasedon't preach on getting right with your
brother.” It was very obvious in eachservice that God's Spirit was being
quenched and there was no other movement of the Lord during the revival. I
promised God that I would never let anyone else talk me into not preaching
what God clearly laid on my heart to preach. That has been over ten years
ago, and God still deals with me about my wrong decisionabout not preaching
what He wantedme to preach.
-Psalm 66:18 As long as we have intentional sin in our hearts and lives,
outward acts of worship are not acceptable to God. There is a lot of vain
worship and singing and praying and giving.
I want to leave four words with you:
I. Remembrance Mt 5:23-24

Mostof us don't have much trouble remembering hurts. We often hold on to
grudges, refusing to let them go. Yet, the only way we'll be free from the hurt
is to obey the pattern given by our Lord.
-If we fail to deal with the wrong, more people will end up being hurt. The old
saying, “Hurt people, Hurt people” is true. Someone who is hard to get along
with and constantlydoing or saying things that hurt other people is most
likely a person who has been hurt and has refused to deal with it.
Jesus gives an illustration: A man is coming to the temple to offer his free-will
offering to God. He's thinking that nothing is wrong. He thinks that he's doing
his faithful religious duty – just as those do who faithfully attend Church, or
put money in the offering plate, or listen to “long sermons” without
complaining. But then – right in the very act of performing his religious duty
– he remembers something! (Isn't that the way it is? Whenever we truly seek
to draw near to God, He lovingly, but gently, causes issuesin our lives to come
up that had – to that point – remained undealt with.) And so, as this man was
bringing his gift to God's alter, he then remembers that a brother has
something againsthim.
-I believe that the “something” should be seenin the context of what Jesus
says in 5:21-22. Maybe as the man approaches God's holy throne, the Holy
spirit brings to his mind angertoward a fellow believer and he has refused to
let the angergo. Maybe God reminds him or name-calling or a slanderor
some resentment he has toward another. God causes him to stop and recall
that he is guilty of “heart –murder” and now he dares to stand before God's
holy presence. How could a Holy God receive the gift of such a man, until he
repents of his heart-murder?
Do you have a hard time forgiving others?

-Sam Jones said, “I had a hard time forgiving folks until I decided I would not
fall out with anyone unless they treated me worse than I treatedJesus Christ.”
-GeneralJames Overthroup told John Wesley, “There is someone I will never
forgive.” Wesleysaid, “ThenI hope, sir, that you never sin.”
-An unforgiving spirit is unforgivable! Matt. 6:14-15
Jesus points to both sides of the issue. In Matt. 5 He said, “If you remember
that someone has something againstyou, go to them. “If you have something
againstsomeone else, go to them.
(Matt. 18:15-17, 21-22, 35).
II. Refusal
Twice in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Refuseto worship until you
get things right with your brother.” This must be an extremely important
principle for the Lord, since He places it ahead of worship. We cannot really
participate in worship if our hearts are full of hate and anger.
-It's a terrible thing to enter church with a heavy heart and be unable to
experience the joy of worship because ofunresolved anger. The only way to
regainthe power and joy of worshiping God is to resolve the situation with the
other person.

Two greatprinciples come out of this passage:It is always the right time to be
reconcile AND it is always my turn.
I must tell you: “It costto forgive. There are no bargain pardons. To forgive
means to absorbthe hurt and pain yourself and refuse to bring the hurt and
pain up again to the forgiven person.”
III. Reconciling – Mt 5:24; Rom. 12:9-10, 14, 17-21
Reconciliationdemands courage, generosity, and strength of character. One
of the hardest things to do is to humble ourselves before someone we are
angry at. Yet, that is exactlywhat Christ calls us to do.
-That will mean giving up the hurt and the thoughts of revenge we have
harbored. No matter who is at fault, if we recognize there is a problem, it is
our responsibility to seek reconciliation. We must do everything we can to try
and make it right, and we must count on God to work in the heart of the other
person. I am not responsible for how the other personresponds to me, but I
am responsible for my ownbehavior.
A civil war historian named Myers writes that in 1913, the Federal
Government held a fiftieth anniversary reunion at Gettysburg. It lastedthree
days. Thousands of survivors bivouackedin the old battlefield, swapping
stories and looking up old comrades. Forthe most part, the old men got along
well enough, but over dinner at a restaurantone evening, harsh words were
passedbetweena Yankee and a Rebel and they went at one another with
forks:“unscathedin the battle of 1863,”Myers wrote, “One of then - and I

never learned which – was almostfatally wounded in 1913 with table
hardware!”
The climax of the gathering was a re-enactment of Pickett's Charge.
Thousands of spectators gatheredto watch as the Union Veterans took their
positions on CemeteryRidge, and waitedas their old adversaries emerged
from the woods on Seminary Ridge and started toward them acrossthe long,
flat fields. Myers wrote, “We could see, not rifles and bayonets, but canes and
crutches. We watchedas the more agile men aided those who were not able to
maintain their places in rank. As the Rebels gotnearerto the northern line,
they broke out in one final, defiant rebel yell. It was then that the Yankees,
unable to restrain themselves any longer, rushed from behind the stone wall
and flung themselves upon their former enemies – not in mortal combat, but
re-united in brotherly love and affection.
-Reconciliationnot only involves seeking forgiveness,but also granting
forgiveness to those who have wrongedus.
In a Peanut's cartoon, Lucy said to Snoopy: “There are times when you really
bug me, but I must admit, there are also times when I feellike giving you a big
hug.” Snoopy replied: “That's the way I am – huggable and buggable.” The
truth is, that's the way most of us are. Scripture teaches us that we should not
only forgive those who wrong us, but to love them.
Notice 5:25-26 There is an urgency to reconcile. We are to nip the problems in
the bud quickly, before more trouble piles up. Bitterness breeds bitterness.
Take immediate actionto mend the relationship
IV. Return – Mt 5:24b

D.L.Moodysaid that the most difficult sin to deal with in the life of a
Christian is the sin of an unforgiving spirit. This sin, more than any other, is
keeping Christians from having power with God.
We are to worship God with a cleanheart.
Myself
I have to live with myself, and so
I want to be fit for myself to know;
I want to be able as days go by
always to look myself straight in the eye;
I don't want to stand with the setting sun
And hate myself for things I've done.
I don't want to keepon a closetshelf

A lot of secrets aboutmyself;
And fool myself as I come and go
Into thinking that nobody else will know
The kind of man I really am;
I don't want to dress myself up in sham.
I want to go out with my head erect,
I want to deserve all men's respect;
But here in the struggle for fame and pelf,
I want to be able to like myself.
I don't want to think as I come and go
That I'm bluster and bluff and empty show.

I never can hide myself from me,
I see what others may never see,
I know what others may never know,
I never can fool myself – and so,
Whateverhappens, I want to be
Self-respecting and conscience free.
GREG ALLEN
"FirstBe Reconciled!"
Matthew 5:21-26
Theme: Jesus teachesus that reconciliationwith an alienatedbrother comes
before worshiping at His alter.
(Delivered Sunday, February 8, 2004 at Bethany Bible Church. Unless
otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James
Version.)

INTRODUCTION
Over the past few weeks, I've been sharing with you a growing sense that God
is making some significant changes in our church. The leaders and I have
been noting these changes with greatexcitement; and we feel that the Holy
Spirit is in the process oftransforming us as a church family.
For example, we have been thrilled to see the numbers of people who have
participated in the discipleship ministry that beganin our church last month;
and many of you who are participating in those discipleship groups have told
me personallyof how God is bringing about a revival of His word in your
lives. There has been a new sense ofinvolvement in the ministry of our church
over the past few weeks,as severalofyou are stepping into active areas of
service in response to God's call. Some men in our church have formed a
group that meets once a week forprayer and mutual encouragementin the
Lord; and planning meetings have been held recently to revitalize the
women's ministry. The holiday music team has recently formed with the
vision of not merely providing music for the upcoming services, but of actually
serving as 'leaders'in the ministry of worship. And - perhaps one of the most
important indications of all - our mid-week prayer services are seeing an
increasedattendance ofpeople who are committed to the ministry of prayer.
These things have begun to happen in just the last month or so; and it's
exciting to see what God is doing in our church family. So please keep
praying, and please keepserving!
* * * * * * * * * *
There are two very important things the leaders of our church and I must do
on a constant basis. (You should know about these things, so you can be
praying for us.) First, we must keepsensitive to where the Lord is leading our

church, and guide all the members of the church family to become involved in
what God is doing in the unique way He has calledthem to serve. We
obviously don't want to run aheadof God's will; but we don't want to drag
our feetwhen He's calling us to move forward either.
But having a sense of where God is leading us, a secondimportant thing we as
leaders must do is to be on the lookoutfor anything that might impede our
progress, orcause us to stumble in His work. We not only need to be a
ministering and forward-moving church; but we must be a holy church - or
else our work will not be blessedof God.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've become aware of something that has the
potential of impeding our progress if we aren't carefulto take care of it. And
I'm particularly concernedabout it because I believe it's something that the
enemy is most likely to use againsta church that is growing and progressing.
It's a subtile threat, because it's the type of sin that tends to be found among
believing people who are otherwise very active and involved in church life.
The goodand - I hope - encouraging news is that, if we regularly bring this
matter to the Lord and seek His help in taking care of it, I believe it will free
the wayfor Him use our church in the months to come in ways we never could
have imagined possible.
The matter I have in mind is one that Jesus spoke aboutin His Sermon on the
Mount. In Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus taughtthe multitudes and said;
"You have heard that it was saidto those of old, 'You shall not murder, and
whoevermurders will be in dangerof the judgment.' But I say to you, that
whoeveris angry with his brother without a cause shallbe in dangerof the

judgment. And whoeversays to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in dangerof the
council. But whoeversays, 'You fool!' shall be in dangerof hell fire. Therefore
if you bring your gift to the alter, and there remember that your brother has
something againstyou, leave your gift there before the alter, and go your way.
First be reconciledto your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree
with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lestyour
adversary deliver you over 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 getout of there till you have paid the lastpenny" (Matthew 5:21-26).
* * * * * * * * * *
One of the most influential Bible teachers I eversat under while in college was
Dr. John G. Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell had the ability to give you a short, simple
statementof spiritual truth that would stay with you for the rest of your life.
One of the things he said to us was, "Remember, young people - God doesn't
need your service. What He wants is you." I'll never forgetthose words. They
have regularly served as a great'perspective-corrective'in my ministry. They
often remind me that God isn't interested in my service, or my treasure, or my
sacrifice, if He doesn't - above all else - have my heart. Farmore than my
service, He wants my love. He wants me.
I thought of those words from Dr. Mitchell as I studied this passage. In it,
Jesus tells us of someone who was in the process ofcoming to God's "alter" to
make an offering of some kind to God - a "gift". But the problem is that God
did not yet have full possessionofthis person's heart; because he or she was at
odds with someone else that God loves - a "brother";someone else in the
household of faith. And until that alienation ended, and reconciliationhad
occurred, God would not acceptthe offering being made.
That fact makes this a very important word of exhortation to our church -
particularly as we see so many goodand positive signs of growth. It warns us
that our progress willbe hindered if there are people in our church family

who are not right with eachother. Our Lord and Masterdoesn'tdesire our
service, or our gifts, or our sacrificesfor Him, if He doesn't first have our
hearts. And so long as we are not right with some particular brother or sister
in Christ, our Lord does not fully have our heart.
As we considerthis passage, I'd like to urge you to do something. Ask God to
open your eyes this morning to someone - perhaps a brother or sisterin this
church family, or perhaps a believer from your wider circle of relations - with
whom you are at odds. It may be someone who has offended you or hurt you
in some way, and with whom you now refuse to speak or toward whom you
are cold. Perhaps it's someone who has done something that you consider
improper or sinful, but whom you have refusedto confront. Perhaps it's
someone who has sinned againstyou in some way, and who has askedyour
forgiveness, but toward whom you have - so far - withheld that forgiveness.
Perhaps it's someone youresent for some reason - a fellow believer toward
whom you are bitter or angry, or who just rubs you the wrong way; and with
whom you have not takenthe proper steps to be reconciled.
Obviously, that's a 'dangerous'thing to pray; because Godmost certainly will
answerit. He has a vestedinterest in doing so. And as God brings that person
to mind, I urge you to ask God to show you - from this morning's passage -
how He feels about that animosity, how it hurts Him and His cause;and then
ask Him what He wants you to do about it.
There's one thing you can say with absolute certainty from this morning's
passage:It clearly shows us that mending that rift is a greatpriority with the
Lord Jesus;and that it even comes before making a gift at His alter.
* * * * * * * * * *
First, let's look at this passage andconsider. . .

1. THE BASIS OF JESUS'PRIORITY(vv. 21-22).
Jesus begins His teaching by quoting from the sixth commandment, which
says, "You shall not murder." And perhaps you wonder why it is that He
begins with that commandment.
I feel it's important to understand this passagein relation to the whole context
of Jesus'Sermon on the Mount. Many people misunderstand Jesus'words in
this sermon, and believe that He is - somehow - speaking againstGod's Law.
He keeps repeating that formula in which He says, "You have heard that it
was said . . ." and quotes from the Law; and then follows it up with the words,
"But I say to You . . ." as if He were cancelling out the Law and giving
preference to His ownteaching instead.
But Jesus is, in no way, speaking againstthe Law in this passage.Farfrom it!
In fact, He is actually exalting God's Law. He very clearlysays, in verses 17-
19;
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come
to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I sayto you, till heaven and earth pass
away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled. Whoevertherefore breaks one of the leastof these commandments,
and teaches menso, shall be calledleastin the kingdom of heaven; but
whoeverdoes and teaches them, he shall be calledgreat in the kingdom of
heaven" (vv. 17-19).
So, if Jesus was not teaching againstthe Law in this passage, whatwas He
doing? The clue is found in verse 20: "ForI sayto you, that unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness ofthe scribes and Pharisees, you will
by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

The scribes and Pharisees, yousee, were concernedonly with keeping the
mere "letter" of the Law. They believed that if the commandment, as
expressedin the words of the commandment itself, was being kept to the
letter, then the complete requirement of the commandment was being
fulfilled. But Jesus is clearlycalling His disciples to "exceed"the
righteousness ofthe scribes and Pharisees by keeping the full spiritual
"intent" behind the letter of the Law.
That's why Jesus uses that formula throughout His teaching in this sermon.
He is calling His followers to a righteousness that goes beyondthe mere
'superficial' obedience to God's commandments - just in terms of the 'words'
of the commandments - and on to the true obedience from the heart that those
commandments were intended to bring about. For example, Jesus said, "You
have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
But I sayto you that whoeverlooks at a womanto lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart" (vv. 27-28);thus getting to the true
intent of the commandment. Or "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever
divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate ofdivorce.' But I sayto you
that whoeverdivorces his wife for any reasonexceptsexualimmorality causes
her to commit adultery; and whoevermarries a woman who is divorced
commits adultery" (vv. 31-32);again, getting down to the real heart of the
commandments in the Old Testamentthat regulated divorce.
Jesus says, "Againyou have heard that it was saidto those of old, 'You shall
not swearfalsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord'"; but He then gets
to the true intention of that Old Testamentcommand by saying, "But I sayto
you, do not swearat all . . ." (vv. 33-34). Or He says, "You have heard that it
was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'"; giving us a command
that regulates and restricts vengeance.And then He points out the true intent
of that command by saying, "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But
whoeverslaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." (vv. 38-

39). He says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.' But I sayto you, love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do goodto those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you . . ." (vv. 43-44).
And so, as you can see, Jesuswasn'tsetting the commands of the Law aside in
order to replace them with His own. Not at all! Rather, He was giving proper
reverence to the Law by showing that the true intent of the commandments
goes fardeeper than just the mere words. He was revealing the true depth and
heart-changing reachof God's Law to His disciples. And the same is true in
this morning's passage.
Jesus quotes from the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13);and says, "You
have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder . . .'" And, in
fact, He adds a comment - probably a comment drawn from the Jewish
teachers and scholars ofthe day - that underscores the obvious seriousnessof
that commandment; "'. . . and whoevermurders will be in danger of the
judgment.'"
Everyone who heard these words would have consentedto them. God has
indeed commanded that we not murder; and obviously anyone who then
murders, in violation of God's clearcommandment, would be liable before the
court of law and ultimately to judgment before God. But then, Jesus takesus
to the true intent of that commandment by saying, "But I sayto you that
whoeveris angry with his brother without a cause shallbe in dangerof the
judgment."
Many ancient manuscripts do not contain the words "without a cause";but
even if they were added later, they are clearlyin keeping with the intent of
Jesus'words. And do you see it? When someone is angry with his brother

without a cause - a fellow believer; a member of the same householdof faith;
when such a person harbors bitterness and resentment toward a brother, they
stand as guilty before the same 'judgment' as if they had risen up and
murdered them. Furthermore, Jesus says, "And whoever says to his brother,
'Raca!'" (which was an Aramaic term of contempt that means something like
"empty head")"shall be in danger of the council" - that is the ruling council
of the Jewishpeople. "But whoeversays, 'You fool!'" (which is a vicious
attack on the person's very character)"shallbe in danger of hell fire."
Jesus is showing us that Godconsiders more acts to be "murderous" than just
the taking of someone's literallife. Wheneverwe insult our brother and call
him names, Jesus says we're guilty of murder. Whenever we slander our
sister, or attack her character, Jesus says we're guilty of murder. As the
apostle John has clearly put it, "Whoeverhates his brother is a murderer, and
you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15)."
Now think againabout that brother or sisterin Christ with whom you may be
at odds. Do you realize what Jesus is saying to us? He is restoring the sixth
commandment to its true force, and applying it to that person from whom we
are alienated.
People often say, "Well, you know;I'm certainly nothing to brag about. But
I'm not as bad as some people. I mean, at leastI'm not a murderer!" But
Jesus is telling us here that, when we harbor resentment toward a brother or
sisterin Christ; when we refuse to forgive when forgiveness has been askedof
us; when we refuse to talk to a brother or sisterin Christ who has offended us,
so that we canbe reconciled to them; when we are angry with them unjustly,
and willingly maintain a state of alienation from them, we are "killing" them
in our hearts. We are guilty of murder in terms of the true intent of God's
commandment.

