Have you, like me, ever been at odds with the law - for example: Have you ever been ticketed for a traffic violation? How did you handle your lawlessness?
Stopped by a police officer for not coming to a complete stop at an intersection, I told him that, on my way back to The Rock, I had been listening to a replay of Whitney Houston singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl the day before. “Sir, it moved me to tears to the extent that I became distracted.” “Yeah,” he responded, “I heard that too. It was beautiful!” “From now on, come to a complete stop back there,” the officer warned as he handed me a warning ticket.
Dr. R. J. Robinson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Augusta, was returning home on a Sunday night from preaching a revival service across the state line in South Carolina when he was stopped by a state trooper. Shining the flash light in his face, the trooper asked, “Aren’t you R. J. Robinson the television preacher?” To which Dr. Robinson enthusiastically responded, “Yes, I am.” “Well,” replied the officer, “I just want you to know how much your sermons mean to me and my family. Thank you so much”. Then the officer added, as he handed Dr. Robinson a citation for speeding, “I hate to do this, sir, but it’s the law!”
The positive Christian influence of a Beatitude Christian changes life for the better and makes a distinct difference in how we relate to people except when it comes to breaking the law – a point made by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount - in the sense that, after He had given eight great principles on how Christians ought to live in this world,
Jesus perceived the need to address the role of the Law in our spiritual journey - Matthew 5:17-20 . . .
Jesus’ own faith had been nurtured by Old Testament principles - engraved on tablets of stone . . . preached by prophets . . . taught by rabbis. He would never have disowned it. He was not a revolutionist bent on destroying the Laws of God.
He was the Redeemer who came to shed new light on God’s laws and to enlighten the minds and hearts of His followers as to the law’s intent and deeper meaning. Thus, He sought to conserve the fundamental principles of His faith.
Conserving the “root” meanings of God’s Law is essential. To renounce the Law given by God would be to announce one’s resignation from the reign of God in one’s mind, heart and soul!
As followers of Christ, we are challenged by Him to conserve the basics of Old Testament Law, but also to preserve the new and deeper interpretations given to it by Jesus who, by His divine authority changed the old negatives of the Law into positives. The Old Testament thou shalt not became the New Testament blessed are they that . . .
Folks, to be righteous in God’s sight is to act in ways that are in accord with the standards taught by Christ in the Beatitudes.
As we progress from “the poor in spirit” to “the peacemakers” we become more and more like Jesus, and less and less like the scribes and Pharisees whose long checklist of burdensome rules rendered people helpless if not hopeless.
Let’s be clear: We are to honor Old Testament teachings, particularly God’s commandments. However, because of ever changing situations, we have no choice but to widen our horizons, to courageously and creatively sow the Word in order to reap greater harvests for the Master.
We do this, keeping in mind the times in which we live, and therefore using the latest ways and means; but whatever use we may make of new methodology, it is of no use if we are not motivated by the greatest commandment of all! “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
“So, no”, said Jesus, “The Beatitudes do not replace the Ten Commandments; My life and My teachings (the Beatitudes in particular) give new meaning to them by instilling in my disciples a set of positive attitudes that translate into more meaningful ways of relating to people and, in that way, produce greater results”.
Jesus then turned to a number of “hot button” issues of the day to show how His fulfillment of the Law works in terms of His interpretation of it and its new application to the way we live and relate to each other.
The first principle that our Lord gave new meaning to had to do with the sacredness of life, and the extent to which all lives should matter to all Christians – Matthew 5:21-26 . . .
Jesus went beyond the usual interpretation of murder (“premeditated act of taking another person’s life”) to the spiritual cause that leads to the act – anger of the kind defined as “a brooding inward anger”. Uncontrolled anger endangers not only the targets of aggressive behavior; but it also subjects the one guilty of anger to consequences far greater than an arrest by officers of the law or a rebuke by religious authorities.
The “anger-aggression” attitude hypothesized by Jesus carries with it the danger of eternal judgment.
There has been much discussion through the years about whether or not Jesus was equating contemptuous words with murder . . . but there can be no mistake about the point He was making: There is no place for hateful attitudes among disciples of Christ. Period.
Anger is a valid human emotion; and certain offenses ought to make us angry – such as showing disdain or disregard for people incapable of caring for themselves; for example: children . . . the disabled . . . the destitute. We also ought to be angered by offenses against God and the things of God.
While anger as a God-given emotion is not wrong in itself, the way in which it is expressed can be. Jesus is telling us that unmitigated anger can lead to harsh and harmful acts against others, even murder, and that such uncontrolled, bitter, long-lasting anger must not be allowed to take up residence in our hearts.
Our Lord’s antidote to murderous anger is rather obvious, considering the One who prescribed it - Great Physician, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace. Why, of course, He who came to reconcile the world unto Himself demonstrated reconciliation as He hung on the Cross (“Father, forgive them . . . “).
If we wish to honor God, there is no greater gift that can be offered than that of forgiveness of one’s “brother or sister” in Christ coupled with reconciliation – the renewal of friendship – which cannot be compelled; but if we have made a sincere effort, we are at peace with God; the person that refuses reconciliation is the one who stands at enmity with God and is therefore subject to His judgment.
If any person ought to be able to work out their differences with another, shouldn’t Christians? “If God has forgiven us, we ought to forgive one another.” Fact of the matter is: Christian love forgives and forgets.
To forgive - in the sense that we make a promise to no longer hold a person’s trespass against them; and to forget - in the sense that we keep our promise, is to be reconciled to each other. Reconciliation is a clear sign of being in a right relationship with God.
To engage in the opposite behavior is to be held accountable, if not now, then - when each of us must give account to the Lord. So let our prayer be:
“Lord, grant that we, sinners saved by grace, may be salt and light by being angry at the right time, never at the wrong time. When anger does well up within, help us to delineate between righteous indignation and unrighteous castigation. May we be so deeply rooted and grounded in love that we will recognize the difference between the two, and act accordingly. May we act in keeping with our role as disciples whose attitudes and actions reflect the spirit of Christ.
“In Jesus’ Name, may we let our light so shine that others may see Christ in us and, because of our example, may they give glory to God the Father. Amen.”
