by Don Hatfield
if you can.” James then said, “Isaac, the Scribes are men learned in the Mosaic Law and in the sacred writings. They are interpreters and teachers. They examine the more difficult questions of the law. They are supposed to do this with honesty and integrity. The Pharisees are always going about doing things that can be seen such as ceremonial washings, fasting’s, public prayers and alms giving. Now here is the good part. After I began to think on the things that He was saying I began to see things a little differently. Jesus was saying that the Scribes and the Pharisees did the things they did for the praise of men. He was actually saying if you follow their righteousness and pretense you would never get into Heaven.” Again I stopped James and ask, “What did the Scribes and Pharisees who were in the crowd do?” James laughed and said, “Some stomped off. Others tried to silence Jesus but the crowd would not let them and some actually looked as if they were smitten in heart at the things He said. It was then Isaac, that I realized that Jesus was going to show us another way back to our Father. A new way. He then began to tell us the true way to Heaven and what we needed to be like to get there.”
James then said, “Isaac the things I am about to relate to you can only be done through the power and grace of Jesus. Do not be discouraged if you stumble and fall only keep going back to the throne of grace and seeking your Father and you will see Him fulfill His life in yours. Here is what He said about the commandment of thou shall not kill. Ye have heard it was said by them of old time thou shall not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment. Isaac, Jesus had more to say about this commandment but let me tell you about this part of what He related to us first. From the beginning God said thou shall not kill. You should not commit murder but remember He is talking about plotting to kill someone. We do have the right to defend ourselves Isaac if being attacked. Some will take this statement and distort it saying that even if attacked and our children and wives are being slaughtered we should not defend ourselves but that is not so. Jesus said that the commandment said that we should not commit murder and whosoever did so shall make himself worthy of judgment and punishment. Isaac as we sat here on this hillside listening Jesus threw out something that made us all stop right in our tracks. For after He said that about murder and we were all agreeing with Him, He then said this. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment and being brought before the judges who decide matters here on the local level. I stopped James and ask what He meant when He said without cause. James said, “Remember Cain and Able, Isaac. Remember how Cain was angry with Able because Able did the right thing and brought the right offering to God while Cain did the wrong thing and brought the wrong offering to God. Isaac, often we get angry with others when they are doing the right things and we are doing the wrong. We get angry with others when we think they are being blessed and we are not. Jesus wants us to honestly ask ourselves why we are angry with a person. Is there any justification for that anger and often there is not.” I then asked James if Jesus said any more about anger and here is what he told me. “Yes Isaac, He did much more for He then said. Whosoever shall say to his brother or anyone Raca and empty headed shall be in danger of being brought before the Sanhedrin for all of us consider that word a term of reproach.” James then looked at me with a solemn look and said, “Jesus then said if you call a man a fool and godless Isaac you yourself are in danger of hell” With that statement I almost gasped out loud. I said, “We could be in danger of hell for calling someone a fool or godless. What can we do if this happens James?” He responded, “You get your heart right with your Father Isaac and here is how He told us to do that. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remember that thy brother ought against thee leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift.” I stopped James and said, “In other words quit pretending that you are right with God when you are really not. Get honest in your life with others and get honest in your life with God.” James smiled and said, “Your light is beginning to shine Isaac.”
Isaac, there will be many troubles and problems in this world but we may avoid many of them if we follow Jesus’s sayings. If we follow His sayings and do not get bogged down in our problems with men then we will have time to be involved with the things of God. Here is one of the things Jesus said to try to do when dealing with men. Agree with thy adversary quickly while thou are in the way with him. Isaac, when we have a dispute with someone do not get in a huff but go to them with a peaceable spirit and try to work things out in a manner worthy of your position in Christ. Do not be full of pride for we all think that we are right in disputes. If you will not go to them then Jesus said that the following could happen to you. Your adversary or so called enemy could deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison and truly you will be there until you have paid the uttermost farthing. Then as you sit there in your cell be it a literal cell or a perceived one you will ask yourself a question. Was it worth it? Because of your pride you have deprived yourself of the freedom to proclaim the gospel for you may be all alone. Jesus knew that our purpose in life was to proclaim the forgiveness of God through His cross not to win a lawsuit. Sometimes no matter what you do and how hard you try to avoid them Isaac they may still come but when that happens instead of pride for a lawyer you will have Mediator who knows the judge personally” I said to James, “I have so much to learn about this walking with Jesus tell me more of what He told you on that day.”
Isaac, what Jesus said next knocked what wind most of us had left right out of our sails. This is what He said, ye have heard it said by them of old time. Thou shall not commit adultery. Isaac, when Jesus said that you could hear some of the people in the crowd mutter and say, yes we know the law and follow it. One even shouted out I have followed this all of my life who are you to tell me of righteousness? At this point many in the crowd began to puff their sails up with the winds of their so called knowledge. But here is what He then said, but I say unto you whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” I just stared at James for what he said that Jesus said was actually moving the commandments up a notch. He was saying that the mental act was as sinful as the physical act. He was saying that to see with the mind’s eye was just as lustful as doing the actual thing. That to have a desire for or to covet her was to have her. James sat there quietly and did not say anything for a long time. Then he looked at me and then ask me a question. “Isaac to look upon another man’s wife or any woman in that way is called what?” I stood there for a moment and then I saw it and responded. “That is to covet” Then James ask me this question. “To covet is to what?” He then answered his own question. “Isaac, to covet is to break another commandment. Have you ever coveted anything Isaac?” How could I not say yes for if I said no then I would break another commandment? Finally I nodded my head yes and said, “What then can a person do? James responded, “Jesus answered that very question with His next words and here they are Isaac. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell.” I must have looked stunned for James said, “I am just repeating to you what Jesus said on that day.” After a few minutes of complete silence I said to James, “I do not think that we have any idea of what eternity is going to be like? James said, “No, I do not think that we do. Isaac, Jesus added even more to that statement with these words. If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is more profitable that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast in Hell. Anything Isaac that causes us to stumble. Anything that causes us to start to distrust and desert the One who gave all for us should be treated in such a manner. If we as His children could just look towards eternity we would see how meaningful this statement is for Jesus said if this eye, hand or anyt
hing would keep you from coming to me then in light of eternity without me how much worth does it have.” I felt ashamed for as I looked at my own life I could see how many times I had placed the worth of certain things above the worth of my Savior. I felt ashamed for those things were not big things like eyes and hands but little things like keeping quiet when I should have spoken up. Things like putting my daily activities ahead of my time with my Savior. I confessed this to James and he admitted that he had done the same kind of things. So together on the side of that hill where Jesus had spoken we bowed our heads and ask Him to forgive us and to teach us to put Him and our Father first, always first and ahead of all things in our life.
After we had prayed we walk down to the seashore and sat down by the edge of the sea. As I looked out at the waves quietly speaking as they made their way to shore I ask James to continue. He began again with these words, “It hath been said whosoever shall put away his wife, let