* * * * * * * * * *
This gives us the true basis of the priority Jesus establishesin this passage.We
must be reconciledto that brother or sisterwith whom we are at odds,
because to do otherwise is to commit an actof murder in the heart. And God -
who sees allhearts - will not acceptthe service, orthe sacrifice, orthe "gifts"
at His alter, of someone who is harboring such an attitude of murder. That's
how truly serious this matter is.
This leads us, next, to consider. . .
2. THE PRIORITYJESUS ESTABLISHES (vv. 23-24).
He describes the situation when He says, "Therefore if you bring your gift to
the alter, and there remember that your brother has something againstyou . .
."
Many people believe that they can continue to harbor resentment and
bitterness in their hearts toward a brother or sisterin Christ so long as they
are faithful givers and sacrificialdonors to God's work. But plainly, Jesus tells
us otherwise. He says that, if you "remember" such a thing, there is to be no
delay; "leave your gift there before the alter, and go your way. First be
reconciledto your brother, and then come and offer your gift."
Jesus is calling for a particular actionto be taken. And notice who it is that is
being called upon to act. We would have thought Jesus was going to say, "and
if you there remember that you have something againstyour brother . . ."
And the Bible does, indeed, talk about taking care of such anger toward
someone who has offended us. But that's not what Jesus is saying here. The
person calledupon to take action in this case is the one who is the 'offender'.
It's the one who thinks themselves capable of "living with" the alienationthat

is causedby the other person being offended. It's the personwho, though
recognizing things aren't perfect, at leastthought everything was "workable";
and that even though the other person is making a big deal about the matter,
they feel they don't have to. Jesus'words are directed toward the person who
feels free to come and approachthe alter and make an offering, in spite of the
rift. It's that person- not the offended one - who is here being called upon to
ceasein the midst of their worship and initiate the reconciliation.
This teaches us that it's not enough to simply "stuff it in" and learn to live
with it when we have hurt someone else. Ifwe have hurt them, then Jesus
takes the matter seriously - even if we do not. We have often spokenin our
church about the passagein Matthew 18; "Moreoverif your brother sins
againstyou, go and tell him his fault betweenyou and him alone. If he hears
you, you have gained your brother . . ." (Matthew 18:15). But I like to think of
Jesus'words in this morning's passage as directedto the person on the
'receiving end' of that "go and tell him his fault" process.
How might such an offense occur? A brother or sister might have something
againstus because we have sinned againstthem, or done something wrong to
them in some way, or neglectedsome important duty toward them. If we are
innocent, we should - lovingly, patiently, and gently - correctthe
misunderstanding without taking offense ourselves. But if we are in fact guilty
as charged, then of course we should repent, ask forgiveness,and restore the
damage we have done as much as possible so we can be reconciledto an
offended brother or sister.
Such an offense might also occur, though, when we are the original offended
party. This happens when we refuse to grant forgiveness to a repentant
brother or sisterwhen forgiveness has beensincerelyaskedand reconciliation
has been genuinely sought. When we harbor resentment and bitterness
toward a truly repentant brother or sister; when we hold that fellow believer

in suspicion, and refuse to clearthe air with them when God's word clearly
says we must; then we are becoming the offending party, and they justly have
something againstus. We are putting ourselves above God in such a case;
because we who have been shown grace are refusing to show grace to someone
else to whom God has been gracious.
An offense canalso occurwheneverwe simply despise someone, orshow
contempt toward them, or separate ourselves from them for an unjust reason.
James said, "My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1). We might look down on a brother
or sisterbecause they're poorer than us, or less educatedthan us, or less
cultured than us. Or it cango the other way; we can be resentful toward
someone becausethey are wealthierthan us, or more educated than us, or
more cultured than us. And in such cases, we are being "partial"; and are
thus committing an offense againstthem.
Now, someone might ask, "How far are we to take all this? How serious
should the offense be before we have to take care of it?" It doesn't seemthat
Jesus gives any qualifications other than this one:that our brother has
"something" againstus. I take "brother" here to refer to someone who shares
our basic faith in Jesus Christ and sense ofobedience to God's word. And
when such a brother has "something" againstus - and when our brother lets
us know that he is hurt by something we have done or said, whatever it may
be - we are never to ignore it or disregardit; because Goddoesn't ignore it or
disregardit. We should give ourselves no rest until we have done what we can
to be reconciledto an offended brother.
We may not be able to reconcile with them - even though we try. The Bible
tells us, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceablywith all
men" (Romans 12:18). If we sincerelydo as much as depends on us toward an
offended brother or sister, and reconciliationstill does not occur, then the

offense is now theirs and no longer ours. But the point is that we are not to
"live with" the rift betweenus when it's in our powerto make things right;
because to knowingly do so is to be guilty of murder in God's eyes.
Notice how Jesus says it is to be taken care of. As soonas we "remember" that
a brother has something againstus - even if we are in the process ofbringing
our gift to the alter and offering it before God - we're to stop dead in our
tracks. Jesus says to leave;"Go your way." He tells us, "First. . ."; that is, as
a matter of first priority - a far greaterpriority than the offering we were
making - "be reconciledto your brother." Then, and only then, are we set free
to come back and present our gift to Godin worship.
In other words, Jesus teachesus that reconciliationwith an alienatedbrother
comes before worshiping at His alter. He doesn't want our gift if He doesn't
first have our heart; and if we are willingly at odds with our brother or sister
in Christ, then He doesn't fully have our heart.
* * * * * * * * * *
Do you detect, as I do, a sense ofurgency in Jesus'words? This leads us,
finally, to consider . . .
3. THE URGENCYOF JESUS'PRIORITY(vv. 25-26).
Jesus says, "Agree withyour adversary quickly, while you are on the way
with him . . ."
I believe Jesus is using a metaphor here - that of two men who are so at odds
with one another that they have become "adversaries"in a legalsense.
They're destined to go to court. They are like the people you often see on those

live "court" shows - where two close neighbors are very hostile towardone
another as they stand before the judge, because one neighbor's dog ruined the
other's flower-bed. Such hostility often eventuates in facing the judge. Jesus,
therefore, says to agree "quickly". Move fasttoward reconciliation. Don't
learn to live with it; "lestyour 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 until you have paid the last
penny."
Jesus is speaking metaphorically. But some have takenJesus'words far to
literally; and have seenin them the idea of Purgatory. They conclude that
someone who has offended a brother but who refuses to be reconciledwill be
castinto a place calledPurgatory; kept their until the debt of their sin is paid
off. But the Bible speaks ofno such place;and I believe such an interpretation
reads more into Jesus'words than He meant to say.
I believe that what He is stressing here is the basic principle that, for those
who will not reconcile with an offended brother, discipline is certain. Jesus
says, in Matthew 6:14-15, "Forif you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their
trespasses, neitherwill your Fatherforgive your trespasses."Two professing
believers who are at odds with one anotherwill, indeed, stand before the
Judge of all hearts. The true condition of the heart of eachwill be revealed
then; and punishment, where deserved, will be dispensed.
The whole point of Jesus'words, then, is to urge us to settle out of court! How
much better it will be if we reconcile with an offended brother now, then if we
are made to give an accounting of our unwillingness then!

And do you notice that He says to do so "while you are on the way with him"?
Many people ignore the need for reconciliationby saying to themselves,
"Well, when we all get to heaven, then everything will be forgiven and
forgotten. Everyone will love everyone else in heaven. It will be easyto love
my brother then; because he will be glorified - and not such a jerk." And it's
certainly true that lots of things will be different in heaven! But Jesus is telling
us not to wait until heaven before we take care of things that are wrong now.
He says to take care of it "while you are on the waywith him"; that is, while
we still walk in this earth with our brother or sister, and are still along the
path of life with him or her.
* * * * * * * * * *
These are convicting words;but as I said at the beginning, they can be very
encouraging words too. They encourage us that, if we take care of the matter
of reconciling with an offended brother or sister, we clearthe way for God to
do great things through our church. He certainly wants to. But He will not
bless our offering of service to Him if we come before His alter with an
unreconciledbrother or sisterstill offended at us.
Do you still have that offended brother or sisterin mind? Let me close by
sharing with you what the writer of Hebrews wrote to his brothers and sisters
in Christ. It's an authoritative word from the Holy Spirit to us as well as to
them. The writer urged them,
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the
Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root
of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled . . .
(Heb. 12:14-15).

May God help us to keepany such bitterness from springing up and ruining
His goodwork among us. MayHe fully have our hearts. May He help us to
'first be reconciled'to our brother.
Misseda message?Check the Archives!
Copyright © 2004 BethanyBible Church, All Rights Reserved
WILLIAM BARCLAY
The Insurmountable Barrier (Matthew 5:23-24)
5:23-24 So, then, if you bring your gift to the altar, and if you there remember
that your brother has something againstyou, leave your gift there before the
altar, and go, and first be reconciledto your brother, and then come and offer
your gift.
When Jesus saidthis, he was doing no more than recallthe Jews to a principle
which they well knew and ought never to have forgotten. The idea behind
sacrifice was quite simple. If a man did a wrong thing, that action disturbed
the relationship betweenhim and God, and the sacrifice was meantto be the
cure which restoredthat relationship.

But two most important things have to be noted. First, it was never held that
sacrifice couldatone for deliberate sin, for what the Jews called"the sin of a
high hand." If a man committed a sin unawares, if he was sweptinto sin in a
moment of passionwhen self-controlbroke, then sacrifice was effective;but if
a man deliberately, defiantly, callouslyand open-eyedcommitted sin, then
sacrifice was powerless to atone.
Second, to be effective, sacrifice hadto include confessionofsin and true
penitence; and true penitence involved the attempt to rectify any
consequencessinmight have had. The greatDay of Atonement was held to
make atonement for the sins of the whole nation, but the Jews were quite clear
that not even the sacrifices ofthe Day of Atonement could avail for a man
unless he was first reconciledto his neighbour. The breach betweenman and
God could not be healed until the breach betweenman and man was healed. If
a man was making a sin-offering, for instance, to atone for a theft, the offering
was held to be completely unavailing until the thing stolenhad been restored;
and, if it was discoveredthat the thing had not been restored, then the
sacrifice had to be destroyed as unclean and burned outside the Temple. The
Jews were quite clearthat a man had to do his utmost to put things right
himself before he could be right with God.
In some sense sacrifice was substitutionary. The symbol of this was that, as the
victim was about to be sacrificed, the worshipper placedhis hands upon the
beast's head, and pressedthem down upon it, as if to transfer his own guilt to
it. As he did so he said, "I entreat, O Lord; I have sinned, I have done
perversely, I have rebelled; I have committed ... (here the sacrificerspecified
his sins); but I return in penitence, and let this be for my covering."
If any sacrifice was to be valid, confessionandrestorationwere involved. The
picture which Jesus is painting is very vivid. The worshipper, of course, did
not make his own sacrifice;he brought it to the priest who offered it on his

behalf The worshipper has entered the Temple; he has passedthrough its
series ofcourts, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court
of the Men. Beyond that there lay the Court of the Priests into which the
layman could not go. The worshipperis standing at the rail, ready to hand
over his victim to the priest; his hands are on it to confess;and then he
remembers his breach with his brother, the wrong done to his brother; if his
sacrifice is to avail, he must go back and mend that breach and undo that
wrong, or nothing can happen.
Jesus is quite clear about this basic fact--we cannotbe right with God until we
are right with men; we cannot hope for forgiveness until we have confessed
our sin, not only to God, but also to men, and until we have done our bestto
remove the practical consequencesofit. We sometimes wonderwhy there is a
barrier betweenus and God; we sometimes wonder why our prayers seem
unavailing. The reasonmay well be that we ourselves have erectedthat
barrier, through being at variance with our fellow-men, or because we have
wrongedsomeone and have done nothing to put things right.
Make PeaceIn Time (Matthew 5:25-26)
5:25-26 Get on to goodterms again with your opponent, while you are still on
the road with him, in case your opponent hands you over to the judge, and the
judge hands you over to the court officer, and you be castinto prison. This is
the truth I tell you--if that happens, you certainly will not come out until you
have paid the lastfarthing.
Here Jesus is giving the most practical advice;he is telling men to get trouble
sortedout in time, before it piles up still worse trouble for the future.

Jesus draws a picture of two opponents on their way togetherto the law
courts; and he tells them to getthings settledand straightened out before they
reachthe court, for, if they do not, and the law takes its course, there will be
still worse trouble for one of them at leastin the days to come.
The picture of two opponents on the way to court togetherseems to us very
strange, and indeed rather improbable. But in the ancientworld it often
happened.
Under Greek law there was a process ofarrestcalledapagoge (Greek#520),
which means summary arrest. In it the plaintiff himself arrestedthe
defendant. He caughthim by his robe at the throat, and held the robe in such
a way that, if the man struggled, he would strangle himself. Obviously the
causes forwhich such an arrestwas legalwere very few and the male-factor
had to be caught redhanded.
The crimes for which a man might be summarily arrestedby anyone in this
way were thieving, clothes-stealing (clothes-stealerswere the curse of the
public baths in ancient Greece), picking pockets, house-breaking and
kidnapping (the kidnapping of speciallygifted and accomplishedslaves was
very common). Further, a man might be summarily arrestedif he was
discoveredto be exercising the rights of a citizen when he had been
disfranchised, or if he returned to his state or city after being exiled. In, view
of this custom it was by no means uncommon to see a plaintiff and a
defendant on their way to court togetherin a Greek city.
Clearly it is much more likely that Jesus wouldbe thinking in terms of Jewish
law; and this situation was by no means impossible under Jewishlaw. This is
obviously a case of debt, for, if peace is not made, the last farthing will have to
be paid. Such cases were settledby the localcouncilof elders. A time was

appointed when plaintiff and defendant had to appear together;in any small
town or village there was every likelihood of them finding themselves on the
way to the court together. When a man was adjudged guilty, he was handed
over to the court officer. Matthew calls the officerthe huperetes (Greek
#5257);Luke calls him, in his version of the saying, by the more common
term, praktor (Greek #4233)(Luke 12:58-59). It was the duty of the court
officer to see that the penalty was duly paid, and, if it was not paid, he had the
powerto imprison the defaulter, until it was paid. It is no doubt of that
situation that Jesus was thinking. Jesus'advice may mean one of two things.
(i) It may be a piece of most practicaladvice. Again and againit is the
experience of life that, if a quarrel, or a difference, or a dispute is not healed
immediately, it can go on breeding worse and worse trouble as time goes on.
Bitterness breeds bitterness. It has often happened that a quarrel betweentwo
people has descendedto their families, and has been inherited by future
generations, andhas in the end succeededin splitting a church or a societyin
two.
If at the very beginning one of the parties had had the grace to apologize or to
admit fault, a grievous situation need never have arisen. If ever we are at
variance with someone else, we must get the situation put right straight away.
It may mean that we must be humble enough to confess thatwe were wrong
and to make apology;it may mean that, even if we were in the right, we have
to take the first steptowards healing the breach. When personal relations go
wrong, in nine cases outof ten immediate action will mend them; but if that
immediate actionis not taken, they will continue to deteriorate, and the
bitterness will spread in an ever-widening circle.
(ii) It may be that in Jesus'mind there was something more ultimate than this.
It may be that he is saying, "Put things right with your fellow-men, while life
lasts, for some day--you know not when--life will finish, and you will go to

stand before God, the final Judge of all." The greatestofall Jewishdays was
the Dayof Atonement. Its sacrificeswere held to atone for sin known and
unknown; but even this day had its limitations. The Talmud clearly lays it
down: "The Dayof Atonement does atone for the offences betweenman and
God. The Day of Atonement does not atone for the offences betweena man
and his neighbour, unless the man has first put things right with his
neighbour." Here againwe have the basic fact--a man cannotbe right with
God unless he is right with his fellow-men. A man must so live that the end
will find him at peace with all men.
It may well be that we do not need to choose betweenthese two interpretations
of this saying of Jesus. It may wellbe that both were in his mind, and that
what Jesus is saying is: "If you want happiness in time, and happiness in
eternity, never leave an unreconciled quarrel or an unhealed breachbetween
yourself and your brother man. Act immediately to remove the barriers which
angerhas raised."
What To Do When Someone's MadAt You Series
Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 19, 2006
based on 18 ratings (rate this sermon) | 20,825 views
Scripture: Matthew 5:23-24
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: God would rather have a brokenlife than a beautiful lamb. He
would rather have a surrendered man or a woman than scads of money. He

would rather have us leave and make peace than lift our hands in praise when
we’re in conflict with someone.
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What to Do When Someone’s Madat You
Matthew 5:23-24
Rev. Brian Bill
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11/19/06
I had the honor of hearing the Messiahgive an amazing messageonthe side of
a mountain last year near my hometown of Capernaum [show picture]. I was
very moved by His words and at the same time was troubled by what He

taught. Actually that’s what a sermon should do in our lives – it should
comfort and convictus. I liked how he gave it to the hypocrites, but as you
heard last week, we all have pieces oftimber protruding from our eyeballs
[hold up 2x4]. I was in agony when Jesus describedhow being angry with
someone is tantamount to an actof terrorism againstthem.
Just when I was reeling from this revelation, Jesus added these words in the
next two verses:“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
remember that your brother has something againstyou, leave your gift there
in front of the altar. First go and be reconciledto your brother; then come
and offer your gift.” I immediately thought of some people who are mad at me
but then I just shook it off. I mean, if they’re mad, it’s their problem, right?
Well, not really. Let me tell you what happened.
It was expectedthat men would make the journey to Jerusalemthree different
times a year. I took a trip a short while ago so I could be there on the Day of
Atonement. This was not easyto do since I live up north in Capernaum and
the capitalis down south [show map]. It’s approximately the distance between
Pontiac and Springfield. This trip took severaldays but I was pretty pumped
to come and worship, especiallysince my heart was so full after hearing Jesus
preach. I was hoping that I might run into Him again. Other years I just
purchased a sacrifice outside the Temple but this time I brought a lamb with
me. I really wanted to offer my best to the Lord. Jerusalemwas very
congestedwhen I arrived and I knew I had a long wait in front of me before I
could enter the Temple with my offering. After walking for three long days, I
was fine with standing in line because it gave me a chance to rest and to
prepare myself for worship.
I’ve heard that in your culture some people don’t bring anything to church
with them. I don’t really get this because we were expectedto bring something
of value as a way to show how much we value God. Listen to what God says in

Exodus 25:2: “Tellthe Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive
the offering for me from eachman whose heartprompts him to give.” May I
encourage youto come with something to offer? You don’t have to bring a
lamb but God is pleasedwhen His people give their tithes, their time, and
their talents to Him. Romans 12:1 teaches that the bestworship is the offering
of ourselves. This is not a burden but actually a blessing. The words of Psalm
66:13-15 were ringing in my ears as I eagerlyanticipatedapproaching the
Almighty: “I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my
vows to you -- vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke whenI was in
trouble. I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer
bulls and goats.”
Finally, after waiting so long, it was my turn to worship! Just as I’m about to
offer my little lamb to the priest, for some reasonmy former friend Levi
comes to mind. I try to shake it off but I can’t do it. Why is this coming up
now? I’m ready to make my offering! The people behind me are getting
impatient and some are beginning to sigh. The priest is looking at me with a
quizzical look. I take another stepforward but I can’t seemto take another
one. Then the words of Jesus come back to me and I know what I’m supposed
to do and yet I begin to bargain with God.
Have you ever done that? “God, why can’t I just offer my sacrifice now since
I’m here and I’ll make it right with Levi when I get back home? Do I really
have to do this? I don’t have a problem with him; he’s gota problem with me.
He should be the one to seek me out since he has the grudge.”
Realizing that this is my opportunity to live out the words of my Lord, I
picked up my lamb and put it on layaway, asking the priest to hold it until I
returned. I then turned around, made my wayout of the Temple, going
againstthe flow of people coming to worship, and headed back on the road to
Capernaum. BecauseI loved the Lord so much I wanted to do what He said,

irregardless ofthe costand the inconvenience. As I made my wayback home,
I remembered that Levi must really have been upset with me because he had
basicallyunplugged from corporate worshipand had stopped fellowshipping
with others.
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When I arrived three days later, I ownedup for what I had done and asked
for forgiveness.By granting me grace, he set both of us free and we then
traveled togetherto the Temple where I was able to come and offer my gift,
and he his. As we walkedtogetherwe worshipped together, quoting Psalm

42:4: “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with
the multitude, leading the processionto the house of God, with shouts of joy
and thanksgiving among the festive throng.”
You’ve probably never heard a pastorsay this before but if you know
someone is mad at you and he or she is in this room right now please getup
and make it right. If you need to leave here and drive somewhere do it right
now. Godwants us to be at peace more than He wants our praise. He’d rather
you live it out than just listen to another sermon and do nothing. I love how
Max Lucado puts it: “As far as I know, this is the only time God tells you to
slip out of church early. Apparently he’d rather have you give your olive
branch than your tithe” (“When God Whispers Your Name,” 127). As
someone has said, “An offense againstyour neighbor builds a fence between
you and God.”
Let’s summarize what we’ve learned so far.
• Every Conflict is an Opportunity. When we’re facedwith friction, look for
ways to glorify God, seek the goodof the other, and then get ready to grow.
• Get the Log out of Your Eye. We can’t judge someone’s heartor motives
because we all have sin sticking out of our eye balls.
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The messagetodayis called “Whatto Do When Someone’s Madat You” and
when we’re done it might feel like you’ve been beaned with a beam [pick up
2x4]. But remember that any pain we feel is designedto motivate us to be
biblical peacemakers.Making peaceis possible if we determine to resolve
conflict now. But we must first learn how to live in peace. PastorJefftold me
that he askedaround 40 students if they had everbeen taught biblical peace
making principles. Only two of them raised their hands. My guess is that they
aren’t learning about it from their parents because we haven’t been taught
either. I’m excitedabout how this series canbe used by God to literally
transform our church and usher in a culture of peace at PBC.
Let’s look more closelyat Matthew 5:23-24:“Therefore, if you are offering
your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something
againstyou, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be
reconciledto your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Let’s notice a few
things before we dive in.
• Anger canannul our adoration. The context of this passagehas to with
anger: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be
subject to judgment.” We must be watchful of our words or else wrath will
decimate us and destroy others. When we bring anger to the altar we can’t
adore God. Isaiah1:15: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will
hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your
hands are full of blood…” And Isaiah 58:4: “Your fasting ends in quarreling
and strife, and in striking eachother with wickedfists. You cannotfast as you

do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” Psalm 66:18 says, “If I
had cherishedsin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
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• Peacemaking is very personal. The verb tenses change in this passage from
the plural “you all” (or ‘y’all’ if you’re from the south) to “you” singular:
“You have heard it said…but I tell you.” This message is not for the masses
but for me.

• Friction in the family must be dealt with. The word “brother” is used four
times in verses 22-24. As sons and daughters of the Father He desires holy
harmony in His family. How I treat my brother or sisteris emblematic of my
relationship to my Father. I know when there’s friction in our family, I want
to get it resolvedright away. If someone’s notgetting along, they’re going to
straighten it out before they go to sleep. If I feel that wayabout my family,
imagine how God feels about relationships within His family. 1 Peter4:17:
“Forit is time for judgment to begin with the family of God…” Galatians
6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do goodto all people,
especiallyto those who belong to the family of believers.”
• Internal attitude is more important than external offering. As long as there
is internal sin, outward acts of worship are not acceptable to God. 1 John
2:11: “But whoeverhates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in
the darkness;he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has
blinded him.”
The Setting for Peace
Verse 23 describes the setting, which I just actedout: “Therefore, ifyou are
offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has
something againstyou.” Let me mention a couple additional points.
1. Make it right when God reminds you. It’s no accidentthat you are thinking
about a person right now. Don’t dismiss the convicting ministry of the Holy
Spirit at work in your memory. Remembering is the first step to
reconciliation. It’s God’s way of prompting you to be a peacemaker.

