High appreciation for life
Series: Metamorphosis | Bible text: Matthew 5:21–26
Summary: Jesus does not abrogate the Torah in the Sermon on the Mount, but interprets it correctly. Thus he says that we should not only not kill, but also not cover our neighbour with evil words. He gets to the root of the problem. In today’s sermon we learn how to deal with each other with dignity in case of conflict. Since Jesus values life very much, it is very important to him that no one is shamed.
In England, a man robbed a bank. He was caught and therefore had to spend several years in prison. During this time, he found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through a prison chaplain. He decided that the first thing he would do after his release was to go to a church to say thank you to God. He did so and attended a church service. On a wall of the church he discovered the Ten Commandments. His eyes got stuck on «Thou shalt not steal. «That’s the last thing I need. I know I’m a thief. And now I’ll be damned again«he thought. Although he would have liked to leave right away, he remained seated and read through the sentences again and again. Suddenly something changed. He no longer read: «Thou shalt not steal», but: «You will steal no more!»
Thou shalt not kill
«You have heard that it was said to the ancients, «You shall not kill»; but whoever kills shall be guilty of judgment. But I say unto you: He that is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment; but he that says to his brother, Thou good-for-nothing, is guilty of the high council; but he that says, Thou fool, is guilty of hellish fire.»(Matthew 5:21f LUT). Like the ex-con, such a text could crush us. A strict right one, this God! The Sermon on the Mount seems to tighten the already strict laws to a degree where no one can suffice anymore.
Therefore, we must read such text again and again until we hear the music of heaven. Commandments like «Thou shalt not kill» describe the character of God. He is the life. The Sermon on the Mount also describes God’s way, his glory. For a follower of Jesus, it is not a commandment, but a promise. This is how it will be in the new world. It is the growth potential for a Christian. To the extent that we already live the Sermon on the Mount today, heaven comes to earth.
Thou shalt not be angry
«But I say unto you, That every one that is angry with his brother shall be brought to judgment […].»(V.22 NGÜ). Jesus does not abolish Moses, who received the Torah from God, but drills through him. Why does one kill? The root of killing is anger. Because we are angry, we kill people. Jesus is concerned with our inner man, our motivation is decisive for him. A survey was made among a wide variety of people: If you could remove a person by just pressing a button and you would have no negative consequences from it. Would you do it? 69% of all men and 56% of all women answered YES. The motivation is there. The reason why it does not happen is the fear of being locked up.
The interpretation of the sixth commandment is not just about extinguishing life, but about relationships. And first of all about relationships within the community of believers, because Jesus uses the term «brother» several times. We must learn to love our immediate neighbours first before making a declaration of love to the whole world.
«[…] Whoever says to his brother, «You fool,» belongs before the high council […]»(V.22 NGÜ). Jesus speaks about anger, but also about insults. The Aramaic word Raka means blank or Airhead. It is an insult to the intellects in the sense of stupid, moron or brainless. The punishments of banishment that are threatened in each case were common in Jewish rabbinism at that time. Jesus refers to this and does not want to threaten us with harm.
«[…] And whoever says to him, «You idiot», belongs in the fire of hell.»(V.22 NGÜ). In the Orient, this is one of the highest levels of insult for a man. In other words Lella: «You’re no good as a man!» One insults the character of a person. Someone in public Lella is to destroy his reputation and standing. The dignity of the human being is deeply attacked.
Words can kill. «He who goes forth carelessly with words stings like a sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing»(Proverbs 12:18 LUT). Evil, mean, vile words can do more harm than outward blows. A broken nose heals, but evil, vile words can stay with you for a lifetime and shape your personality. That is why Jesus talks about murder, anger and evil words in the same passage. Jesus is life and gives high esteem to life.
In my family of origin, a lot of killing was done with words. We were five boys, all with enough choleric and dominant parts. There was a constant scramble for places. Any means was sufficient. We threw the crudest insults at each other. One of my brothers felt so ashamed and deprived of dignity that he almost died on the Platzspitz. A lot of things were broken – and that, nota bene, in a pious family. I am so sorry that I was one of the causes of this battlefield. Shaming is equated with killing. Shame eats dignity. With vile words we attack the dignity of our neighbour, we shame and bully him. As if we were not ashamed enough without scolding. We are ashamed of guilt, of wrongdoing and of not living up to expectations. We are ashamed of things for which we cannot do anything. Some people are ashamed of their appearance, ashamed of not being pretty, tall, thin and athletic enough. Old and sick people are ashamed because they depend on the help of others. People are ashamed of not belonging. They are ashamed of being outsiders. They even feel ashamed if they have been the victim of a violent act. Shame is powerful – and it often proliferates uncontrollably inside us and hides as anger. And then the cycle begins anew.
