I am a Jesus pusher!!! Jesus expressed an obvious concept by injecting the position of the adversary in His first illustration. The contrast is between “You have heard that it was said to those of old” and “I say to you.” “Those of old” adjusted the Scriptures to allow anger to dominate the human life. This adjustment paved the way for them to become adversaries. Jesus continually highlighted this throughout the other five illustrations in this chapter. Divorce for any reason was permitted by the oral traditions of the old (Matthew 5:31). If you live in a state of anger in your home, will it not destroy your marriage and produce an adversary? If I am an adversary, I will use every means possible to exact what I want from my brother (Matthew 5:33). Perhaps “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” would be fair (Matthew 5:38), but this expresses a heart filled with anger, malice, and revenge. Loving your neighbor and hating your enemy was a principle of those of old (Matthew 5:43).
Therefore, the decision rests in your heart. A heart condition produces murder, anger, demeaning, and belittling. Each person’s heart condition will source its own style and likeness, and the person has no choice in the matter. However, we do have a decision about our heart’s condition. We can respond to Jesus and be Kingdom people. We do not need to choose to be dominated by self-sourcing. Once we make the choice, what we have chosen will determine the results. A Kingdom person cannot be an adversary nor live in hatred and anger with his brother. His nature, interlocked with the nature of God, will not allow such a state. He has the mind of Christ, the redemptive heart of the Trinity. I must seek Jesus and be a Jesus pusher!!!