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2. Initiate reconciliationwhether it’s your fault or not. It could be a legitimate
gripe, or maybe it’s unfounded. It doesn’t really matter. If someone has a
grudge againstyou, follow God’s nudge and do what you can to make it right.
[Play “Forgive” Clip]
Steps to Peace
Peacemaking is messybusiness, isn’t it? Even when it doesn’twork, it’s
always worthwhile to do what God says. Verse 24 lays out four steps for us to
take when we have tensionin a relationship. These steps can by summarized
by four words from this verse.
1. Leave…evenwhenit’s inconvenient. “…leave your gift there in front of the
altar…” We need to pause in our praise until we’re at peace. 1 Samuel 15:22
says that God is more impressedwith our obedience than He with what we
may have to offer Him: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than
sacrifice, andto heed is better than the fat of rams.” David figured this out as

well in Psalm51:16-17:“You do not delight in sacrifice, orI would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices ofGodare a
broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God
would rather have a broken life than a beautiful lamb. He would rather have
a surrendered man or a woman than scads of money. He would rather have us
leave and make peace than lift our hands in praise when we’re in conflict with
someone.
Peacemaking takesprecedentoverpraising. Listen to these strong words from
Amos 5:21-24:“I hate, I despise your religious feasts;I cannot stand your
assemblies. Eventhough you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I
will not acceptthem. Though you bring choice fellowshipofferings, I will have
no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs!I will not listen to the
music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a
never-failing stream!” Here’s the principle: gifts derive their value from the
heart of the giver.
2. Go…evenwhenyou don’t want to initiate. “…Firstgo…” We’re to leave
the place of reverence and go find the place of reconciliationwith the one
we’ve wronged. The verb tense here suggestsanintense effort. It’s so easyto
think that the other personshould take the first step. Notice the word “first”
before the word “go.” This means first in order of importance. The priority in
peacemaking is to resolve everything right away. And, as we will see next
week, whetheryou have been wronged, or you’re in the wrong, it’s always
right to go. Ideally, we should run into the personwe’re in conflict with,
because if they’re doing it right, they’ll be coming to us. But even when they
don’t show, we are still required to go. In this passage, Jesusdoes not mention
the responsibility of the other person to restore the relationship. He puts it
squarely on you and on me. Why? Becauseour relationships test our
righteousness. Let’s personalize the priority of peacemaking by saying this
phrase together:reconciliationis always my responsibility.

In the movie called “StraightStory,” based on an actual event, a 73-year-old
man named Alvin Straight decided it was time to end the silence and break
down the wall of angerbetweenhim and his brother that had been up for ten
long years. Becausehe was too impaired to drive a car, he decided to drive his
riding lawn mower300 miles from Iowa to Wisconsinto make things right
with his brother. It took him six weeks to getto his brother. Question. How
far are you willing to go to live at peace with someone?
Here’s why this is such a big deal to God: He cares aboutyou and the person
you’re in conflict with and wants to use you to lift the loadof hatred from
your brother or sister.
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3. Be…evenwhenyou feel innocent. “…and be reconciledto your brother…”
First, leave it. Second, go. Third, be reconciled. The word “reconcile”means
to change one’s feelings towards another. And often the only way to make
things right is to admit that you’ve been wrong. This information called“The
SevenA’s” from the Peacemakerwebsite is very helpful
(www.peacemaker.net):

• Address everyone involved (All those whom you affected)
• Avoid if, but, and maybe (Do not try to excuse your wrongs)
• Admit specifically(Both attitudes and actions)
• Acknowledge the hurt (Express sorrow for hurting someone)
• Accept the consequences(Suchas making restitution)
• Alter your behavior (Change your attitudes and actions)
Ask for forgiveness (Requestreleasefrom the debt)
4. Come…evenwhenit’s an interruption. “…then come and offer your gift.”
Leave. Go. Be. Come. Reconciliationis important enough to interrupt our
worship of God because unresolvedconflict has already interrupted our
worship. A right relationship with God depends on our willingness to
maintain a right relationship with one another. John MacArthur says:“True
worship is enhanced by better relationships…worshipmay be improved by
our staying away from church until we have made things right with those with
whom we know our relationship is strained or broken.” I would add that too
many people stay awayfrom church for way too long because of conflict. The
missing of corporate worship should motivate us to be reconciledjust as
skipping communion because we’re in conflictshould compel us to make
things right before we celebrate the Lord’s Supper again. The purpose behind
this is peace, notpunishment. We should love worship so much that the very

thought of having to unplug for a bit should propel us to make peace. Don’t
stay away. Come and offer the gift of yourself.
Step one is unfortunately pretty easyand waytoo many have stopped here.
It’s simple to leave because ofconflict. The challenge is to complete steps two
through four so that you cancome back and worship once again.
One of my sisters calledme a few weeksago becauseshe realizedthat she had
to take some steps toward reconciliationwith a co-worker. I’m not sure how
much I helped her but I know I learned a lot from her. I askedher to write
down what happened in the hopes that you will be encouragedby her
example. I’ve changedthe names and left out some details because I don’t
want my sharing of this to cause any more conflict since our sermons go out
on the Internet (www.pontiacbible.org).
A woman was hired to join our team. I knew at the interview that her
personality could possibly drive me nuts. I was right; she was very emotional,
moody, had no sense of personalspace, hyper, was passive-aggressive and
controlling in a sneakyway…I had very little patience for her and treated her
rudely for many years. If she askedif I wanted to go out for dinner, I said no.
Did I want to work togetheron a project? No. Did I want to getour kids
togetherfor a play date? No. I participated in socialevents with other staff
and never included her. Why did I care if her feelings were hurt? She drove
me crazy and she deservedto suffer a bit.
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As I grew in my faith, and learned what the true meaning of loving one
another meant, I started to secondguess how I had been treating her. I tried
to befriend her a bit, but she had already moved on to new friends on staff,
and she made sure to organize many events with her new friends, and to not
include me. I tried complimenting her. Didn’t work. I invited her to lunch.
She said no. I gave her chocolate. Itdidn’t matter.
This satheavy on my heart for years and years. I knew it was time to confess
to her what I had done and to ask her for her forgiveness. I prayed and asked
for courage forthree years! Finally, late in the summer of this year, a peace
came over me and I knew it was time. I calledher and askedto meet her…so I
could share what was on my heart. She agreed. We met and I apologizedfor
everything I had done and askedif she could evertrust me againand if she
could forgive me.
That’s when she pulled out the ‘knife’!! She went through a laundry list of
reasons why I am a bad person, how I have no socialskills, andhow she is
afraid to be in the same room with me. She told me she had no respectfor me
as a person and would never consider doing anything socialwith me...EVER. I
askedher againif she would forgive me. She said nothing.
When I walkedout…that night, I felt like I had been punched in the gut. She
had kickedme when I was down. I felt worthless and alone. However, despite
all of these feelings, I knew I had done the right thing, and although I wept for

two days after we talked, I felt a burden had been lifted. I did what I needed
to do. I said my apologieswith love, and if I had to do it over again, I would
change nothing.
How is it now? [She] says hello to me when she wants to. She continues to hold
a grudge and she clearly doesn’tlike me. It bothers me and I wish it would go
away, but when I’m silent and I reflect, that same peace comes to me again. I
did what God wantedme to do, and although I can’t change her feelings, I can
change how I treat the next person who comes into my life who is emotional,
moody, and hyper. Actually, many people have come into my life that drive
me nuts. I am patient, kind, and try to speak to them with love. When I simply
can’t take them anymore, I walk awayin silence, knowing I don’t ever want to
hurt anyone like I hurt [her].
After talking to my sister, I sent this email to her, quoting from Ken Sande’s
book “The Peacemaker” (page 40).
“Faithfulness is not a matter of results; it is a matter of dependent obedience.
God knows that you cannot controlother people, so he will not hold you
responsible for the ultimate outcome of a conflict…If you have depended on
Him and done your best to resolve a conflictin a loving and biblical manner,
no matter how the situation turns out, you will have earnedthat marvelous
commendation: ‘Well done, goodand faithful servant!’ (Matthew 25:21a).”
These words from Romans 12:18 are both convicting and comforting: “If it is
possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We must
make sure we’ve done everything that depends on us to do and yet we cannot
control how the other person responds. Have you done everything you can do
to be at peace? Maybe there’s still something that you need to do. If you have,
then you’ve done your responsibility.

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Action Steps
1. Assess the mess you’re in. During our Dive Deepclass this week, we took a
“fellowshipinventory”. There were ten questions but I’d like to list just five
this morning. Give yourself a grade of 1 to 10 in eacharea.
I forgive others when their actions harm me.
I admit my wrongs in relationships and humbly seek forgiveness.
I seek to be in harmony with other members of my family.
I place the interests of others above my self-interest.

I am gentle and kind in my interactions with others.
2. Resolve conflictquickly. Drop down to the next two verses in Matthew 5:25:
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it
while you are still with him on the way…” The time for reconciliationis
always today. Ephesians 4:26:“Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry.” Loose ends make for tight knots. Who do you need to see today?
3. Make harmony during the holidays. With Thanksgiving on Thursday and
Christmas right around the corner, my guess is that you have friction with
someone in your family, or you will have before the Packers winthe Super
Bowl. Practice biblical peacemaking as you eat your pumpkin pie. In a 1994
article, “Wars’Lethal Leftovers ThreatenEuropeans,” a reporter writes:
“The bombs of World WarII are still killing in Europe. They turn up--and
sometimes blow up--at constructionsites, in fishing nets, or on beaches fifty
years after the guns fell silent…Unexploded bombs become more dangerous
with time. With the corrosioninside, the weaponbecomes more unstable, and
the detonatorcan be exposed.” Whatis true of lingering bombs is also true of
lingering anger. Buried angerwill explode when we leastexpect it because it’s
been corroding our insides. There are always leftovers after Thanksgiving;
let’s make sure there’s no unresolved conflict left over.
4. Do your part to improve worship. We’ve been meeting as a leadershipteam
to make sure our worship services are filled with reverence and rejoicing.
We’ve talked about song selection, microphones, energylevel, eye contactand
the words on the screen. Those are allimportant elements but the most
effective avenue to improve our worship as a congregationis to make sure
we’re following the biblical mandate to be peacemakers. The bestway to
improve the quality of our worship is to make sure conflict is resolved
betweenworshippers.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes we get angry and remain bitter with
people and actually forget what initially made us angry in the first place?
Take, forexample, the notorious Hatfield-McCoyfeud. It hit newspaperfront
pages in the 1880’s, whenthe Hatfield clan feuded with the McCoyclan.
Historians disagree onthe cause ofthe conflict, which captured the
imagination of the nation during a 10-yearrun. Some cite Civil War tensions
and others say it beganwhen the McCoy’s blamed the Hatfield’s for stealing
some hogs. Sadly, as many as 100 men, women and children died as a result of
this conflict. In 1976, the lasttwo survivors, Jim McCoyand Willis Hatfield,
shook hands at a public ceremonydedicating a monument to six of the
victims. McCoydied in 1984, atage 99. He had gotten over all his grudges and
the two families had fully forgiven eachother. We know that because his
burial was handled by the Hatfield Funeral Home.
Full name
Your email address
Dealwith conflict before it kills you! Have you had tension for 10 years? It
won’t get better on its own. Get rid of it so you can let it go. Leave. Go. Be.
Come. Making peace is possible. It’s time to shake hands.

JIM BOMKAMP
VS 5:23-24 - “23 “If therefore you are presenting your offering at the
altar, and there remember that your brother has something againstyou, 24
leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” - Jesus tells His
disciples that they must be reconciledto their brothers and sisters first in
order to be able to serve and worship God in a way that pleases Him
3.1. Jesus reveals here that how we handle the relationships that we have
with people in this world effects our relationship with God
3.1.1. If we commit sin againsta brother or sister, then that sin is really sin
againstGod since man is made in God’s image and He has given us His Laws
regarding how we must actin regardto our brothers and sisters
3.2. Jesus does not teachus that we should first worship God and then go
and make things right with a brother or sister, but rather that we should
make things right first, then come and now there will be nothing that will
hinder or worship of God and His acceptance ofus as worshippers
3.3. In these verses Jesus teachesthat we as Christians must keepour
relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ in proper repair if we are
to be where He wants us to be

4. VS 5:25-26 - “25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at
law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not
deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into
prison. 26 “Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have
paid up the last cent”” - Jesus tells His disciples to ‘make friends quickly’
with their opponent at law
4.1. There has been much confusion among commentators in regards to
why these verses appearwhere they are in this text, and this confusionis
causedby misunderstanding as to whom is referred to as the ‘opponent’, or
‘adversary’ (as other translations permit)
4.1.1. Some have saidthat the ‘opponent’ is God, however this does not seem
to make sense since God would be delivering the personup to God in that case
4.1.2. Some have saidthat Jesus has changedthe subject here and that he is
now speaking strictly about civil issues and the wisdom of resolving those
quickly, howeverthis view is just not supported by the context
4.1.3. Some have said, and I think that this is the correctview, that the
‘opponent’ mentioned here is actually the devil, and that the exhortation then
is to agree with the devil when he comes to condemn of sin, rather than trying
to deny or justify it

4.1.3.1.This view is supported by the factthat the word translated ‘opponent’
here is the same word that is translatedevery other place in the scripture as
‘adversary’ and refers to the devil, the believer’s adversary, in at leastone of
those references (1 Peter5:8)
4.1.3.1.1.Likewise,in Rev. 12:10, satanis called“the accuserofthe brethren”
4.1.3.2.There is nothing wrong with agreeing with the devil concerning our sin
since we canalso trust in the righteousness ofChrist to clothe us and His
blood to coverall of our transgressions
4.1.3.2.1.Satanwants to place us under condemnation, so we must be sure
when we agree with satanabout our sin that we are also claiming the blood of
Christ as covering and atoning for those sins
4.2. In essencewe could look at this teaching of Jesus as just telling us to
be quick to confess andrepent of our sins wheneverwe find ourselves having
sinned.
4.3. Whenever we are convictedof sin, we should not, and we would be
wise to not fight that convictionbut rather just give in to the Lord and admit
that we have sinned, confess andrepent of the sin, and keepon walking with
Christ
4.4. Have you ever noticed that if we refuse to confess andrepent of our
sins when they are pointed out to us (whether by the Holy Spirit or the
accuser, the devil), then God doesn’t give up on us and that conviction of sin
will be relentless until we eventually confess andrepent?

JOHN BROADUS
Matthew 5:23. Having thus declaredthat according to his teachings, the
principle of the law againstmurder applies to anger and insult, (compare 1
John 3:15) he adds the injunction to become reconciledto one with whom we
are at variance. This should be done at once, evenif it requires the
interruption of a sacrifice;(Matthew 5:23) should be done while with a
plaintiff on the way, before reaching the court. (Matthew 5:25 f.) Notice that
here, (Matthew 5:23-26)the singular is used, 'thou,' whereas the plural had
been employed before, and is afterwards resumed. He thus takes anindividual
case, as it were singling out one person and addressing him, and thereby gives
greaterpoint to the precept, just as is sometimes done by all public speakers,
especiallyby preachers. A similar change to the singular may be seenin
Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:36, Matthew 5:39, and compare on Matthew 6:5.
Therefore if, presenting the injunction as an inference from, or result of, that
which precedes. Since the prohibition just made extends not merely to
outward acts, but to words and feelings of angerand contempt, it follows that
one ought to seek reconciliation. Thoubringâ€”or, art offering. This is the
regular use of the term, as in Matthew 5:24. Com. Ver. here follows Geneva in
rendering by 'bring,' but Tyndale, Cranmer, and Rheims, had 'offerest.'Gift,
a generalterm, including all kinds of offerings. The altar, viz., the altar in the
inner court of the temple (see on "Matthew 21:12"). And there rememberest,
there, while engagedin the most solemn actof the Jewishworship. Brother,
see on "Matthew 5:22", Aughtâ€”or, somethingâ€”againstthee. The
expressionis no doubt purposely made general, so as to coverall cases,even
the slightest;he does not say, 'is at enmity with thee,' 'is angry with thee,' but
'has something againstthee.' (Compare Mark 11:25)Darby, 'something,'
Davidson, 'somewhat.'Men are more disposed to remember that they have
something againsttheir brother, than that he has something againstthem. The
language implies that in the case supposedthe person addressedis himself the

offender. But the spirit of the precept applies just as wellto casesin which we
know we have done no wrong. Shall we merely be willing to be reconciledif
we are approached, or are we not under obligation to go and ourselves
attempt a reconciliation? A man must not sacrifice his dignity, neither must
he neglecthis duty.
Matthew 5:24. Leave there. Do not merely determine that you will go and be
reconciledas soonas the gift has been offered. It is comfy to resolve upon
performing a disagreeable duty before long; the point is to perform it at once.
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciledto thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. (Or it may be, 'go first, be reconciled,'etc.,
as Meyer, Ewald, Bleekâ€”the Greek being ambiguous, nut the meaning in
either case substantially the same.)Alexander: "It is evident that this is not
suggestedas a case atall likely to occurin real life, or even as a formal rule to
be observed if it shall occur, but rather it is a strong assurancethat it would
be right and proper thus to act, if there were no other means of accomplishing
the end required." (Comp on Matthew 5:29) God wished his people to show
mercy, rather than to offer sacrifice. Acts of worship are very important, but
even an act of worship might properly be postponed that we may re-establish
friendly relations with one who has a complaint againstus. It is an utter
misapprehension to take this precept as indicating that there is a special
propriety in seeking reconciliationbefore partaking of the Lord's Supper,
with the practicalinference often drawn that there is no greatharm in
postponing reconciliationuntil that solemnity is approaching. For (1) the
reference is to temple-worship, and the principle would apply just as truly to
any other actof public or private devotion as to the Lord's Supper. And (2)
the point here is not that even though we should delay to seek reconciliationat
other times, we must be certain to seek it when engaging in solemnworship;
but that so greatis the importance of being reconciledat once, wheneverthe
offence is committed or is recalled, that oven if one remembers the existence
of such a personaldifficulty when just engaging in worship, he would do well
to suspend the most solemn service in order to go immediately and be
reconciled. All the more, then, is it our duty to seek reconciliationat other
times. Still, it is of course natural that we should be more likely to think of the

need of forgiving and being reconciledwhenwe engage in solemnworship,
and so our Lord elsewhere says,:(Matthew 11:25, Rev. Ver.) 'And whensoever
ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught againstany one.'We are not so
much under greaterobligationto forgive then than at other times, as more
likely then to remember and realize the obligation.
Matthew 5:25-26. Forthe connection, see on"Matthew 5:23". Agree with.
Literally, be well disposedto (Grimm, Davidson), which suggeststhat we must
seek to secure goodwill by showing goodwill. Quickly, not after a while, some
of these times, but quickly. Anger is wrong, and angry difficulties should be
settled at once. The adversary at law, in the case here supposed, is a creditor,
as shown by Matthew 5:26. While thou art in the way with him, viz., on the
way to the judge. According to the Roman law, the plaintiff could carry the
accusedwith him before the judge; the defendant might settle the matter on
any terms while they were on the way, but after the tribunal was reachedthe
thing must go according to law. Lest at any time. (Perhaps, or simply 'lest,' as
Tyndale and Geneva, Noyes and Davidson.) You do not know but it will turn
out as about to be described, and had better guard againstsuch a result.
Deliver thee, hand thee over. And the judge...(1)to the officer, the
intermediate process oftrial and conviction being omitted, as a thing
naturally understood. And, in that case,thou be castinto prison, an easy
change of construction(as in Luke 14:8 f., and often.) Verily I say unto thee,
see on "Matthew 5:18". Thou shalt by no means, or, not, the same strong
negationas in Matthew 5:18, Matthew 5:20. Farthing represents a small
Roman coin of brass, equal in value to about two-fifths of a cent, and thus
double the 'mite', (Mark 12:42)which Luke has in the other instance of our
Lord's employing this image. (Luke 12:59) The Talmud refers to a similar
counselas proverbial: "There are men that say, while thou art in the way with
thy adversary, be obedient."â€”Mostcommentators understand this language
of our Lord as referring allegoricallyto the necessityof being reconciledto
God, lesthe castus into the perpetual imprisonment of perdition; while
Romanists make it a proof-text for purgatory, and some Universalists for final
restoration(viz., when the debt has been paid); but the whole connection(see
on "Matthew 5:23")seems clearlyto require that we should take it in the

simple, natural sense. (So Chrys., with Theophyl., and Euthym., Jerome,
Zwingli, and Calvin, and even Gill, usually so given to allegorizing.)We might
say that the passageaffords a goodillustration of the spiritual truth in
question, but there is no sufficient indication that our Lord here meant to
teachthat truth. Certainly the duty of adjusting personal difficulties, for
which specific directions are afterwards given, (Matthew 18:15 ff.) is one of
such immense importance that we may well be contentto regardthat as all
the Saviouris here teaching.
CALVIN
Matthew 5:23. Therefore, if thou shalt bring thy gift This clause confirms, and
at the same time explains, the preceding doctrine. It amounts to this, that the
precept of the law, which forbids murder, (Exodus 20:13,)is obeyed, when we
maintain agreementand brotherly kindness, with our neighbor. To impress
this more strongly upon us, Christ declares, thateven the duties of religion are
displeasing to God, and are rejectedby him, if we are at variance with each
other. When he commands those who have injured any of their brethren, to be
reconciledto him, before they offer their gift, his meaning is, that, so long as a
difference with our neighbor is keptup by our fault, we have no accessto
God. But if the worship, which men render to God, is polluted and corrupted
by their resentments, this enables us to conclude, in what estimationhe holds
mutual agreementamong ourselves.

