Murder
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Matthew 5:21-22
Jesus came, not to destroy the Law, but to deepen its demands upon our lives. Take, for example, the sixth commandment, “You shall not kill.”[1] What does it mean for us to have this commandment written upon our hearts? Jesus demonstrates that it is possible to reinterpret this commandment without diminishing it. When it is understood as more than a legal prohibition, the sixth commandment becomes a value of the Kingdom that is governed by grace.
The sixth commandment was never intended as a total prohibition of the taking of human life. After all, the same Law of Moses also requires the death penalty in certain circumstances.[2] In effect, “You shall not kill,” really means, “You shall not commit murder.” There may be times when the taking of life will be justifiable, for example, in order to secure the lives of the innocent during a time of war. But what can never be justified, in God’s sight, is the taking of the life of another for personal gain. We may defend ourselves and our loved ones, because all life is precious, but God’s people cannot be murderers.
There are, however, ways to murder people that don’t involve blood. We can murder someone’s reputation by spreading lies about them. We can murder their self-confidence by constantly putting them down. We can destroy their future by subjecting them to a daily barrage of abuse. These actions are not, strictly speaking, condemned by the sixth commandment, but as interpreted by Jesus, they are clearly wrong.
We do not really know what the insults mean that Jesus identifies as being unacceptable. “Raca” seems to refer to a person’s intelligence, like calling someone “empty-headed.” “Fool” (more in the Greek), may be a transliteration of an Aramaic word meaning “apostate.” It appears to mean “You scoundrel!” Certainly, it cannot be the same word as the one Jesus used to describe the Pharisees.[3] But whatever the terms actually mean, Jesus’ intentions are clear. Those who belong to God are to have nothing to do with character assassination.
This is a word that many of us need to hear. We slip, too easily, into the ways of the world. Our words become weapons. We forget the winsome loveliness of Jesus. But, as Christians, we cannot afford to forget.
Lord Jesus,
Hold me to a higher standard.
Don’t let me forget Your commands.
Don’t let me ever say, “At least I didn’t do this, or that.”
There, but for Your grace, go I.
Instead, strengthen me by Your Spirit.
Write Your Law upon my heart.
Amen.
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