“Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder…”

Matthew 5:21-26 

 

The Law of Moses forbade murder (Exodus 20:13) but said nothing about the condition of the heart that leads to this crime.  Jesus here makes it clear that one could violate God’s will while upholding the letter of the Law.  The leading Jews of Jesus’ day were experts in doing just that.  They certainly would not murder their enemy but they thought nothing of wishing ill on him.  They might not throw an enemy into a pit but they surely would not warn him if he were about to fall into one.

Jesus revised the Fifth Commandment so that his disciples would learn to guard their hearts against hatred.  He reminds them of the penalty for murder and then reveals the truth that, in the sight of God, there is no distinction between hatred of a brother and murder.  We do well in remembering this because, as His disciples, we too are subject to this rule.

Let us also understand that Jesus is in no way assigning graduated degrees of blame for more severe insults in verse twenty-two.  Our Lord’s words here are a three-fold reiteration of a single truth: intentional and impenitent slander against a brother carries the same penalty as murder.  God will not hold the unrepentant blameless for any evil deed; neither will He excuse an evil heart.

Knowing this, what manner of life ought we to live?  It is not enough to refrain from murder we must also avoid harboring feelings of ill will toward our fellow man.  Should we, from time to time, offend someone, we must make reconciliation a priority.  When we inevitably find ourselves involved in a dispute we must do all that is in our power to settle it peaceably.   We must learn to recognize the seed of hatred early and remove it before it can take root.

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