Here a question may be put. Is it not absurd, that the duties of charity should
be esteemedmore highly than the worship of God? We shall then be forced to
say, that the order of the law is improper, or that the first table of the law
must be preferred to the second. The answeris easy:for the words of Christ
mean nothing more than this, that it is a false and empty professionof
worshipping God, which is made by those who, after acting unjustly towards
their brethren, treat them with haughty disdain. By a synecdoche he takes a
single class to express the outward exercises ofdivine worship, which in many
men are rather the pretenses, than the true expressions, ofgodliness. It ought
to be observedthat Christ, adapting his discourse to that age, speaksof
sacrifices.Our condition is now different: but the doctrine remains the same,
that whateverwe offer to God is polluted, unless, at leastas much as lieth in
us, (Romans 12:18,)we are at peace with our brethren. Alms are called in
Scripture sacrifices ofa sweetsmell, (Philippians 4:18;) and we learn from the
mouth of Paul, that he who
“spends all his substance on the poor,
if he have not charity, is nothing,” (1 Corinthians 13:3.)
Lastly, God does not receive and acknowledge,as his sons, any who do not, in
their turn, show themselves to be brethren to eachother. Although it is only to
those who have injured their brethren that these words are addressed,
enjoining them to do their endeavorto be reconciledto them, yet under one
class he points out, how highly the harmony of brethren is esteemedby God.
When he commands them to leave the gift before the altar, he expresses much
more than if he had said, that it is to no purpose for men to go to the temple,
or offer sacrifices to God, so long as they live in discord with their neighbors.

25. Be agreedwith thy adversaryChrist appears to go farther, and to exhort
to reconciliationnot only those who have injured their brethren, but those
also who are unjustly treated.401 ButI interpret the words as having been
spokenwith another view, to take away occasionforhatred and resentment,
and to point out the method of cherishing good-will. For whence come all
injuries, but from this, that eachpersonis too tenacious ofhis own rights, that
is, eachis too much disposedto consult his own convenience to the
disadvantage of others? Almost all are so blinded by a wickedlove of
themselves, that, even in the worstcauses,they flatter themselves that they are
in the right. To meet all hatred, enmity, debates, and acts of injustice, Christ
reproves that obstinacy, which is the source of these evils, and enjoins his own
people to cultivate moderation and justice, and to make some abatement from
the highestrigor, that, by such an act of justice, they may purchase for
themselves peace and friendship.402 It were to be wished, indeed, that no
controversyof any kind should ever arise among us; and undoubtedly men
would never break out into abuse or quarrelling, if they possesseda due share
of meekness. But, as it is scarcelypossible but that differences will sometimes
happen, Christ points out the remedy, by which they may be immediately
settled; and that is, to put a restraint on our desires, and rather to act to our
own disadvantage, than follow up our rights with unflinching rigor. That
Christ frequently gave this exhortation is evident from the twelfth chapter of
Luke’s Gospel, where he does not relate the sermon on the mount, but gives
an abridgment of various passagesin our Lord’s discourses.
Lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge This part is explained by some in
a metaphoricalsense, that the Heavenly Judge will act towardus with the
utmost rigor, so as to forgive us nothing, if we do not labor to settle those
differences which we have with our neighbors. But I view it more simply, as
an admonition that, even among men, it is usually advantageous forus to
come to an early agreementwith adversaries, because, with quarrelsome
persons, their obstinacyoften costs them dear. At the same time, I admit, that
the comparisonis justly applied to God; for he will exercise judgment without
mercy (James 2:13) to him who is implacable to his brethren, or pursues his
contentiousness to the utmost. But it is highly ridiculous in the Papists, to

constructtheir purgatory out of a continued allegoryon this passage.Nothing
is more evident than that the subject of Christ’s discourse is the cultivation of
friendship among men. They have no shame, or conscientious scruple, to
pervert his words, and to torture them into a widely different meaning,
provided they can impose on the unlearned. But as they do not deserve a
lengthened refutation, I shall only point out, in a single word, their shameful
ignorance. The adversary is supposedby them to be the devil. But Christ
enjoins those who believe on him to be agreedwith the adversary Therefore,
in order that the Papists may find their purgatory here, they must first
become the friends and brethren of devils. A farthing is wellknown to be the
fourth part of a penny: but here, as is evident from Luke, it denotes a mite, or
any small piece of money. Now, if we were disposedto cavilling,403 we might
here obtain another exposure of the absurdity of the Papists. For, if he who
has once enteredPurgatory will never leave it, till he has paid the last
farthing, it follows, that the suffrages (as they call them) of the living for the
dead are of no avail. For Christ makes no allowance, thatothers may free a
debtor by satisfying for him, but expresslydemands from eachpersonthe
payment of what he owes.404Now, ifMoses and other satisfactionsare
useless, howeverwarm the fire of Purgatory may be, yet the kitchens of
priests and monks, for the sake ofwhich they are so anxious to maintain it,
will be coolenough.
My Utmost for His Highest
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The "go" OfPreparation
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there thou rememberestthat
thy brother hath ought againstthee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and

go thy way; first be reconciledto thy brother, and then come and offer thy
gift."
Matthew 5:23,2
It is easyto imagine that we will get to a place where we are complete and
ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily
maintained. It is dangerous to getinto a settled state of experience. It is
preparation and preparation.
The sense ofsacrifice appeals readily to a young Christian. Humanly
speaking, the one thing that attracts to Jesus Christ is our sense ofthe heroic,
and the scrutiny of Our Lord's words suddenly brings this tide of enthusiasm
to the test. "First be reconciledto thy brother." The "go" ofpreparation is to
let the word of God scrutinize. The sense of heroic sacrifice is not good
enough. The thing the Holy Spirit is detecting in you is the disposition that will
never work in His service. No one but God can detectthat disposition in you.
Have you anything to hide from God? If you have, then let Godsearchyou
with His light. If there is sin, confess it, not admit it. Are you willing to obey
your Lord and Masterwhateverthe humiliation to your right to yourself may
be?
Neverdiscard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to
have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting. You were looking
for a greatthing to give up. God is telling you of some tiny thing; but at the
back of it there lies the centralcitadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right
to myself - the thing God intends you to give up if ever you are going to be a
disciple of Jesus Christ.
Copyright Statement:

Takenfrom 'My Utmost for His Highest', by OswaldChambers. © l935 by
Dodd Mead & Co., renewed© 1963 by the OswaldChambers Publications
Assn., Ltd., and is used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville,
Ohio. All rights reserved.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 23-24
Jesus gave two illustrations of anger, one involving temple worship ( Matthew
5:23-24)and the other legalaction( Matthew 5:25-26). Both deal with
situations in which the heareris the cause ofanother person"s angerrather
than the offended party. Why did Jesus constructthe illustrations this way?
Perhaps He did so because we are more likely to remember situations in
which we have had some grievance againstanotherpersonthan those in
which we have simply offended another. MoreoverJesus" disciples shouldbe
as sensitive to making other people hate them as they are about hating others.
The offererwould present his offering at the brazen altar in the temple
courtyard. It is more important to lift the loadof hate from another brother"s
heart than to engage in a formal actof worship. Ritual worship was very
important to the scribes and Pharisees,and to all the Jews, but Jesus put
internal purity first, even the internal purity of another person (cf. 1 Samuel
16:7). Reconciliationis more important than worship also in that it must come
first.
Verse 25-26
The secondillustration stressesthe importance of making things right quickly.
Two men walking togetherto the court where their disagreementwould

receive judicial arbitration should try to settle their grievance out of court (cf.
1 Corinthians 6:1-11). The offender should remove the occasionfor the other
man"s angerand hatred quickly. Otherwise the judge might make things
difficult for both of them. The mention of going from judge to officer to prison
pictures the red tape and complications involved in not settling out of court.
Likewise Godwill make it difficult for haters and those who provoke hate in
others if they come before Him with unresolved interpersonaldisagreements.
Malicious angeris evil, and God"s judgment is certain. Therefore disciples
must do everything they can to end inappropriate anger quickly (cf.
Ephesians 4:26).
Rev. David Holwick J Church Covenant#9
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
April 2, 2006
Matthew 5:23-25
HOOKING UP

Church Covenant: "To be slow to take offense, but always ready for
reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it
without delay. We promise that when we move from this church, we will
as soonas possible, unite with some other church..."
I. Splitting up or putting together?
A. Japanese"Split Men."
The Japanesecallthem "Split Men."

For a price, they will end an affair, break off an engagement,
destroy a marriage, or help a company fire someone.
Their appeal is avoiding conflict in a societythat prizes
harmony above everything else.
Potentialclients are parents who don't like the persontheir
child is dating, spouses who tire of marriage, or lovers who
want to eliminate a rival.
There are a few tricks of the trade.
Split Men generallybegin with an investigation.
Often a hidden and embarrassing secretfrom the past can be

uncovered - a shoplifting conviction, an indiscreet affair.
The threat of exposure is enough to chase awaya lover or to
cause an employee to resign.
It doesn't come cheap.
Fees range from $12,000to bust up a relationship to
$15,000-plus to drive a wedge in a marriage.
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
Still, some of the Split Men have regrets.
One of them admits, "My professionshould not exist."
#22536

B. People are splitting up all over.
1) From divorces in America in ethnic revenge in Iraq.
2) Humans seemprone to conflict.
C. Conflict will come, but it is wonderful when it is resolved.
1) Christians should be "putter-togethers."
2) Jesus gives us some goodadvice on how to do this.
II. Have a thick skin and an open mind.
A. As the covenantsays, don't getmad easily.

1) Be slow to take offense.
2) Some people love to be victims and look for sleights.
Don't be like that.
B. Do an attitude check.
1) Are you always ready for reconciliation?
2) Being ready requires an attitude.
a) Do you dwell on the shortcomings of other people?
b) Does the thought of having to forgive them make your
stomachturn?
c) If so, you don't have the right attitude.

III. Make the hookup happen.
A. Follow our Savior's rules.
1) Matthew 5:23-25
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar
and there remember that your brother has something
againstyou,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go
and be reconciledto your brother; then come and
offer your gift.
25 Settle matters quickly with your adversarywho 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."
a) Recognize if YOU are the guilty party.
b) Take the initiative - Now!
c) Reconciliationis more important that worship.
d) Settle the matter.
1> Don't ignore it, or drag it out.
2> There may be harsh consequences ifyou don't.

2) Matthew 18:15-17
18:15 "If your brother sins againstyou, go and show him
his fault, just betweenthe two of you.
If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
18:16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others
along, so that 'every matter may be establishedby
the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church...
a) In this situation, YOU are the victim.

1> The two passages coverboth angles.
2> Jesus seems to be saying, "No matter who is at
fault, you go and attempt to reconcile."
b) You go and revealthe hurt, one-on-one.
c) If reconciliationfails, involve some others.
d) If it still fails, involve the church.
1> The entire time, the goalis reconciliation,
not confrontation.
IV. Key factors to consider.
A. You must recognize there is a problem.
1) Usually conflict is pretty obvious.

2) But Christians have a way of spiritualizing it so it is
not really a problem. Even though it is.
3) Japanese aren'tthe only one who specialize in ignoring
conflict.
B. Take actionto resolve the problem.
1) Immediately.
a) Don't put it off.
b) If the issues are allowedto accumulate it will be
much harder to resolve.
2) Directly.

a) YOU go to the person.
1> In both cases, you are the one to take initiative.
b) Don't tell half the neighborhood first.
3) Positively.
a) Address the issue with a view to resolution.
b) Seek forgivenessif necessary.
c) Make restitution if appropriate.
4) Progressively.
a) Increase the pressure as much as necessary.
b) Don't over-escalate andblow it out of proportion.
c) Ganging up may make us more comfortable, but it won't
make them more comfortable.

C. Renew the relationship.
1) Reconciliationhas beendefined by Bible scholarMerrill F.
Unger as the restorationof friendship and fellowship
after estrangement.
2) Reconciliationhas to do with relationships, and it does
not necessarilymean agreementon every issue.
a) Reconciliationbetweenpeople, and the resolution of
issues, are two separate things.
b) Too often these are confused, and we demand agreement
on every issue before we can reconcile.

c) This is not biblical thinking. The Bible teaches
unity, but does not demand uniformity. [1]
3) Reconciliationis cementedwhen we acceptone another.
V. Keep hookedup.
A. Finding fellowshipwherever you are.
1) When you move, find another church. And join it.
2) Sure, your heart will always be in LedgewoodBaptistand
the other church will never quite measure up, but
a church in town is better than one in another state.
B. Church membership is not a heritage issue.

1) You should not be here because grandma was.
2) You should go where Jesus is.
VI. God is the best reconciler.
A. He reaches out to us before we think of reaching out to him.
1) Christ died for us while we were still his enemies.
2) He woos us back to his love.
B. Those who are reconciledshould become reconcilers.
1) Paul says this is the ministry God has given us.
2) If you cannotreconcile, are you really saved?

C. What we are doing today, represents God's reconciling action.
A wonderful illustration of how our lives canbe transformed by
reconciliationis found in the life of the Archbishop of Chicago,
JosephCardinal Bernardin.
In 1993 a young man named StevenCook accusedthe cardinal of
sexual abuse.
He said it had happened years ago, but Steven had repressedthe
memory.
This was at the beginning of the scandals in the Catholic

priesthood and the story receivedhuge attention.
Many people assumedthe cardinal was guilty and his integrity took
a huge hit.
And then, over time, Mr. Cook acknowledgedthatthe charges were
false and the case was dropped.
Cardinal Bernardin immersed himself in his work but he kept
thinking about StevenCook, his accuser, who was now critically
ill with AIDS, living alone.
So the Cardinal did a remarkable thing.
He locatedStevenand invited him to meet outside Philadelphia.

He explained that his only reasonfor wanting to see the young man
was to tell him that he harbored no ill feelings.
He wanted to pray with Mr. Cook.
Steven Cook acceptedthat invitation and said that he wanted to
apologize for the hurt and embarrassmenthe had caused.
When the meeting happened, Mr. Cook told his story, including his
alienation from the church.
They talked for awhile.
The cardinal said what he had come to say, and he gave Mr. Cook an
inscribed Bible and offeredto have communion with him.

Mr. Cook hesitatedatfirst.
Cardinal Bernardin took a 100-year-oldchalice out of his case and
said, "Steven, this is a gift from a man I don't even know.
He askedme to use it have communion with you some day."
"Please," Stevenrespondedtearfully, "let's share communion now."
#30321
==========================================================
===============
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:

[1] "How to Resolve Conflicts,"by George Sanchez, Disciple Journal#8,
March/April 1982.
#22536 "Calling In The Split Man," by Marjorie Coeyman, The Christian
Science Monitor; http://www.csmonitor.com, February 28, 2002.
#30321 "The CardinalForgives,"from Kerux Sermon#22030by Rev.
Michael
Elmore. Edited for a Baptistaudience.
These and 30,000others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutelyfree, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html

==========================================================
===============
SERMON:A Sermon for the Ages:What Does Acceptable Righteousness
Look Like?
SCRIPTURE:Matthew 5:17-26
SPEAKER:MichaelP. Andrus
Date:February 18, 2007
In our journey through the Life of Christ from the Gospelof Matthew, we
have arrived at the
Sermon on the Mount. This discourse takes up three full chapters, Matthew 5-
7, and opens with
the Beatitudes, a description of the life of a true disciple that is radically
opposedto our nature
and our culture. Twice in our study of the Beatitudes last Sunday we came
across the term
“righteousness.”In verse 6 we read, “Blessedare those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be filled.” And againin verse 10: “Blessedare those who are
persecutedbecause
of righteousness, fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
I’m sure we would all agree that if we are to hunger and thirst for something,
we’d better

understand what it is. And if we’re going to allow ourselves to be persecuted
for something,
we’d better know what it is. But my impression is that there is a lot of
confusionconcerning the
meaning of righteousness. A simple definition that most would agree to might
be “right living,”
but what exactlyconstitutes right living? Some think it is defined by a list of
things they refrain
from doing. Others think it is defined by a lifestyle of meditation and self-
denial. If you ask any
three professing Christians to describe a righteous lifestyle, you will probably
find four opinions.
I suspectJesus’disciples had puzzled looks on their faces as He completed the
Beatitudes.
Perhaps He took a little break in His teaching to allow the profound truth He
was sharing to sink
in, and during the pause someone asked Him, “What do you mean by
righteousness?Our
religious leaders talk a lot about it and they are constantlyquoting from the
Mosaic Law to show
us how to live, but their answers don’t sound much like what You’re teaching.
Should we just
chuck the OT Law as taught by our clergy and live by these Beatitudes?”
If I am correctthat Jesus’disciples were thinking this way, His words
beginning in verse 17
make a lot of sense as an answerto these questions:

Do not think that I have come to abolishthe Law or the Prophets;I have not
come to
abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not
the smallestletter, not the leaststroke ofa pen, will by any means disappear
from the
Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the leastof
these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be calledleastin the
kingdom of
heaven, but whoeverpractices and teaches these commands will be called
greatin the
kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the
Pharisees andthe teachers ofthe law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom
of heaven
(Matthew 5:17-20).
The lastthing Jesus wants is for anyone to interpret His teaching on
righteousness as in any way
discrediting the OT. He clearly states that He did not come to abolish the Law
or the Prophets
2
but to fulfill them. Furthermore, He goes on to promise that not the smallest
letter or even a part
of a letter (like the dot on an “I” or the crossing ofa “t”) will disappearfrom
the Law until

everything spokenin it is accomplished. But then Jesus goesevenfurther in
affirming the OT,
stating that greatness in the Kingdom will be measured by conformity to the
Law in both action
and teaching.
Yet it is clearthat His understanding of righteousnessdiffers diametrically
from that of the
Jewishreligious teachers. His very next words are these:“ForI tell you that
unless your
righteousness surpassesthat of the Phariseesand the teachers of the law, you
will certainly not
enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). This must have stunned His
disciples, for the
Pharisees andteachers ofthe Law were famous for their righteousness. But
Jesus says, in effect,
the Scriptures are right, but they are wrong.
The Pharisees were a religious party in Israelthat majored in studying the OT
with a fine-toothed
comb, especiallythe Torah, the first five books of Moses.Theymemorized
vast portions of it.
They workedhard to keepthemselves from contamination by the world. They
sought to
preserve truth by fighting the secularizationof society. Theywere scrupulous
about tithing.
They eagerlyevangelizedin an effort to getnew converts. In short the
Pharisees were much like

the fundamentalists of our day (the Sadducees, onthe other hand, were much
like the liberals of
our day).
The Teachersofthe Law were the scholars among the Pharisees, oras we
might put it, the
seminary professors. Theydevoted full time to the study of the Scriptures and
came to be its
primary interpreters and articulators. They were highly revered for their
knowledge and skillin
exegeting and teaching the Torah.
With that as background, I wonder if we shouldn’t paraphrase Jesus’words
in Matthew 5:20 for
our culture this way:
“ForI tell you that unless your righteousnesssurpassesthatof some of the
best-known
pastors, the most brilliant seminary professors, andthe most successfulradio
and TV
preachers you know, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I know there are noble exceptions to such a categoricalcritique of today’s
clergy, but the simple
fact is there are plenty of Scribes and Pharisees inthe church today, even in
evangelicalism.
They are individuals who have a greatconcernfor righteousness, as did the
Pharisees ofJesus’
day, but what kind of righteousness? Younoticed, didn’t you, that Jesus
doesn’t question that

the Phariseesand teachers ofthe law pursued righteousness? Butit was an
inadequate and
unacceptable righteousnessto God.
Well, what does acceptable righteousnesslook like? I want to suggestseven
characteristicsof
acceptable righteousness this morning, i.e. the kind of righteousness that will
enable a personto
enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There’s no particular significance to the fact
that there are seven–
that’s just how it turned out. Acceptable righteousness is a righteousness less
concernedwith
talk than walk, more concernedwith Scripture than tradition, focuses onthe
internal rather than
3
the external, focuses onessentialissues ratherthan non-essentialones, refuses
to make God’s
demands less demanding, refuses to make God’s permissions more permissive,
and is a
righteousness thatis credited to our accounts by God Himself.
1. Acceptable righteousnessis less concernedwith talk than walk.
There are many places in the NT where Jesus elaborates onthe lifestyle and
teaching of the
scribes and Pharisees. One of the principal passagesis Matthew 23. Consider
verses 1-4:
Then Jesus saidto the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers ofthe law
and the

