ligious observance or service are rendered ineffective and unmean- ingful until we are reconciled to our brother (Matthew 5:24). When Cain took the life of his brother God asked him, "Where is Abel, thy brother?" In wickedness of heart he responded quickly, "I know not; am I my brother's keep er?" That was not the Lord's ques tion. He told the first murderer, "The voice of your brother's blood crieth to me from the ground." In essence He was saying, "You are not your brother's keeper; you are your brother's brother!" Jesus Christ calls us to love our brothers. The question of anger has to be looked at here. Psychologists and psychiatrists tell us that it is better to be honest about your feelings and give vent to the emotions. Je sus got angry about the way the temple was being desecrated. He threw over the tables of the money changers. There is no evidence that Jesus used the whip on the people but rather on the animals to move them outside. The interesting thing is that Jesus could get angry about issues without getting upset at the people. We seem to do just the opposite. In Ephesians, Paul urges us, "Be angry and sin not." We have to learn to separate issues and personalities. Sin is always measured by inner attitudes. Right eousness is to be an inner rela tionship with God causing us to do His will. Everything today seems to be built around sex symbols. There is a philosophy which reduces other personalities to an "it" or to a body. Such is a violation of the will of God (Matthew 5:27-32). God has given masculinity and femin inity. There is nothing wrong with Page 23
ner sense of security and purpose. You do not need to move through life as a pessimist, always frus trated by negative things. You can go forward with your hand in God's, always believing Him to work good out of a difficult situation. This statement of Christ could also be translated, "Blessed are those who care deeply, or who take sin seriously." Mourning is an indication of deep concern. If something should go wrong in a loved one's life, you find yourself in sorrow and prayer about the matter. Remember that Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is among you." God is moving by His Holy Spirit to draw men and women into fellowship with Himself so that they may in turn yet reach others. We may ask, "How seriously should a kingdom member regard sin?" You will find Jesus' evalua tion in Matthew 5:21-37. There are three areas of sin to which He refers covering emotional, sexual and mental irregularity. Basically, the question of sin is not simply concerned with what a man does, but also is determined from his own attitude. The Lord then is dealing with motives. When we are honest about sinfulness we have to face realistically the fact that there are purposes in our lives which are not Christ-like. Just because you have never killed anyone and thereby broken His commandment does not com mend you. Jesus points out that if you have ever carried hate in your heart you are as guilty as having committed the act of murder. Christ wants us to know that this sin of ill-will between us is so ser ious that all of our actions of re
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