You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 

                                                                                                            Matthew 5:21-22 

Taking someone’s physical life is not the only way in which we can violate the sixth commandment. When Jesus came on the scene, He began to teach and to explain the commandments in a way that shed a light on the purpose and the true spirit of the law to His hearers. We would do well to consider His words.

In today’s passage, Jesus begins by quoting the sixth commandment: “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” This is certainly something that we can understand. When someone commits murder, there is usually an investigation that often leads to someone being charged with the crime, followed by a trial and, if found to be guilty of the crime, a sentencing phase in which a penalty will be charged to the guilty party. This is the way our criminal system works. Jesus is referencing this series of events as He reminds us that those who commit (physical) murder will be “liable to the court.”

But then He expands on the purpose behind the commandment: “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court.” Now we are taking the idea of murder to an entirely different level. Jesus equates anger towards a brother as criteria for pronouncing guilt. The word “brother” can be defined in two ways. First, this word can mean others around us, like our neighbors. It can be taken to mean our fellow man (mankind). Secondly, it can mean our brothers and sisters in Christ. This would include everyone that is a born again believer in Jesus. So Jesus says that anger towards others falls under the scope of the sixth commandment.

We understand that what is in our hearts will eventually flow out of our mouths. How many times do we see this played out in our lives and the lives of those around us? When our hearts are full of anger, the likelihood of our speaking harsh words to others is amplified. Jesus continues to expand the scope of the sixth commandment by saying, “Whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court.” We have now effectively moved from physical murder, to harboring anger in our hearts, to speaking destructive words. “Good-for-nothing” comes from the word “rhaka.” It can be defined as “empty headed.” It is a way of deeming someone worthless. When we speak these kinds of words into the lives of others, we are essentially “killing” them, just not in the physical sense. By doing so, we prove ourselves to be guilty of violating the sixth commandment.

But Jesus isn’t through yet. He goes one step further by declaring, “Whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The term “you fool” comes from the word “moros.” This word can be defined as sinful, immoral, unrighteous, and godless. In other words, when we refer to others using moros, we place ourselves under the full weight of the sixth commandment. Whether or not we see value in others (and we should), God does. It is not appropriate for Christians to speak to others using this kind of demeaning, unloving, and destructive language. Whether the person has yet to trust in Christ or not, speaking words like “you good-for-nothing” or “you fool” do not bring about the kind of result that Christian love is to produce (Ephesians 4:29-32). We are to respect life and value the lives of those around us.

As with most scripture, Jesus’ instructions are not just an exercise in what not to do rather He explains the importance of restoring relationships with people we have wronged. Consider His words:

Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                 Matthew 5:23-24 

In today’s culture, presenting our gifts at the altar could be thought of as worship, prayer, giving, and all the other activities associated with a church service. Jesus says that when we realize that someone has something against us (whether we believe it to be legitimate or not), we must go and first reconcile with that person. By this statement, Jesus is elevating relationship over sacrifice or service.

When I was a pastor, I used to tells the congregation that if, during the service, they realized that there was someone with whom they needed to “mend fences”, that they should leave the service and go to that person and make a sincere effort to reconcile. Social norms would say that leaving in the middle of a church service is rude or inconsiderate, but Jesus says that if leaving is necessary for us to take care of our relationships, then that action should take priority over the service.

God doesn’t want us filing into service after service, harboring in our hearts a spirit of anger, bitterness, or resentment towards others. It would be much more God-honoring for us to leave that gathering and go find the person with whom we need to make peace. Keep in mind that we are only held accountable for our efforts to reconcile. We are not responsible for the way our attempts are received. If someone continues to hold something against us and we are confident that we have done everything to reconcile with that individual, then the final result will be his/her responsibility.

Taking a physical life is grieving to God but equally as egregious to our Savior is when His people fail to demonstrate His love to one another and to a watching world. Let’s be a people who accurately display the love of Christ in our words and in our relationships!

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

                                                                                                               1 John 3:15