Pharisees sitin Moses'seat.So you must obey them and do everything they
tell you. But
do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
In other words, Jesus claims that for the most part the Phariseeshave their
theologypretty
straight, but their lives are a mess, their attitudes are ungodly, their motives
are suspect.
How often could that be saidof us as evangelicals?We put a greatdeal of
emphasis on sound
doctrine and biblical theology, but to what extent do our lives accurately
mirror the truth that we
teachand preach?
2. Acceptable righteousnessis more concernedwith Scripture than tradition.
The Jewishscholars claimedto have an orthodox view of the Scriptures, but
in point of factthey
regularly gave more credence to their traditions than they did to the Word of
God. That is very
evident from a confrontationbetweenthem and Jesus in Matthew 15:1-9:
Then some Pharisees andteachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem
and asked,
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash
their hands
before they eat!"
Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of Godfor the sake of
your
tradition? ForGod said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who
curses his

father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his
father or
mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have receivedfrom me is a gift
devoted to
God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God
for the sake
of your tradition.
You hypocrites! Isaiahwas right when he prophesied about you: " 'These
people honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their
teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
The Pharisees hada strong tradition about washing their hands in a certain
ritual manner before
meals. This wasn’t something required in the Mosaic Law, but they elevatedit
to the level of an
essential. In an effort to point out their gross inconsistency Jesus takesa law
that is clearly
required in the Scripture and challenges them as to why they don’t keepit–the
law about
4
honoring one’s father and mother, the Fifth of the TenCommandments.
Now the Phariseespaid lip service to that law, as they did to the entire Torah,
but they had
sneakyways of avoiding its applicationto their lives. For example, if his
elderly parent knocked

on the door and askedfor financial help, a Pharisee would quickly saya silent
prayer in which he
would devote everything he owned to God. Then he would say to his elderly
parent, “Mom,
Dad, I would love to help you, but I recently committed all my earthly goods
to God, and I
cannot renege on that promise. Why don’t you check with Catholic Social
Services and see if
they can help you?” This tradition of officially devoting one’s possessions to
the Lord was
simply a ruse for the sake ofgreed. They were nullifying the word of God for
the sake oftheir
traditions.
Now I personally have a greatrespectfor tradition–not so much for our
recenttraditions about
appropriate attire for church and musical preferences and times for services,
etc, but for the
ancient theologicaltraditions of the church. I told my LBI class last Sunday
night,
If it’s true, it’s not new.
If it’s new, it’s not true.
I think it’s extremely important that we study the viewpoints of the early
church fathers (those
who were closestto the Apostles) and the greatReformers, like Luther and
Calvin. Our
evangelicalseminaries generallydo a greatjob teaching systematic theology
and biblical

theology, but they often do a lousy job teaching historicaltheology, and
therefore much of their
teaching is not solidly rooted in the history of the Church. But wheneverwe
put Tradition of any
kind on a par with Scripture, or whenever we interpret the Scriptures by our
Tradition, we are in
danger of serious error.
I remind you of a very important fact: heresy was presenteven during the NT
period while the
Apostles were still alive. Paul warnedseveralof his churches about heresies
that were rampant
in his churches. Forexample, in 1 Timothy 4:3 Paul speaks ofsome false
teachers who “forbid
people to marry and order them to abstainfrom certainfoods, which God
createdto be received
with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”
So just because you canfind a viewpoint in early church history does not
automatically mean
that it is true. However, if you can’t find it there, that’s pretty strong evidence
that it is false. I
don’t believe God is revealing new truth to the Church today, though at times
He allows us to
recoverold truth. Acceptable righteousness is more concernedwith Scripture
than tradition.
3. Acceptable righteousnessfocusesonthe internal rather than the external.
This is the opposite of what the Phariseesand teachers ofthe Law routinely
did. In Matthew

23:5-7 Jesus says of these same leaders,
“Everything they do is done for men to see:They make their phylacteries wide
and the
tassels ontheir garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and
the most
important seats in the synagogues;they love to be greetedin the marketplaces
and to
5
have men call them 'Rabbi.'”
Phylacteries are little boxes with the TenCommandments written inside
which to this day
orthodox Jewishmen strap to their foreheads when they go to the synagogue
or to the Wailing
Wall. The religious leaders would wearwide phylacteries, fancy ones that
would draw attention.
The reference to long tassels ontheir robes and their love of being greeted
and called“rabbi”
reminds me of frequent visits to Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis while
I pastoredthere.
It was not unusual to see the monsignor walking the aisles of the hospital in
his white robes, with
a red sashand a large religious medallion hanging around his neck, being
greetedby medical
personneland patients alike, “Goodmorning, Father.” Some would even stop
him and kiss his
ring. (Frankly, it’s not too different from the treatment Benny Hinn receives
in his distinctive

white suits).
In Matthew 23:25-28 Jesusspeaksevenmore pointedly to this issue of
external righteousness:
"Woe to you, teachers ofthe law and Pharisees, youhypocrites! You cleanthe
outside of
the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greedand self-indulgence. Blind
Pharisee!
First cleanthe inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be
clean.
"Woe to you, teachers ofthe law and Pharisees, youhypocrites! You are like
whitewashedtombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are
full of dead
men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you
appear to
people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
It is a huge temptation for all of us to be more concernedabout the external
than the internal. I
was talking with my mother a week ago andshe was reminiscing about the
Methodist and
Baptist churches she grew up in nearly 80 years ago in northern Minnesota.
These were Biblebelieving, Bible-preaching churches that conducted frequent
revival meetings. She constantly
heard about the evils of drinking and smoking and wearing makeup and card-
playing–all things
one might deem negative righteousness. Butshe says she doesn’t remember
ever hearing any

teaching about positive righteousness, anyexhortations to love the poor, or to
clothe oneselfwith
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, or to forgive those
who have wronged
us, or to be a peacemaker. She acknowledgesthat she may simply have missed
it, but clearly the
emphasis was on external righteousness.
I’m glad the evangelicalchurch today has for the most part abandoned that
kind of legalismfrom
our fundamentalist past, but sometimes I fearwe have failed to place a
corresponding new
emphasis on internal righteousness.It seems like we just don’t talk much
about righteousness at
all.
4. Acceptable righteousnessfocusesonessentialissues ratherthan non-
essentialones.
Matthew 23:23, 24:
6
“Woe to you, teachers ofthe law and Pharisees, youhypocrites! You give a
tenth of your
spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglectedthe more important
matters of the
law–justice, mercyand faithfulness. You should have practicedthe latter,
without
neglecting the former. You blind guides!You strain out a gnat but swallow a
camel.”

The visual images here are stunning. You can just see a Pharisee going into his
spice rack and
counting out the little dill seeds, making sure that every tenth one goes to
synagogue’s kitchen!
The other image of a personstraining out a tiny insectand ingesting a huge
ugly animal with a
hump or two, a long neck, and bony knees is also shocking.
Please understandthat God doesn’t want us to neglectminor issues, whether
they are doctrinal or
ethical. It is goodfor us to study the details of prophecy and to examine the
arguments pro and
con about infant baptism. But we must be carefulnot to major on minors.
One of the early
church fathers said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all
things, charity.” The
principal reasonthere are 33,800+ denominations today is that professing
Christians have been
majoring on minors for a long time. Acceptable righteousness gives attention
to the weightier
issues of life and doctrine.
The next two characteristics ofacceptablerighteousnessgo hand in hand.
They are two sides of
the same coin, and the Phariseesand Scribes were guilty of both sides.
Whenever God laid down
a restriction they tried to find loopholes, andwhenever God offered a freedom
they tried to
expand it.

5. Acceptable righteousnessrefuses to make God’s demands less demanding.
Now let me pursue a rabbit train for a moment, which will lead us back to this
point. In the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses a phrase which we will meet again and again
over the next six
weeks,namely, “You have heard that it was said, but I tell you . . . . ” If your
Bible is open you
can see this clearly:
Verse 21: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not
murder,’ . . .
but I tell you . . .”
Verse 27: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I
tell you . .
.”
Verse 31: “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
certificate of
divorce.’ But I tell you . . .”
Verse 33: “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do
not break
your oath.’ But I tell you . . .”
Verse 38: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
But I tell
you . . .”
Verse 43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.’
But I tell you . . .”

What’s going on here? At first glance it seems that eachtime Jesus is quoting
the OT but then
contrasting His ownteaching to what is found there. Once again we are forced
to ask, “Is He
saying, ‘Put your OT aside, along with the scholars who interpret it for you,
because I have a
7
new understanding of truth, a new ethicalstandard, and a new way to please
God.’”
I don’t think so. I think we find a hint at His true meaning in verse 43:“You
have heard that it
was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love
your enemies . . .”
The first half of that quotation, “love your neighbor,” clearly comes from the
OT, but the last
half is found nowhere in the Scriptures. Jesus is contrasting His ownviews,
not with the
teaching of the OT but rather with a twistedinterpretation of the OT. The
Pharisees were
constantly attempting to force the Scripture into a mold they could accept.
And if that is what is
happening in verse 43, I suggestto you that it is probably what is happening
in all the other
quotations as well.
Now in Matthew 5:21-26, the latter half of our Scripture text today, we have a
clearexample of

an attempt to make God’s demands less demanding. Verse 21 says, “You have
heard that it was
said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, (that’s a direct quote from the
6th Commandment)
and anyone who murders will be subjectto judgment.’ But I tell you that
anyone who is angry
with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
The Pharisees andscribes were looking only at the letter of the Law, the
physical act of murder,
and limiting their interpretation to that. But Jesus is saying in effect, “God
had more in mind
than just the physical act of murder; He intended the 6th Commandment as a
prohibition of
mental murder as well. It is also a prohibition of angerand insult, and even
further, a command
to pursue reconciliationand peace.”
Jesus is committed to restoring God’s original intention. “Do not murder”
was intended by God
to speak to the human heart about attitudes so destructive that they
eventually lead to the death
of another individual. Murder, you know, almostnever occurs if angerand
insult don’t come
first.
Furthermore, if angerand insult are so serious and dangerous, then we must
avoid them and take
actionas speedily as possible. That is the point of Jesus’two illustrations, one
from the church

and the other from the courts. The first illustration has to do with our worship
in the church:
Matthew 5:23:
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that
your
brother has something againstyou, leave your gift there in front of the altar.
First go and
be reconciledto your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
In effect Jesus is saying that not only does the Sixth Commandment forbid the
wanton taking of
human life; it actually demands that we seek reconciliationwith those who
have something
againstus. We don’t even have to be angry at them; if they are angry at us,
that’s sufficient
reasonto stop us in our tracks on the way to the altar and try to resolve the
issue.
Then Jesus offers another illustration in verses 25 and 26:
Settle matters quickly with your adversarywho is taking you to court. Do it
while you are
8
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. I tell you the
truth, you will
not getout until you have paid the last penny.
In our litigious societythis advice seems naive. The tendency today is that if
someone is suing

you, you just slap a greaterlawsuiton them. But Jesus urges us instead to
settle matters quickly,
out of court, going the extra mile to resolve disputes. All of this, He claims, is
inherent in the
original intent of the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder.” But the
Pharisees soughtto
make God’s demands less demanding by limiting that original intent.
Do we have Pharisees andteachers ofthe Law in the church today whose
interpretations are
making God’s demands less demanding? Let me just rush in where angels
fear to tread and
address the issue of the ordination of women to pastoralministry. Church
after church,
denomination after denomination has cavedinto the demands of the culture to
allow women to
do anything a man is allowedto do. Some mainline denominations actually
require their
churches to ordain women elders even if no womanin the church is really
interestedin being an
elder.
Now I suggestto you that there are some fairly clearpassagesofScripture
that restrict certain
kinds of leadershipin the church to men. I don’t particularly relish those
passages;I doubt if I
would have written them that way if it were left up to me. But just about the
strongestargument

I hear for not following God’s restrictions is that “it isn’t fair.” That’s not a
very persuasive
argument for contradicting the Scriptures, friends. If I chuckedeverything in
the Bible that at
one time or another didn’t seemfair to me, there wouldn’t be much left.
Remember what Isaiah
said in 55:8, 9:
“Formy thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Acceptable righteousness refusesto make God’s demands less demanding.
6. Acceptable righteousnessrefuses to make God’s permissions more
permissive.
Look down at verse 31. This will be our text for next Sunday, so let me just
introduce it to you
today: “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
certificate of divorce.’
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, exceptfor marital
unfaithfulness, causes her to
become an adulteress, and anyone who married the divorced womancommits
adultery.” In the
book of Deuteronomy God, who designed for marriage to be permanent, gave
permission for

divorce under very limited circumstances because ofthe hardness of their
hearts. He never
encourageddivorce but allowedfor it when “some indecency” was present, a
reference to some
sort of sexualunfaithfulness. But the Scribes and Pharisees interpreted“some
indecency” in the
widest possible sense, concluding that if the wife burned her husband’s toast
he could geta
divorce. God’s permissions were made more permissive.
9
Is this happening in the church today? Paul says to his colleague Timothy,
“Have a little wine
for your stomach’s sake.”Is that a permission for a Christian to drink a little
wine for the sake
of his health? Probably, and it’s interesting to me that medical science today
has concludedthat
those who drink red wine with moderation will be more healthy than those
who are teetotalers.
But are Paul’s words granting permission for recreationaldrinking or
consuming hard liquor? I
don’t think so. That seems to me a clearcase ofmaking God’s permissions
more permissive.
Acceptable righteousness doesn’tdo that.
7. Acceptable righteousnessis credited to our accounts by God Himself.
Ultimately, friends, the kind of righteousnessthat Jesus asksfor is so
demanding that if we’re

ever going to possessit He has to give it to us. It cannotbe deservedor earned
or accomplished,
only accepted. Godsetthe impossible standard and then Himself provided its
fulfillment–in
Christ.
The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 2:16, “A man is not justified by the works
of the Law but
through faith in Christ Jesus.”The fact that righteousness comes by faith is
made explicitly clear
in Romans 4:3: “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it
was credited to
him as righteousness.’”And then he goes onto make it clearthat Abraham
was counted as a
righteous man apart from his works, apartfrom religious ritual, and apart
from Law.
Later on in Galatians 2:21 he adds: “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if
righteousness
could be gainedthrough the law, Christ died for nothing!” But it couldn’t, so
Christ’s death was
necessary.
The best charge accountI know anything about is the one God has established
for those who put
their faith in Jesus. We getto charge our sins to His account, and He credits
His righteousness to
our account. This wonderful transactiondoes not relieve us of the
responsibility to live out the

truths of God’s Word, to be obedient to His commandments, or to follow the
ethical standards of
the Sermonon the Mount. But when we have done our best and failed, we can
lean on the
wonderful factthat God’s credit is perfect, and the righteousness He gives us
is fully acceptable
righteousness.
How do you sign up for that charge account? You do it by placing your faith
in Jesus Christ. He
died for you and He offers complete forgiveness to those who trust Him.
Won’t you do that
today?
DON FORTNER
HOW CAN I COME TO GOD’S ALTAR?
Text: Matthew 5:21-26
Subject: Christ Our Altar
Date: Sunday Morning — March27, 2005

Tape # Y-65b
Reading: Psalm43 and Isaiah 6:1-7
Introduction:
How can I come to God’s Altar? That is the question I want to answerin this
message. Turn with me to Matthew 5:21-26. Let’s read our Savior’s words
together.
(Matthew 5:21-26) “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not kill; and whosoevershallkill shall be in danger of the judgment: (22)
But I sayunto you, That whosoeveris angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in dangerof the judgment: and whosoevershallsay to his brother,
Raca, shallbe in danger of the council: but whosoevershallsay, Thou fool,
shall be in dangerof hell fire. (23)Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberestthat thy brother hath ought againstthee; (24) Leave
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciledto thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (25) 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
castinto prison. (26) Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out
thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.”

How are we to understand those words? What do they mean? I will show you
clearly the meaning of our Lord’s words in this passagein just a few minutes.
But in order to do so, I want us to look at some other passagesofHoly
Scripture.
Since the fall of our father Adam, God has never allowedman to approach
him without an altar and a sacrifice ofblood. In the old days of the patriarchs,
from Adam to Moses,the people of God built altars of stone, upon which they
offered sacrificesto God. Whenevermen drew near to God, whether to offer
praise or to seek mercy, they built an altar and offered a sacrifice ofblood.
Even in those days, men of faith knew that God’s justice could only be
satisfiedfor sin by blood, even the blood of God’s own Son, the Redeemerwho
must come into the world to put awaysin.
ONE ALTAR
Then, when God calledMoses up into the mount and spoke to him face to face
he appointed one altar of sacrifice to be built, and appointed a place for that

one altar in Israelalone. One spot was selected, andonly one. All the rest of
the world was left without an altar and without a sacrifice.
At first the altar was placedin the tabernacle;and later it was placedin the
temple at Jerusalem. This was the only altar of sacrifice, by which men might
approachunto God. From time to time, the prophets of God, by God’s special
command, raised up other altars. But for all others the rule was unbending –
One altar! All other altars which men erectedwere erectedin defiance of
God’s command; and their pretended sacrificesto God were an abomination
to him.
As in the typical, legaldispensation, so it is now. There is but one altar upon
which the holy Lord God meets sinners in mercy, only one altar upon which
God can and will be worshipped; and that Altar is Christ.
(Hebrews 13:10) “We have an altar, whereofthey have no right to eat which
serve the tabernacle.”

Proposition:The altar of sacrifice, in the tabernacle and in the temple, was
typical of our Lord Jesus Christ, (his Person, his work, and his merit), as our
Substitute before God. This is what God the Holy Spirit teaches us in Hebrews
13:10. – The only accesswhichsinners have to God, and the only acceptance
we have with God is Christ our Altar.
Our Altar is in heaven. We recognize no altar upon the earth. He who has an
Altar in heaven needs no altar upon the earth. He who has an altar upon the
earth has no altar in heaven. The Holy Spirit tells us this plainly.—”We have
an altar, whereofthey have no right to eatwhich serve the tabernacle.”
We cannotapproach God without a Mediator, without an Altar, and without
a Sacrifice. We are all guilty men and women, our bestand holiest acts are but
the sinful deeds of sinful men, and our purest worship is but the worship of
depraved hearts. Who canbring a cleanthing out of an unclean? Not one.
Before we can ever be acceptedwith God, before we canever bring an
acceptable offering or service to God, there must be a shedding of blood for
the removal of our sin and guilt. We must come to Godby way of the Altar
and Sacrifice he has appointed, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no door of acceptanceforus exceptthrough the merit of our great
Surety, who laid down his life for us. There is but one way by which we who

are washedin the blood of Christ can offer unto God our prayers, our gifts,
our praises, orour service, and that is by the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is
our Altar. We must give ourselves to him, as living sacrificesto God, because
only in him will God acceptour reasonable service.
ONE ALTAR STILL
I. There is still but one Altar by which sinful men may approachthe Holy
God.
In the Old Testamentthere was but one altar of sacrifice by which men could
ceremoniallyapproach God; and that one altar finds its fulfillment in the
Personof the Lord Jesus Christ. The only altar, which cansanctify us and
make us acceptable to God, is Christ.
In this GospelDay all physical, carnal, ceremonialaltars are instruments of
idolatry. Use anything as an altar for acceptancewith Godother than Christ

and you have no right to the merits of Christ. If you have another altar, your
altar will drag your soul down to hell.
A. There are many who think of the cross upon which our Savior died as an
altar.
I have heard it said that the cross was the altar upon which our Lord offered
himself as a sacrifice for sin. But it is not so. That cross upon which our Lord
was crucified was nothing more than the instrument of his torture. It is no
more to be reverencedas an altar than the whips of Pilate’s soldiers or the spit
of those Jews, which defiled his holy face.
I would no more weara cross around my neck than I would take the daggera
murderer used to kill my wife and wear it on my belt.
B. Sometimes men talk of the heart as an altar to God.

I know what they mean. They mean that sincerity makes our service to God
acceptable. It is true that there must be sincerity in our service to God, or it
will never be acceptable. Butsincerity itself will never make our most solemn
devotion acceptable to God. Nothing but blood will ever make a man
acceptable to God. Only the blood of Christ, shed for the atonement of our sin
can make us acceptedwith God.
C. It is common for men to talk of having a family altar.
It is goodto worship God in your home, with your family. But your family
devotions will never make you acceptable to God.
The church of God is our family, and we have a family altar. His name is
Jesus Christ our Substitute.

D. In many churches, the table used for serving the Lord’s Supper is looked
upon as an altar.
But the Scriptures never speak in such a way. The table spread before you is a
table of communion; but it is not a table of sacrifice. It is a place of
remembrance, but not a place of atonement. It is a solemnfeast, but not a
sanctifying feast.
E. Perhaps the most deceptive of all idolatrous notions is the idea that there
is an altar of salvationat the front of the church.
You can no more obtain salvationby walking down the aisle of a Baptist
church to an altar than the papists canby making a pilgrimage to Rome and
climbing the stairs to the pope’s seatof infamy.
There is but one Altar. There is but one place of salvation. That Altar is
Christ. He is God’s salvation. God only meets with men in his Son. Christ is
the Altar of God’s making, not man’s.

(Exodus 20:23-26) “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye
make unto you gods of gold. (24) An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,
and shalt sacrifice thereonthy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy
sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I recordmy name I will come unto
thee, and I will bless thee. (25)And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone,
thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou
hast polluted it. (26)Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that
thy nakedness be not discoveredthereon.”
· Christ is our Altar of earth.
· Christ is our Altar of stone.
· Christ is the Altar of God’s making.—”Ifthou lift up thy toolupon it,
thou hast polluted it.”
· Christ is the Altar with no stairs for men to climb.

All forms of carnal worship, all forms of physical things that men call “holy,”
all attempts to place any merit of any kind or any reverence of any kind in
material things is base idolatry (Ex. 20:23;John 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3).
(Exodus 20:23) “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye
make unto you gods of gold.”
(John 4:23-24) “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
shall worship the Fatherin spirit and in truth: for the Father seekethsuch to
worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth.”
(Philippians 3:3) “Forwe are the circumcision, which worship God in the
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Let us once and for all put awayevery form of idolatry from our midst (2
Kings 18:4).

(2 Kings 18:4) “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut
down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moseshad
made: for unto those days the children of Israeldid burn incense to it: and he
calledit Nehushtan.”
TYPE FULFILLED
II. Christ our Altar fulfils all that was symbolically portrayed in the Old
Testamentaltar of sacrifice.
Moses describesthe altar of sacrifice forus in Exodus 27:1-8. All that the altar
of the tabernacle and the temple signified typically is fulfilled for us really and
truly in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Exodus 27:1-8) “And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits
long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height
thereof shall be three cubits. (2) And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the
four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same:and thou shalt overlay it
with brass. (3) And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his
shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, andhis firepans: all the vessels
thereof thou shalt make of brass. (4) And thou shalt make for it a grate of
network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the
four corners thereof. (5) And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar
beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. (6) And thou shalt
make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
(7) And the staves shallbe put into the rings, and the staves shallbe upon the
two sides of the altar, to bearit. (8) Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as
it was showedthee in the mount, so shall they make it.”
A. The altar of sacrifice typified Christ in the use for which it was made.
1. The altar sanctifiedthe gift, the sacrifice, which was placedupon it, and
made it acceptable to God (Matt. 23:19). — Christ sanctifies us. He makes the
believing soul and our sacrificesacceptable to God (1 Peter2:5).

(Matthew 23:19) “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the
altar that sanctifieth the gift?”
(1 Peter2:5) “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
2. There was one altar for all the people, one altar for all their sins, one altar
for all their sacrifices.— There is one Altar for sinners; and that Altar is
Christ.
3. The altar bore the violent heat of divine wrath, so that the sinner might go
free. While the fire consumed the sacrifice on the altar, the altar itself was not
destroyed.
Even so, Christ our Altar bore the violent heat of God’s wrath. He poured out
his soulunto death for our sins as a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor.
Yet, he is not destroyed. This sacrifice, ratherthan being consumed by the
wrath of God, has consumedthe wrath of God (Rom. 8:1).

4. The altar was a place of refuge for guilty men.
· Adonijah (1 Kings 1:50).
· Joab(1 Kings 2:28-30).
What else can a guilty man do but take hold of the horns of the altar? Christ
alone is the Refuge for guilty sinners. — There were four horns on the altar.
These four horns representedthe universality of Christ’s redemption,
reaching to the four corners of the earth. — “Whosoevershallcall upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.”

You will be wise to lay hold of the horns of the Altar, and plead for God’s
mercy.
· The Grace Of God.
· The Merits Of Christ.
· The Promise Of God.
· The Invitations And Commands Of The Gospel(Isa. 43:25-26).
(Isaiah 43:25-26) “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressionsfor
mine own sake, andwill not remember thy sins. (26) Put me in remembrance:
let us plead together:declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”
B. The altar of Sacrifice was typicalof Christ in its position.

The moment the sinner entered the door of the tabernacle, the first, the most
important, most prominent thing he saw was that huge brazen altar. As he
went into approachGod the first thing he saw was the altar. As he left the
tabernacle, and went out to live in the world, the last thing he saw was the
altar.
1. Christ is pre-eminent. All fullness dwells in him.
2. In order to approach God, we must come by the Altar, Christ Jesus (Heb.
7:25).
3. As we attempt to live in the world, we must live with the Altar of
Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ, ever before our heart’s eyes.
4. Every relationship in life is affectedby this Altar.
C. The altar of sacrifice was typicalof Christ in its form.

1. The altar was four square.
· The Fullness of God’s Love (Eph. 3:19).
· The Fullness of God’s Covenant (2 Sam. 23:5).
· The Fullness of God’s Grace (Eph. 3:8).
· The Stability of All Things in Christ (Heb. 13:8).
2. There were no steps going up to the altar.
· There is no possibility of approaching God by the steps of your own
works.
· There are no steps of preparation before you come to the Altar.

· When the priest approachedthe altar, no nakedness couldbe seen. – His
robe completely coveredhim.
3. The altar was completelycoveredwith blood.
· Sin canonly be put awayby blood (Heb. 9:22).
· Justice must be satisfied.
D. The altar of sacrifice was typicalof Christ in its materials.
1. The shittim woodrepresents the incorruptible humanity of Christ.
2. The brass represents the eternal Godheadof Christ.

3. The shittim woodoverlaid with brass represents the eternalduration of
the sufficiencyof Christ’s sacrifice.
E. And the fire, which continually burned upon the altar of sacrifice, is also
typical of Christ. — That perpetual flame represents:
· The eternallove of Christ for his people.
· The zealof Christ for the glory of God.
· The purifying of God’s electby the blood of Christ.
· The unfailing intercessionofChrist for us.
COME TO THE ALTAR

III. Now, let’s turn back to Matthew 5. As we read these words of our
blessedSavior, he tells us how we must and cancome to God’s Altar?
Christ is the only Altar. — Christ is the appointed Altar. — Christ is a living
Altar. — Christ is a lasting Altar. — Christ is an accessible Altar. — Christ is
a saving, sin-atoning Altar.
But how canI come to God’s Altar? I am a needy sinner and need to come to
God’s Altar for forgiveness. And the only way I can offer up my gifts of praise
and thanksgiving to my God is upon his Altar. But how can I come to God’s
Altar? Out Lord Jesus tells me exactly how I canand must come to God’s
Altar in Matthew 5:21-26.
(Matthew 5:21-26) “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou

“THEREFORE”
Let’s look particularly at verses 23-26. The opening word, “Therefore,” points
us back to what our Lord has just statedin verse 22. —”Whosoevershall say,
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
The word fool is found many times in Holy Scripture; but the exactword that
is here translated “fool” (mwrov), from which we getour word “moron,” is
only used in one other place in the New Testament — 1 Corinthians 3:18. In
that passagethe Holy Spirit tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only
foundation God has laid, the Foundation upon which we must be built. Then,
in verse 18, we read, — “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you
seemethto be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”

The word “fool” (both here and in Matthew 5:22) means more than we
commonly mean by “moron,” “stupid,” “ignorant,” and “senseless.”The
word means “godless.” — If we would be spiritually wise, we must take our
place before God as fools, godless sinners, in danger of hell fire without
Christ.
BE RECONCILED
(Matthew 5:23-24) “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberestthat thy brother hath ought againstthee; (24) Leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciledto thy brother, and
then come and offer thy gift.”
“If thou bring thy gift to the altar…first be reconciledto thy brother” (vv. 23-
24). — Without question, grace does what law can never do. Grace actually
causes people to love eachother. The law requires that we love one another,
but it cannever produce love. In fact, as the Phariseesattestedby their
conduct, those who claim to live by the law commonly manifest the
judgmental hatred our Lord has just condemned. Those who give up all hopes
of law righteousness andtrust Christ alone for righteousnessare taught by the
grace they experience to love one another(Gal. 5:22-23).

As we bring our gifts and sacrifices ofpraise and thanksgiving to our Godby
Christ Jesus and recallsome offence we have given to a brother, believers
(men and women who walk in the Spirit and so fulfil the law of Christ) seek to
be reconciledto the one they have offended. There is a true, sweetunion in
Christ. All who are in Christ are one with Christ and one with one another.
When we come to him in adoration, love, and worship, we come with all our
brethren (Heb. 12:22-24). As Robert Hawkerput it, “His members come to
him as the Head and bring with us, by faith, the whole body in our arms to the
Lord (John 17:21. 1 Cor. 12:25-27).”
Our Lord’s words may be properly applied to the necessityofbrotherly love;
but that is not what is taught here. The context points us in another, higher,
more profitable direction. Our Savior is, in this entire chapter, showing us the
demands of God’s holy law and our complete inability to meet those demands.
Is he not here telling us that we cannot come to God except upon that one
Altar he has made (Ex. 20:24-26;25:22), which is Christ?
THE OFFENDED BROTHER

The Brother we have offended above all others is God our Savior. He is that
Brother with whom we have been angry without a cause. Unbelief is despising
him, saying to him “Raca,” “thoufool” (1 Cor. 1:18-25;1 John 5:10).
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25) “Forthe preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness;but unto us which are savedit is the power of God. (19) For it is
written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe?
where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolishthe wisdom of
this world? (21) For after that in the wisdomof God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleasedGod by the foolishness ofpreaching to save them
that believe. (22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock,
and unto the Greeks foolishness;(24) But unto them which are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christthe power of God, and the wisdom of God. (25)
Becausethe foolishness ofGod is wiserthan men; and the weaknessofGod is
strongerthan men.”
(1 John 5:10) “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in
himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth
not the record that Godgave of his Son.”

There is no coming to God until we are reconciledto him in and by Christ,
reconciledto Christ as our only God and Savior, our only atonementfor sin,
our only righteousness,and our only redemption. Once we are reconciledto
Christ our Brother, once we trust him alone for acceptancewith God, we may
and canand do come to God upon the merits of Christ, and he accepts us, and
our gifts, by the merits of his dear Son (1 Pet. 2:5).
OUR ADVERSARY
(Matthew 5:25-26) “Agree with thine adversaryquickly, whiles thou art in
the waywith him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and
the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be castinto prison. (26) Verily I
say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the
uttermost farthing.”

The words of verse 24, “Firstbe reconciledto thy brother,” and the words of
verse 25, “Agree with thine adversaryquickly,” obviously refer to the same
person. Our “brother” and our “adversary,” in this passage, speakofthe
same person.
Those words simply cannot be applied to a mere earthly adversary. Try as we
may, there is no way in the world that you canagree with an adversary or get
an adversary to agree with you. Besides, ifI am your brother in Christ, I
cannot be your adversary and you cannot be mine. Brothers are friends, not
adversaries.
These are verses, whichhave been a source of greattrouble for many sensitive
souls, simply because they have been so terribly misinterpreted, are truly a
source of greatconsolationand joy, when we rightly understand them.
This passageis not at all talking about us suing one anotherfor mercy. Our
Lord is telling us how we can and must, as ignorant, godless sinners, in danger
of hell fire, sue for mercy at the throne of grace.

Yes, our adversary, the devil, seeksto destroy us (1 Pet. 5:8); and many are in
league with him as adversaries to our souls. It is good to try to quiet them and
live peaceably, as much as is possible, with such men (Rom. 12:18). But it is
utterly impossible for us to agree with such adversaries orpersuade them to
agree with us. Our Lord must, therefore, be speaking of something else and of
someone else.
An adversaryis not always one who is intent upon hurting or ruining us. In
Exodus 23:22 the Lord our God declares, “Iwill be an adversaryto thine
adversaries.”Christ, our Brother, the sinners’ Friend, is an Adversary for us
againstour enemies! But there comes a day in the life of every eternally loved,
electand blood bought sinner when his eye “is dim by reasonof sorrow” (Job
17:7). In that day, when a sinner is convinced of his sin, the Lord stands as an
adversary, with his bow bent like an enemy, who pours out his fury like fire
(Lam. 2:4). In that hour of sorrow, the needy soul is sweetlyforcedby
omnipotent grace to cry in the depths of his soul for an advocate with God,
saying, as Job did, “O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man
pleadeth for his neighbor!” {friend} (Job 16:21).
“BE RECONCILED”

As an adversary, the Lord our God has a controversywith his people by
reasonof sin. Here our blessedSaviorand Advocate, the Lord Jesus, tells us
to make up the breach quickly while we are in the way. That is to say, “Be
reconciledto God quickly by Christ, who is himself the Way, the only wayof
reconciliation.” The only way a sinner canbe reconciledto God is to agree
with him when he appears as our adversary, threatening judgment. Agree
with everything he says…
· About Himself.
· About You.
· About Righteousness.
· About Satisfaction.
· About Salvation.
Christ is our peace. It is written, “This man shall be the peace” (Micah5:5).
— “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). —
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus”
(Rom. 8:1). But to those who live and die in enmity againstGod, Christ will
sooncome as the Judge. Into his hands the ungodly shall be delivered (John
5:22). Christ the greatJudge shall send his angels to execute his wrath against
his enemies (Matt. 13:41-42). And the prison into which they shall be cast

forever is the place of everlasting darkness, torment, and separationfrom God
called“Hell” and “the lake of fire” (2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:15).
(Hebrews 4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Psalms 26:6-7) "I will washmine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine
altar, O LORD: (7) That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell
of all thy wondrous works."
Amen.
DON FORTNER
THE ALTAR, THE ADVERSARY
AND THE AGREEMENT

Text: Matthew 5:21-26
Date: WednesdayEvening — July 2, 2008
Rescue BaptistChurch — Rescue,CA
Subject: Christ Our Altar
Introduction:
How can I come to God’s Altar? That is the question I want to answerin this
message. Turn with me to Matthew 5:21-26. Let’s read our Savior’s words
together.
(Matthew 5:21-26)“Ye have heard that it was saidby them of old time, Thou

In this passageofHoly Scripture the Lord Jesus speaksaboutan altar, an
adversary and an agreementthat must be made. How are we to understand
those words? What do they mean? — The title of my messageis THE
ALTAR, THE ADVERSARY AND THE AGREEMENT
THE ALTAR
First, let me talk to you about the altar. Since the fall of our father Adam, God
has never allowedman to approachhim without an altar and a sacrifice of
blood. In the old days of the patriarchs, from Adam to Moses, the people of
God built altars of stone, upon which they offered sacrificesto God.
Whenever men drew near to God, whether to offer praise or to seek mercy,
they built an altar and offered a sacrifice ofblood. Even in those earliestdays,

men of faith knew that God’s justice could only be satisfiedfor sin by blood,
even the blood of God’s own Son, the Redeemerwho must come into the
world to put awaysin.
ONE ALTAR
Then, when God calledMoses up into the mount and spoke to him face to face
he appointed one altar of sacrifice to be built, and appointed a place for that
one altar in Israelalone. One spot was selected, andonly one. All the rest of
the world was left without an altar and without a sacrifice.
At first the altar was placedin the tabernacle;and later it was placedin the
temple at Jerusalem. This was the only altar of sacrifice, by which men might
approachunto God. From time to time, the prophets of God, by God’s special
command, raised up other altars. But for all others the rule was unbending –
One altar! All other altars which men erectedwere erectedin defiance of
God’s command; and their pretended sacrificesto God were an abomination
to him.

As in the typical, legaldispensation, so it is now. There is but one altar upon
which the holy Lord God meets sinners in mercy, only one altar upon which
God can and will be worshipped; and that Altar is Christ.
(Hebrews 13:10) “We have an altar, whereofthey have no right to eatwhich
serve the tabernacle.”
Proposition:The altar of sacrifice, in the tabernacle and in the temple, was
typical of our Lord Jesus Christ, (his Person, his work, and his merit), as our
Substitute before God. This is what God the Holy Spirit teaches us in Hebrews
13:10. – The only accesssinners have to God, and the only acceptancewe have
with God, is Christ our Altar.
Our Altar is in heaven. We recognize no altar upon the earth. He who has an
Altar in heaven needs no altar upon the earth. He who has an altar upon the
earth has no altar in heaven. The Holy Spirit tells us this plainly. — “We have
an altar, whereofthey have no right to eatwhich serve the tabernacle.”

We cannotapproach God without a Mediator, without an Altar, and without
a Sacrifice. We are all guilty men and women, our bestand holiest acts are but
the sinful deeds of sinful men, and our purest worship is but the worship of
depraved hearts. Who canbring a cleanthing out of an unclean? Not one.
Before we can ever be acceptedwith God, before we canever bring an
acceptable offering or service to God, there must be the shedding of blood for
the removal of our sin and guilt. We must come to Godby way of the Altar
and Sacrifice he has appointed, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no door of acceptanceforus exceptthrough the merit of our great
Surety, who laid down his life for us. There is but one wayby which we who
are washedin the blood of Christ can offer unto God our prayers, our gifts,
our praises, orour service, and that is by the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is
our Altar. We must give ourselves to him, as living sacrificesto God, because
only in him will God acceptour reasonable service.
ONE ALTAR STILL
There is still but one Altar by which sinful men may approachthe Holy God.
— In the Old Testamentthere was but one altar of sacrifice by which men
could ceremonially approachGod; and that one altar finds its fulfillment in

the Personofthe Lord Jesus Christ. The only altar, which can sanctify us
(Matthew 23:18) and make us acceptable to God, is Christ.
In this GospelDay all physical, carnal, ceremonialaltars are instruments of
idolatry. Use anything as an altar for acceptancewith Godother than Christ
and you have no right to the merits of Christ. If you have another altar, your
altar will drag your soul down to hell.
· There are many who think of the cross upon which our Saviordied as an
altar.
I have heard it said that the cross was the altar upon which our Lord offered
himself as a sacrifice for sin. But it is not so. That cross upon which our Lord
was crucified was nothing more than the instrument of his torture. It is no
more to be reverencedas an altar than the whips of Pilate’s soldiers that
laceratedhis back, or the spit of those Jews thatdefiled his holy face.

I would no more weara cross around my neck than I would take the daggera
murderer used to kill my wife and wear it on my belt.
· Sometimes men talk of the heart as an altar to God.
I know what they mean. They mean that sincerity makes our service to God
acceptable. It is true that there must be sincerity in our service to God, or it
will never be acceptable. Butsincerity itself will never make our most solemn
devotion acceptable to God. Nothing but blood will ever make a man
acceptable to God. Only the blood of Christ, shed for the atonement of our sin
can make us acceptedwith God.
· It is common for men to talk of having a family altar.
It is goodto worship God in your home, with your family. But your family
devotions will never make you acceptable to God. — The church of God is our
family, and we have a family altar. His name is Jesus Christour Substitute.

· In many churches, the table used for serving the Lord’s Supper is looked
upon as an altar.
But the Scriptures never speak in such a way. The table spread before you at
the Lord’s Supper is a table of communion; but it is not a table of sacrifice. It
is a place of remembrance, but not a place of atonement. It is a solemn feast,
but not a sanctifying feast.
· Perhaps the most deceptive of all idolatrous notions is the idea that there
is an altar of salvationat the front of the church.
You can no more obtain salvationby walking down the aisle of a Baptist
church to an altar than the papists canby making a pilgrimage to Rome and
climbing the stairs to the pope’s seatof infamy.

There is but one Altar. There is but one place of salvation. That Altar is
Christ. He is God’s salvation. God only meets with men in his Son. Christ is
the Altar of God’s making, not man’s.
(Exodus 20:23-26)“Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye
make unto you gods of gold. (24) An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,
and shalt sacrifice thereonthy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy
sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I recordmy name I will come unto
thee, and I will bless thee. (25)And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone,
thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou
hast polluted it. (26)Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that
thy nakedness be not discoveredthereon.”
Christ is our Altar of earth. — Christ is our Altar of stone. — Christ is the
Altar of God’s making. (“If thou lift up thy toolupon it, thou hast polluted
it.”) — Christ is the Altar with no stairs for men to climb. — All forms of
carnalworship, all forms of physical things that men call “holy,” all attempts
to place any merit of any kind or any reverence of any kind in material things
is base idolatry (Ex. 20:23; John 4:23-24;Phil. 3:3).

(Exodus 20:23) “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye
make unto you gods of gold.”
(John 4:23-24)“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
shall worship the Fatherin spirit and in truth: for the Father seekethsuch to
worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth.”
(Philippians 3:3) “Forwe are the circumcision, which worship God in the
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Let us once and for all put awayevery form of idolatry from our midst (2
Kings 18:4).
(2 Kings 18:4) “He (Hezekiah)removed the high places, and brake the images,
and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses
had made: for unto those days the children of Israeldid burn incense to it:
and he calledit Nehushtan.”

TYPE FULFILLED
Christ our Altar fulfils all that was symbolically portrayed in the Old
Testamentaltar of sacrifice. — Moses describesthe altar of sacrifice forus in
Exodus 27:1-8. All that the altar of the tabernacle and the temple signified
typically is fulfilled for us really and truly in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Exodus 27:1-8) “And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits
long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height
thereof shall be three cubits. (2) And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the
four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same:and thou shalt overlay it
with brass. (3) And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his
shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, andhis firepans: all the vessels
thereof thou shalt make of brass. (4) And thou shalt make for it a grate of
network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the
four corners thereof. (5) And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar
beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. (6) And thou shalt
make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
(7) And the staves shallbe put into the rings, and the staves shallbe upon the
two sides of the altar, to bearit. (8) Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as
it was showedthee in the mount, so shall they make it.”

ALTAR’S USE
The altar of sacrifice typified Christ in the use for which it was made. — The
altar sanctifiedthe gift, the sacrifice, whichwas placedupon it, and made it
acceptable to God (Matt. 23:19). — Christ sanctifies us. He makes the
believing soul and our sacrificesacceptable to God (1 Peter2:5).
(Matthew 23:19) “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the
altar that sanctifieth the gift?”

There was one altar for all the people, one altar for all their sins, one altar for
all their sacrifices. — There is one Altar for sinners; and that Altar is Christ.
The altar bore the violent heat of divine wrath, so that the sinner might go
free. While the fire consumed the sacrifice on the altar, the altar itself was not
destroyed.
Even so, Christ our Altar bore the violent heat of God’s wrath. He poured out
his soulunto death for our sins as a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor.
Yet, he is not destroyed. This sacrifice, ratherthan being consumed by the
wrath of God, has consumedthe wrath of God (Rom. 8:1).
The altar was a place of refuge for guilty men (Adonijah - 1 Kings 1:50 —
Joab1 Kings 2:28-30). What else can a guilty man do, but take hold of the
horns of the altar? Christ alone is the Refuge for guilty sinners. — There were
four horns on the altar. These four horns representedthe universality of
Christ’s redemption, reaching to the four corners of the earth. — “Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” You will be wise to lay
hold of the horns of the Altar, and plead for God’s mercy.
· The Grace of God.
· The Merits of Christ.

· The Promise of God.
· The Invitations and Commands of the Gospel(Isa. 43:25-26).
(Isaiah 43:25-26)“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for
mine own sake, andwill not remember thy sins. (26) Put me in remembrance:
let us plead together:declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”
ALTAR’S POSITION
The altar of Sacrifice was typical of Christ in its position, too. The moment the
sinner entered the door of the tabernacle, the first, the most important, most
prominent thing he saw was that huge brazen altar. As he went in to approach
God the first thing he saw was the altar. As he left the tabernacle, and went
out to live in the world, the last thing he saw was the altar.
· Christ is pre-eminent. All fullness dwells in him.

· In order to approachGod, we must come by the Altar, Christ Jesus (Heb.
7:25).
· As we attempt to live in the world, we must live with the Altar of
Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ, ever before our heart’s eyes.
· Every relationship in life is affectedby this Altar.
ALTAR’S FORM
The altar of sacrifice was typicalof Christ in its form, or shape. The altar was
four square.
· The Fullness of God’s Love (Eph. 3:19).
· The Fullness of God’s Covenant(2 Sam. 23:5).
· The Fullness of God’s Grace (Eph. 3:8).
· The Stability of All Things in Christ (Heb. 13:8).

There were no steps going up to the altar.
· There is no possibility of approaching God by the steps of your own
works.
· There are no steps of preparation before you come to the Altar.
· When the priest approachedthe altar, no nakedness couldbe seen. – His
robe completely coveredhim.
The altar was completelycoveredwith blood.
· Sin can be put awayby only blood (Heb. 9:22).
· Justice must be satisfied.
ALTAR’S MATERIALS

And the altar of sacrifice was typicalof Christ in its materials. — The shittim
woodrepresents the incorruptible humanity of Christ. — The brass
represents the eternal Godheadof Christ. — The shittim wood overlaid with
brass represents the eternal duration of the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.
THE FIRE
Remember, everything involved in the ceremonial, Levitical services ofthe
Old Testamenttypified our Savior. The fire, which continually burned upon
the altar of sacrifice, was typicalof our blessedChrist. — That perpetual
flame represents:
· The eternal love of Christ for his people.
· The zeal of Christ for the glory of God.
· The purifying of God’s electby the blood of Christ.

· The unfailing intercessionof Christ for us.
THE ADVERSARY
Now, let’s turn back to Matthew 5. As we read these words of our blessed
Savior, he tells us how we must and can come to God’s Altar? Christ is the
only Altar. — Christ is the appointed Altar. — Christ is a living Altar. —
Christ is a lasting Altar. — Christ is an accessible Altar. — Christ is a saving,
sin-atoning Altar.
But how canI come to God’s Altar? There is an adversary spokenof in our
text, an adversarywho must be dealt with, if I am to come to Godupon his
Altar, and find acceptance withhim.
I am a needy sinner and need to come to God’s Altar for forgiveness. And the
only way I canoffer up my gifts of praise and thanksgiving to my God is upon
his Altar. But how can I come to God’s Altar? Our Lord Jesus tells us exactly
how we can and must come to God’s Altar in Matthew 5:21-26.

(Matthew 5:21-26)“Ye have heard that it was saidby them of old time, Thou
“THEREFORE”
Let’s look particularly at verses 23-26. The opening word, “Therefore,” points
us back to what our Lord has just stated. It refers to God’s requirement of
perfect righteousness inverse 20 and our guilt, described in verses 21 and 22.

(Matthew 5:20-22)“"ForI sayunto you, That exceptyour righteousness shall
exceedthe righteousness ofthe scribes and Pharisees,ye shall in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven. (21) Ye have heard that it was saidby them of old
time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoevershallkill shall be in danger of the
judgment: (22)But I say unto you, That whosoeveris angry with his brother
without a cause shallbe in dangerof the judgment: and whosoevershallsay to
his brother, Raca, shallbe in danger of the council: but whosoevershallsay,
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
The word fool is found many times in Holy Scripture; but the exactword that
is here translated “fool” (mwrov), from which we getour word “moron,” is
only used in one other place in the New Testament — 1 Corinthians 3:18. In
that passagethe Holy Spirit tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only
foundation God has laid, the Foundation upon which we must be built. Then,
in verse 18, we read, — “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you
seemethto be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”
The word “fool” (both here and in Matthew 5:22) means more than we
commonly mean by “moron,” “stupid,” “ignorant,” and “senseless.”The
word means “godlessmoron, or reprobate moron” — If we would be
spiritually wise, we must take our place before God as fools, godless sinners,
in danger of hell fire without Christ.

BE RECONCILED
(Matthew 5:23-24)“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberestthat thy brother hath ought againstthee; (24) Leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciledto thy brother, and
then come and offer thy gift.”
“If thou bring thy gift to the altar…first be reconciledto thy brother” (vv. 23-
24). — Without question, grace does what law can never do. Grace actually
causes people to love eachother. The law requires that we love one another,
but it cannever produce love. In fact, as the Phariseesattestedby their
conduct, those who claim to live by the law commonly manifest the
judgmental hatred our Lord has just condemned. Those who give up all hopes
of law righteousness andtrust Christ alone for righteousnessare taught by the
grace they experience to love one another(Gal. 5:22-23).
As we bring our gifts and sacrifices ofpraise and thanksgiving to our Godby
Christ Jesus and recallsome offence we have given to a brother, believers
(men and women who walk in the Spirit and so fulfil the law of Christ) seek to
be reconciledto the one they have offended. There is a true, sweetunion in
Christ. All who are in Christ are one with Christ and one with one another.

When we come to him in adoration, love, and worship, we come with all our
brethren (Heb. 12:22-24).
As Robert Hawkerput it, “His members come to him as the Head and bring
with us, by faith, the whole body in our arms to the Lord (John 17:21. 1 Cor.
12:25-27).”
Our Lord’s words may be properly applied to the necessityofbrotherly love;
but that is not what is taught here. The context points us in another, higher,
more profitable direction. Our Savior is, in this entire chapter, showing us the
demands of God’s holy law and our complete inability to meet those demands.
He is telling us here that we cannotcome to God exceptupon that one Altar
he has made (Ex. 20:24-26;25:22), which is Christ?
THE OFFENDED BROTHER

The Brother we have offended above all others is God our Savior. He is that
Brother with whom we have been angry without a cause. Unbelief is despising
him, saying to him “Raca,” “thoufool” (1 Cor. 1:18-25;1 John 5:10).
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25)“Forthe preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness;but unto us which are savedit is the power of God. (19) For it is
written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe?
where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolishthe wisdom of
this world? (21) For after that in the wisdomof God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleasedGod by the foolishness ofpreaching to save them
that believe. (22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock,
and unto the Greeks foolishness;(24) But unto them which are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christthe power of God, and the wisdom of God. (25)
Becausethe foolishness ofGod is wiserthan men; and the weaknessofGod is
strongerthan men.”
(1 John 5:10) “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in
himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth
not the record that Godgave of his Son.”

There is no coming to God until we are reconciledto him in and by Christ,
reconciledto Christ as our only God and Savior, our only atonementfor sin,
our only righteousness,and our only redemption. Once we are reconciledto
Christ our Brother, once we trust him alone for acceptancewith God, we may
and canand do come to God upon the merits of Christ, and he accepts us, and
our gifts, by the merits of his dear Son (1 Pet. 2:5).
OUR ADVERSARY
(Matthew 5:25-26)“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the
way with him; lestat any time the adversarydeliver thee to the judge, and the
judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be castinto prison. (26)Verily I say
unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hastpaid the
uttermost farthing.”

The words of verse 24, “Firstbe reconciledto thy brother,” and the words of
verse 25, “Agree with thine adversaryquickly,” obviously refer to the same
person. Our “brother” and our “adversary,” in this passage, speakofthe
same person.
Those words simply cannot be applied to a mere earthly adversary. Try as we
may, there is no way in the world that you canagree with an adversary or get
an adversary to agree with you. Besides, ifI am your brother in Christ, I
cannot be your adversary and you cannot be mine. Brothers are friends, not
adversaries.
These are verses, whichhave been a source of greattrouble for many sensitive
souls simply because they have been so terribly misinterpreted, are truly a
source of greatconsolationand joy, when we rightly understand them.
This passageis not at all talking about us suing one anotherfor mercy. Our
Lord is telling us how we can and must, as fools, as ignorant, godless sinners,
in danger of hell fire, sue for mercy at the throne of grace.

Yes, our adversary, the devil, seeksto destroy us (1 Pet. 5:8); and many are in
league with him as adversaries to our souls. It is good to try to quieten them
and live peaceably, as much as is possible, with such men (Rom. 12:18). But it
is utterly impossible for us to agree with such adversaries orpersuade them to
agree with us. Our Lord must, therefore, be speaking of something else and of
someone else.
An adversaryis not always one who is intent upon hurting or ruining us. In
Exodus 23:22 the Lord our God declares, “Iwill be an adversaryto thine
adversaries.”Christ, our Brother, the sinners’ Friend, is an Adversary for us
againstour enemies! But there comes a day in the life of every eternally loved,
electand blood bought sinner when his eye “is dim by reasonof sorrow” (Job
17:7).
· In that day, when a sinner is convincedof his sin, the Lord stands as an
adversary, with his bow bent like an enemy, who pours out his fury like fire
(Lam. 2:4).
· In that hour of sorrow, the needy soul is sweetlyforcedby omnipotent
grace to cry in the depths of his soul for an advocate with God, saying, as Job
did, — “O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his
neighbor!” {friend} (Job 16:21).
THE AGREEMENT

“Be reconciledto thy brother…Agree with thine adversaryquickly.” — As an
adversary, the Lord our God has a controversywith his people by reasonof
sin. Here our blessedSaviorand Advocate, the Lord Jesus, tells us to make up
the breachquickly while we are in the way. That is to say, “Be reconciledto
God quickly by Christ, who is himself the Way, the only way of
reconciliation.” The only way a sinner canbe reconciledto God is to agree
with him when he appears as our adversary, threatening judgment. Agree
with everything he says…
· About Himself.
· About You.
· About Righteousness.
· About Satisfaction.
· About Salvation.

Christ is our Peace. Itis written, — “This man shall be the peace”(Micah
5:5). — “Godwas in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19).
— “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus”
(Rom. 8:1). But to those who live and die in enmity againstGod, Christ will
sooncome as the Judge. Into his hands the ungodly shall be delivered (John
5:22). Christ the greatJudge shall send his angels to execute his wrath against
his enemies (Matt. 13:41-42). And the prison into which they shall be cast
forever is the place of everlasting darkness, torment, and separationfrom God
called“Hell” and “the lake of fire” (2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:15).
(Hebrews 4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Psalms 26:6-7) “I will washmine hands in innocency:so will I compass thine
altar, O LORD: (7) That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell
of all thy wondrous works.”
DAVID LEGGE
There is an obstacle to be removed before acceptable worshipcanbe rendered
by your heart. Something has to be done!
Now our reading is takenagainfrom the Sermon on the Mount this morning,
from Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5, and we'll begin to read at verse
21 - and you remember that last Lord's Day morning we lookedat verses 21

and 22, half of these words of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the sin of
murder among brethren.
Verse 21, remember it is the Lord Jesus Christ speaking:"Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoevershallkill
shall be in dangerof the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoeveris
angry with his brother without a cause shallbe in danger of the judgment:
and whosoevershallsayto his brother, Raca, shallbe in danger of the council:
but whosoevershallsay, Thou fool", or rebel, "shallbe in dangerof hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberestthat thy
brother hath ought againstthee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go
thy way; first be reconciledto 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 castinto prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt
by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing".
Let's take a moments prayer: Father in heaven, these are very difficult words
that we ponder today. Indeed we have felt the two-edgedsharp sword of the
word of God already from studying these words, but we pray that we will be
honest with ourselves, thatwe will be honestwith Thy word - and, Lord, that
we will root out those things in our lives which are not pleasing to Thyself,
Lord that we will follow the example and the teaching of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Impart Thy Spirit to us for understanding and for the powerof the
preaching, for we ask it in the Saviour's name. Amen.
Last week we learnt how the Lord Jesus Christ went from the mere outward
committal of the crime of murder to the very seedof it within the heart. We
lookedat how it canbegin with an inward hate, deep in the heart where no
man can see, only God, there can well up within us a resentment toward
another. We saw that the Lord Jesus Christwent further than the Pharisees

to simply judge the outward expressionof violence and murder, but to go
deep within the recessesofman's motives, those dark recesses andchambers
where polluted things hold empire o'erthe soul. The Lord Jesus pronounced
judgement upon the inward hating of the heart, but He went further and
describedhow that hatred of the heart canexpress itself in contemptible
words toward another. He went further and said that those words, like calling
your brother 'Raca', 'empty head', was worthy of judgement also.
But we saw the very disturbing words of the Lord Jesus, that when we call our
brother or sisterin Christ 'Fool' - and the definition of that word 'fool' we saw
is really 'rebel', or someone who is againstGod and exempt from the grace of
God, perhaps calling someone beyond redemption and worthy of
condemnation - by that very actwe put ourselves in a place that is guilty of
hell fire. Now that is very important, and I hope that I stressedto you that
does not mean we will gethell fire, for there is now no condemnationfor them
that are in Christ Jesus. But what the Lord was saying is that if this was in the
law of the land, if this was in the legalcivil system, we would be under severe
guilt and penalty. In the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, to have such a
hatred betweenbrethren in the Lord is guilty of hell fire.
Therefore the Lord seeks to illustrate these principles, this is what we're going
to look at today in verses 23 to 26. That's why He begins with this word in
verse 23: 'Therefore' - 'The implications of what I have just said', verse 21 and
22, 'I want to illustrate to you what I mean'. Now the Lord Jesus, here, was
laying down a principle which these Jews wouldhave known very well. The
idea behind it is this: the conceptof sacrifice. The Old Testamentconceptof
coming to the altar and bringing your gift to God for sacrifice. Oftennot
known to us today in the New Testamentage, in the Old Testamentif a man
did a wrong thing that action actually disturbed his relationship betweenhim
and God. That is why sacrifice came in, now we all know this: sacrifice came
in to restore the relationship betweenthat man and his God, but the Jew in
the Old Testamentnever ever held the view that sacrifice could atone for

deliberate sin - that is very important. Sacrifice never, in the Old Testament,
atoned for deliberate sin - or what the Jews called'the sin of the high hand', in
other words wilful, rebellious sin againstGod.
If we come to worship God and we remember that our brother has ought
againstus, it is futile to worship God. It's pointless!
Now, if a man committed a sin unawares - if you like, was overtakenor swept
into sin in a moment of passionwhen his mind was not in him - the sacrifice
that the Jews knew, they believed to be able to atone for those sins. But if a
man deliberately, defiantly, callously, and open-eyed committed a sin against
God, those Old Testamentsacrificeswere powerlessto atone. Before we go on
any further, we know today in the New Testamentthat all the Old Testament
sacrifices were powerlessto atone, but what I speak oftoday is the
instructions, the reasonwhy God gave these sacrifices. Godwas telling them:
'Those sins that overtake you, those sins that you commit unawares, if you
give this offering I will look down and have grace upon you. But if you
deliberately commit a sin againstme with your eyes open, callously, those
atonements will not suffice'.
Let me give you an example. If a man was making a sin offering, sayto atone
for the sin of theft, that offering was held completely unavailing until the
things that that man stole were returned to the owner. So if you came as a
thief to offer your sacrifice unto the altar of God there had to be a judgement
take place, there had to be a criminal inquiry as to whether what you had
stolenhad been restored. If it was found out that you had not restoredthe
things that had been stolen, your offering was takenout of the camp and it
was burnt as something that was unclean. Also you remember from the Old
Testamentthat if a man was taking his paschallamb to the priest as an
offering, and if on his way he remembered that he had leavenin his house he
had to go back to his house, take out the leaven, before he brought the offering
to God. Now this is so important, for I want you to see that there is not a carte
blanc atonement for sin in the Old TestamentScriptures. The atonement and

the offering that we find there does not atone for deliberate sin againstyour
brother.
Therefore, to be effective, the sacrifice had to include confessionof sin. To be
effective there had to be the element of true repentance - in other words
meaning the rectifying of the consequences ofyour sin toward your brother. It
wasn't enoughto simply come to Godand confess your sin, but you had to go
to the one offended. Even the Day of Atonement couldn't avail for a man's sin
unless he was personallyreconciledwith his neighbour and his brother.
Now in the light of that backdropof the Old Testamentwe see the significance
of the words of the Lord Jesus. It's very clearand categoric whatHe is saying,
in fact He is enshrining this principle in the law and saying to His disciples:
'You cannot be right with God until you are right with men'. In other words,
we cannot have the hope of forgiveness until we have confessedoursins not
only to God, but to men that we have offended. Indeed, I believe that this is
the backdropto the teaching in the book of Hebrews, and there's a very
difficult verse that many theologians ponder and debate about and confuse
many, in Hebrews 10 and verse 26. It says this, now think of it in the light of
what we have just lookedat: 'If we sin wilfully after that we have receivedthe
knowledge ofthe truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice forsins'.
Do you see it? 'If we sin wilfully'. Indeed it's what David was encapsulating in
Psalm51 and verses 16 and 17, when he prayed to God overhis sin of adultery
which was wilful, deliberate, open-eyed sin, he says: 'Lord, thou desirestnot
sacrifice;else would I give it', sacrifice would not atone for that sin alone,
'thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices ofGod are a broken
spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise'. This is so
important for our understanding of what the Lord Jesus Christsaid and so,
with this Old TestamentJewishconceptas a backdrop, let's look at the first
illustration that the Lord Jesus gives us in verses 23 and 24.

We could put it like this: He describes a scene of strife in God's house, and
how it ought to be resolved. Strife in God's house resolved - and the question
that has to be askedof us, and let me say that the Lord Jesus Christ pulls this
illustration from the Old Testament, speaks to his disciples, and the principles
that are behind it apply to us today in our dispensation and in our age. They
ask us the very pertinent question: are we participating in futile religious
practices? In other words, if we come to worship God and we remember that
our brother has ought againstus, it is futile to worship God. It's pointless! The
reason, perhaps, we are coming to the Lord's Table - to confess oursins, to
examine ourselves - if we haven't made things right with our fellow men, the
Lord will not see our worship.
It is the convicting voice, that solemn moment when you bow down to worship
God and suddenly you become consciousofsomething that is wrong
I believe, perhaps in the mind of the Lord Jesus, that as He speaks ofthese
men coming to give their offering to God to the altar, He has in His mind the
idea of the offering that Cain and Abel gave in the book of Genesis. As you
look at that, you find that there is a principle that there must first be
acceptanceofthe offererbefore there is acceptanceofthe offering. We read:
'And the Lord had respectunto Abel and his offering, but unto Cain and his
offering He had not respect'. There is acceptanceof the offerer before the
offering can be received.
This applies to the Lord's Table. The Table of the Lord is a place not only of
worship, but it is a place where there is manifested the union of the Lord's
people. It speaks ofunity, it is the table of fellowship. That's why, in the book
of Corinthians, Paul says to them: 'For we being many are one loaf, and one
body: for we are all partakers of that one loaf'. As the loaf is broken and each
little bit of bread is consumed by you, the loaf still exists, but it exists pulling
togetherevery participant in the Lord's Supper. We become the one loaf. It

was talkedof in the early Church as 'The Love Feast', andeachbrother is to
worship God, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting before God.
Love is to be our constant spirit as we worship the Lord, and the Lord Jesus
says - whether it's the Old Testamentoffering, whether it's this middle
partition in betweenthe Old Testamentand the New that we have here,
whether it's now in our church age - He says:'No matter what is, as we
worship God we are not to retain our angeragainstbrethren'.
We grieve the Holy Spirit, and it hinders our communion with God, when
there is anger betweenus. It is backsliding, and the Lord speaks ofit as such.
He says our worship is futile because ofthe disposition that we are in, and
that's why He says in [Romans]:'As far as lieth in you, live peaceablywith all
men'. Now canI ask you in light of this: are you perhaps participating in
futile practices? Are you here today and you maybe don't realise, becauseof
the dispositionof your heart, that your prayers don't even reach the ceiling?
The reasonfor that is that you may suffer from a pricked conscience,that is
the illustration that the Lord gives. If you come to the altar, you walk through
all those holy places, and come to the place where your sacrifice and offering
will be accepted- and as soonas you come to that altar rail and you lift that
sacrifice up to God, you remember something!The wrong, anything that gives
you a cause to be annoyed, or indeed specificallyhere a cause for your brother
to be annoyed at you - 'If thy brother hath ought againstthee'. In Mark's
gospelthe Lord Jesus speaksofthe opposite:'When ye stand praying, forgive,
if ye have ought againstany'. So if you have got something againstsomeone
else, or if somebodyelse has something againstyou, and you come to worship
God and God's Holy Spirit reminds you of that - you've gotto do something
about it! Do you know why? Because ifyou carry on without offering it means
nothing.
It is the convicting voice, that solemn moment when you bow down to worship
God and suddenly you become consciousofsomething that is wrong. You
come to God in deep sincerity, you really want to worship Him, you come to

God's altar to give a gift to God and for Godfrom your life, but then suddenly
- as if a cloud blocks out your mind - you remember a sin that casts all of
God's brightness awayfrom you. You remember a wrong you have done to
your brother, or a wrong that he or she has done to you. My friend, don't
think this is chance that it comes into your head, it's not! The Lord Jesus says
that it is God, He infers that God is bringing it to our mind in order that we
deal with it. So often when things come into our mind we blame the devil,
don't we? We say:'I hear the accuserroarof ills that I have done' - but
maybe it's not the accuserroaring!Maybe it's the Holy Spirit of Godcoming
and putting His finger on something that is not right betweenyou and your
brother, and that's the difference betweenthe Holy Spirit and the accuser.
The accuserbrings to your mind things that God has already forgiven, the
accuserbrings to your mind things that you have repented from and
confessedto God, but the Holy Spirit brings to your mind things that you're
still hiding from Him.
You do need to be brave, because it's absolutely humiliating. It's hard to do.
It's hard and a proud man can't do it, a proud womancan't do it
This is God's voice speaking to you. Everybody wants to hear God's voice
today, don't they? 'I want to hear God speak to me. I want to see God. I want
to know God actually relating to me and having a relationship with me' - but
nobody wants to hear this voice of God. Nobody wants to hear Godreminding
them of something that they have againsttheir brother. This is so awesome,
because it is the realisationof this in our hearts that will determine the
acceptanceofour offering to God, and ultimately the blessing that God gives
us in our lives! The blessing that we have as a Christian will depend on how
we deal with that voice in our hearts. Indeed, possibly I would go as far as to
say that the whole future of our spiritual experience will depend upon how we
deal with that voice!
Nothing could be of greaterimportance at this moment in time than that you
listen to what Godis saying to you. As you've come into this place and

perhaps here remember - I'm not talking about some kind of introverted
fanaticalraking up of something morbid, I'm not talking about looking for
things because when you do that Satancan grab hold of those things and
torture your mind and heart. I'm not asking you to wallow in your sin, and to
become all self-loathing because of it - but what I am asking you to do is: if the
Holy Spirit brings to your mind and heart a sin againstanotherbrother, deal
with it! Bring it into the light! Plunge it beneath the blood, and have done with
it and forgetabout it! But, oh, deal with it!
We canbe participating in futile practices because ofthese things. As we
come, if our conscience is pricked, do you know what the Lord Jesus Christ
says that we must do? We must pursue reconciling priorities. We must getour
priorities right, and the priority in this instance is not the Breaking ofBread,
it is not the worship of God - but the Lord Jesus says the priority, look at it, is
to leave your gift. In other words there is an obstacle to be removed before
acceptable worshipcanbe rendered by your heart. Something has to be done!
He says: 'Leave your gift, and first be reconciledto your brother'.
Now imagine the implications of this. If we don't leave our gift and be
reconciledto our brother it means that our prayers are hindered, it means
that God doesn'thear us. The prophet said that: 'If I regard iniquity in my
heart the Lord will not hear me'. Feelings ofseparationand enmity between
disciples and believers doesn't just affectour relationship with them, but the
Lord is saying it affects our relationship with God, and indeed God's
relationship with us - His ability to bless us. We make an obstruction before
God in order that He can't touch our lives because we're obstinate and
rebellious toward Him.
How much more powerful and availing would prayer be if Christians were
not divided? Have you ever thought about this? My friend, if you're sitting
here and the Holy Spirit has brought to your mind something that someone

has againstyou, or that you have againstsomeone else,I know what you're
thinking: 'Well, I'm not going to make up! I wasn'tthe one in the wrong, it
wasn't my fault!'. Or maybe it's: 'I was in the right, and it'll only give them a
smug satisfactionif I went to them and sorted things out'. Listen to what
OswaldChambers says:'Unless you are willing to yield your right to your self
on that point absolutely, you need not pray any more for there is a barrier
higher than Calvary betweenyou and God'. That's serious, isn't it? To have a
barrier higher than Calvary betweenyou and God!
So the instruction of the Lord Jesus is:'Go! Postpone your offering to God.
Seek reconciliationwith your brother'. Guy King, the greatChristian writer,
said this - and I agree wholeheartedlywith him: 'Probably there are more
churches deprived of spiritual blessing for this cause than for any other, and',
he says, 'probably there are few quicker ways to an outpouring of blessing
than the happy compositionof these quarrels'. It's probably number one on
the hit list of the reasons why God is not blessing His children, and it's the
very thing that if we were to do - leave our offering and go to our brother - the
whole outpouring of God's blessing could come in upon us!
I believe in the power of the blood, oh, I believe it. But I believe what Duncan
Campbell said, and it is this: 'Calvary will not cover what you will not
uncover'
So, 'Go', He says. 'Ah, but it's not my fault', isn't that what we say? 'But I
didn't do it! Whose fault is it? Who's wrong? Surely you have to decide who's
wrong and then it's the wrong persongoes to the person who is wronged.
Surely you have to getthings right, whose fault it is, who has been wronged?'.
My friend, look at the words of the Lord Jesus:'You go if your brother has
something againstyou'! You might not have anything againsthim, but if he
has something againstyou and you know it, you go! It doesn'tsay: 'You meet
him halfway', it says:'You go to him' - there's no questions of your rights that
come into it. What the Lord is saying - do you know what He was saying? 'If

you are so earnestto bring your gift to God, can you be brave enough to go to
your brother and bring him your heart?'.
It's serious, isn't it? You do need to be brave, because it's absolutely
humiliating. It's hard to do. It's hard and a proud man can't do it, a proud
woman can't do it. But it still remains the fact that the quickestway to the
heights is down to the depths. Some of us find that our efforts in doing this are
ignored and rejected, and you canonly do your part and then come back to
offer your offering to God - you canonly do what God has askedyou to do -
but I have found in many occasionsthat the opposite is the case, thatthis is
the bestadvice that has ever been given to anybody in the world, because
more often than not it works!You and you brother can be united together
because ofthe honesty, because you have opened your heart to them - but the
fact is this: whether they acceptit or not, the Lord says it must be done! It
must be done!
Sometimes it's not just an apology, but it's restitution has to be added. Some
of you men will remember hearing about the Nicholsonshed in the shipyard,
that's restitution. That is when these men were converted, and they realised
that there was so much that they had stolenfrom the shipyard that they were
pricked in their conscience - and they knew that they weren't right with God
because ofit, so they brought everything back, and they had to build a new
shed because there was so much came back. My friend, that's restitution - and
sometimes there is a restitution that needs to be made in connectionwith the
wrong that we have done to our brother. If we desire God's blessing in our
life, we need to go now, we need to go straight awayand do something about
it, whateverthe cost. Do you know why? Becauseit's getting in the way of you
and God, can you see that?
I believe in the power of the blood, oh, I believe it. But I believe what Duncan
Campbell said, and it is this: 'Calvary will not cover what you will not

uncover'. We need to bring it into the light, for if we walk in the light - if we
walk in the light - we have fellowship one with the other, and the blood of
Jesus Christ God's Son cleansesus from all sin. I would vouch to saythat God
has never forgiven a sin that has not been confessed. Oh, I know there are
secretthings that we can't even remember, but you know it's the disposition of
our heart - that's what He's looking for. The disposition of whether our heart
is confessing knownsin and all unknown sin that we have - but there are some
of us that hold a little sin, and it could be this sin againstanother brother, and
we will not let it go - and that will be the death of us spiritually!
There is strife in God's house that must be resolved, but secondlythe
illustration that the Lord gives us is strife in the courthouse that must be
avoided. Verses 25 and 26, He says:'Agree with thine adversaryquickly,
whiles thou art in the way'. Agree with him quickly, and the scene that's given
here is two men going to the courthouse - one has something againstthe other
and he's dragging him to court. Now they're not just ordinary people, these
are brethren, these are the children of God, these are Christians. Now that
word 'adversary' doesn't mean, how we think of the devil, as a deadly foe - but
what it does mean is 'one who has a lawsuit againstanother'. Here the brother
has something againsthis brother, and he is bringing a lawsuitagainsthim
and taking him to court. These two brethren are subjects of the King, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The Lord is
saying: 'My courts are open, my courts are in heaven, and differences between
brethren and breaches ofthe peace ofmy kingdom will come before me if they
are unresolvedin this lifetime'.
Come with me for a moment to the judgment seatof Christ. You face the
Lord, unreconciledwith your brother and sisterin Christ. What are you
going to say? What will you say? 'Lord, it wasn't my fault!' - do you think
that's going to wash?
Do you see what He's saying? The purpose of the Lord's words here is to show
us that present quarrels here and now will affect our future in eternity. They

will affectit! If we don't settle the matter now out of court we will be takento
court and the Lord will deal with us there judicially, in a way where He can
see everything! The reasonwhy the Lord gives this illustration of the court is
twofold. The first is that He wants to stress that urgency is needed in dealing
with these things. Urgency! 'Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou
art in the way' - hurry with the reconciliation. While you have the
opportunity, do it before the opportunity passes. The Lord speaks ofa debtors
prison, He speaks ofa man being takento court and He's saying to him:
'Before you cross the threshold of the court, before all hope of an amicable
settlement is gone, deal with it! While you're going to the court let the
settlement be done, arrange a settlementnow before the law takes its course'.
Along the way it's possible to come to some agreementbetweenyou, it's
possible to arrange some terms of payment of the debt, but you've gotto do it
quickly. You've got to do it on the way to the courthouse that's no great
distance. You've got to do it before it's too late, for if it's postponedyou enter
into the time factor - that is exactly what the Lord is illustrating here - for we
do not know what a day brings forth. You don't know! Deathhurries us
beyond the power of reconciliation. Deathtakes us to a place where we no
longercan control our relationships and apologisefor past thoughts, but
where God will judge them.
Suppose that we were to die quite soonand you never settled that problem.
Suppose the Lord was to come again, and He's coming very soon, He could
come at any time - that's what the Lord means when He says:'While you're
on the way'. Do you notice that life is but a few yards along the road of
eternity, along that road that comes to a courthouse where we can be castinto
prison and we will be in there until we pay every farthing?
What is the key to this interpretation? I believe it's Romans chapter 14 verses
10 to 12, listen to what Paul says:'But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or

why dost thou setat nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the
judgment seatof Christ. Forit is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee
shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of
us shall give accountof himself to God' - specificallythat verse is in
relationship to your relationship to your brethren. SecondCorinthians 5:9
and 10:'Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be
acceptedofhim. For we must all appear before the judgment seatof Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be goodor bad'.
Come with me for a moment to the judgment seatof Christ. You face the
Lord, unreconciledwith your brother and sisterin Christ. What are you
going to say? What will you say? 'Lord, it wasn't my fault!' - do you think
that's going to wash? Was that not what Adam said? 'It was her fault!'. The
Lord says:'If anyone has ought againstyou, you go'. What are you going to
say? 'Lord, You don't understand' - the All-knowing doesn't understand your
problem? The one who hung on a cross and said: 'Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do', He doesn'tunderstand the problems that you
have with another brother? 'But Lord, I couldn't admit that I'm wrong, I just
couldn't bring myself to do it!'. I wonder, if we saythat the Lord might say:
'Are you sure you're in the right place? Are you sure you didn't getmixed up
in the queue? Becausethis is the place where blessedare they that are poor in
spirit!'. Poorin spirit!
You see the Lord, through Paul in 1 Corinthians 11, brings this right home
with regards to the Lord's Table - how everything must be in order, and if we
meet at the Lord's Table and we have not agreedwith our adversaryquickly,
we will be in trouble in eternity. Now I'm not talking about hell, I'm not
talking about purgatory, but I'm talking about eternalloss!Eternal loss!How
are we to obey Christ? Do you know how we're to obey Him? Look: do you
see if I was to take this passageand bring it right today, here and now, and
say: 'Now how, Lord Jesus, canwe apply this here in the Iron Hall?' - do you

know what He's asking you to do? Before I even finish my messagethis
morning, He's asking you to get out of your seatand go over to a brother that
you've offended. That's what He's saying! Now, I would drop dead if that
happened! But my friend, that's what He's asking, isn't it? That, perhaps,
would be the greatestmessage everpreachedin this Hall, and you'd be the one
preaching it.
Do you see if we did this? There would be no-one here tonight only them who
had sortedout their differences
You see, whatwe do is we don't do it quickly, sure we don't? That's the
problem: we don't do it when we're offended, and these things grow out of all
proportion. They're like the acorncoveredover and ignored, unseen in the
heart of the earth, and one day will spring to a shootand then to a small shrub
- before we know it it will grow into a mighty, strong, overwhelming oak tree
out of man's control! That's what's happening all around us: family quarrels
that have descendeddown generations, andstill haven't been solved. Within
the church family, perhaps a silly word 10 years ago festers and is the cause of
a schism 10 years later! As far as I cansee - now I can't see everything - but as
far as I cansee most of the Evangelicalsplits today aren't about doctrine, sure
they're not? They aren't about the truth, but they're about some problem or
grievance that was never confronted at the time and has grown into a monster
of destruction!
What do we do? We don't agree with our adversarywhile we're on the way,
we say: 'Ach, just forgetabout it! Forgetabout it, it's nothing' - and that is the
most deadly thing of all, because it's not nothing. Christ doesn't tell us to
forgetabout it, because it's the seedof murder - and that's not nothing!
Eventually the seedof murder will cause blood to be spilt! We could go on,
literally, into how to fulfil this - because the Lord was talking about a debtors
prison, and if you owe money you need to pay it! Owe no man anything - and
as the man says, and he's right: 'A pound covering your eye can shut out the

light'. There's many an unbeliever has been put off Christianity because a
Christian owed him too much money!
You can apply it to everything - but whatever you apply it to my friend, the
point is this: restitution has to take place quickly. I read this week that it
happened once or twice during the Keswick Conventionthat the town's Post
Office had run out of postalorders through the working of the Holy Spirit on
the consciencesandwills of many who, longing desperatelyto be right with
God, had been convicted about their unpaid bills - so they went down to the
localPostOffice and sorted them out.
There's a penalty that's threatened, and that's why the Lord said: 'Do it
quickly'. Gehenna was the illustration given last week - 'Gehenna', hell fire,
that doesn't mean we get hell fire, but it means that that is the worth of the
crime that we're committing amongstbrethren. What is the penalty here? It's
being castinto prison and paying everything, every last farthing - that's not
purgatory, but what the Lord is saying is: 'If you committed this crime
againstordinary people in societyand were caught, you'd be put into the
debtors prison until you paid it and you wouldn't getout - yet you're
committing it among brethren, and you won't go and sort it out!'.
In 1 Samuel 15, and I close with this, Saul was told by God to go and destroy
the Amalekites entirely. Do you remember? 'Go and destroythe Amalekites,
women, children, all their animals, destroy absolutely everything'. Do you
know what he thought? He says: 'I don't need to go as far as that, now do I? I
don't really need to go to that length, I'll spare some of the people and some of
the beasts, andsome of the cattle I'll spare to sacrifice to God'. He thought all
was well, and what was the next thing he did? He came and worshipped God,
but suddenly Samuel the prophet arrived and said: 'What have you been
doing?'. Saulreplied: 'I've just been carrying out the commandments of God'.
'If you have', said Samuel, 'what is the meaning of the bleating of the sheep

and the lowing of the cattle that I am hearing? What have you done?'. 'I
decided to spare some of them. I wanted to spare some of them for God'. Then
Samuel, he uttered these momentous words, listen: 'Hath the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearkenthan the fat of rams'.
One greatpreachersaid of that story: 'I always feelsorry for King Saul,
because I understand him so well'. We'll go to the altar, we'll remember, but
will we leave the altar? 'First go to thy brother whom thou hast offended and
be reconciledand then return'. Do you see if we did this? There would be no-
one here tonight only them who had sorted out their differences. Do you see if
that happened? The windows of heaven could open out and pour blessing so
greatthat we wouldn't have room to receive it.
'I bring my sins to Thee,
The sins I cannotcount,
That all may cleansedbe,
In Thy once open fount.
I bring them, Saviour, all to Thee,
The burden is too greatfor me'.
Now please:don't commit the sin that the Lord is telling you not to! Don't
confess it to God if you're not prepared to confess itto the one you've
offended.
Let us bow our heads, and I know I made a comment earlier on that I would
be very surprised if this happened - but, you know, it shows us how far away
we are from the mark. We don't even believe that this is possible. You know,

how greatit would be after this meeting - no-one would know why you were
doing it, not that it would matter anyway - if you wandered over to that
person. It doesn't matter whether you're right or they're right, what matters
is that it's sorted out. That's the only way, today, that you can obey this
message.
Father, we pray for grace, for these words are hard words. They strip us of all
pride and selfishness becausenone of us like to admit that we're wrong, or
even take wrong when it's not our own, but Lord we have Christ as our
example - and that is exactlywhat He did. He was countedamong the
transgressors, thatfreedom might be bestowedupon the repentant. Lord, help
us, please help us - give us grace to obey Thy word. Lord, we know that the
blessing will be enormous - in our own lives, even, the release andthe joy that
will fill us for settling these differences within our lives. Now we pray that the
grace ofGod, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace ofthe Holy
Spirit may reign among us now and evermore. Amen.
Don't miss Part 6 of 'The Sermon On The Mount': "DangerousLiaisons Of
The Mind"
------------------------
Transcribedby:
PreachThe Word.
July 2001
www.preachtheword.com
This sermon was delivered at The Iron Hall Assembly in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, by PastorDavid Legge. It was transcribed from the fifth tape in his
'Sermon On The Mount' series, titled "Be ReconciledTo Thy Brother" -
Transcribedby PreachThe Word.

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