God loves to give dignity to people. He is life and values life highly. When Adam and Eve were first ashamed of their nakedness, He covered their nakedness with an apron made of animal skins. When the younger son in the parable (Luke 15) returned home hesitant and ashamed, the first thing the father did was to give his son back his dignity, symbolised by objects such as a festive dress, shoes and a finger ring. Jesus challenges us with this text to look at people with his eyes. Andreas, a grandson of Konrad Adenauer, says: «If God makes every flower, every snowflake and every fingerprint unique, how much love must he have for each of us?»
There are three ways to deal with hatred or anger:
Give free rein to anger. Maybe it will make you feel a little lighter. But the situation will worsen and manslaughter will occur.
Suppressing anger. Because Christians think that they are not allowed to hate, this strategy is particularly popular with them. But it is very unhealthy because it does not make the anger go away, but only buries it. The truth is: you hate anyway! The tragic consequence is that people go to church with a grinning face and vent their anger in subtle ways, e.g. by being mean, cynical or spreading rumours. People with repressed anger often become bitter and suffer nightmares.
Talking about anger. The best strategy is to walk with God and tell Him what we think about this «pig». He knows anyway. Then we should go to the person. If we go to the person first in anger, it will not turn out well. Relationship problems should be addressed: «So if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, then leave your gift there in front of the altar; go and reconcile with your brother first! Then come and offer your gift to «God».»(Matthew 5:23f NGÜ). Oha! Even if the other person has something against me, the responsibility is on me to sort things out. And that is before I go to church, worship or small group and also before I spend time with Jesus. Leave the Bible, go to the brother and be reconciled with him.
Steps towards a reconciled relationship
A few chapters later, Matthew writes about wise action in relationship troubles (Matthew 18:15–17).
First step (v.15)When conflicts arise, people like to go home to their spouse or to the regulars» table and accuse the other person of being a jerk. With that, the other person is already done for. How quickly a rumour can destroy a person’s reputation and kill him morally! Jesus says: «Whenever someone misbehaves, it’s just you and the other person.«If we do this, most of the fights have already been won. Most of the time you can talk yourself out of it and it fits again. In the process, we can observe how God works miracles and relationships are deepened.
Second step (v.16)If we have tried to talk in private and it doesn’t work, we should take two or three smart people and discuss the matter together. Maybe the two of them will listen and say: «Wait a minute dear friend, the problem is not with him, but with you.«When we have a fight, we are never objective. It’s always the other person’s fault. That’s why we need an outside perspective and admonition. With insight, one can ask for forgiveness and it is good again.
Third step (v.17a)In every church there is humanity and evil. You have tried to bring about reconciliation. But the other person does not allow it. She continues to come to church smiling. In the third step, the responsible leaders should confront her: «What you do destroys relationships.«After these three steps at the latest, most interpersonal problems are solved.
And otherwise follows the fourth step (v.17b): If the person does not recognise the judgement of the church leadership, he should be treated like a heathen or a publican. How does this work? We know that Jesus especially loved these groups and followed them. Unreconciled people are to be expelled from the church so that they realise how they destroy fellowship through their unforgiveness. Today there are hardly any expulsions from the church. Such measures would come to nothing in most cases. Some people would say: Then I won’t come any more! Or: You can talk about faith, but don’t interfere in my private life.
You can remove the basis for murder and promote life if you reach out to people you have something against and also to those who have something against you. Do it, even if it is hard for you. Do it before you read the Bible or go to church next time. It’s up to us to go and try to talk about it in private. Whether the other person accepts the apology or realises that he has become guilty of you, that is not in our power. There is nothing more beautiful than when two people who have not talked to each other for ten years reconcile and talk again. The same thing happens through Jesus Christ: He has reconciled us to God. It is not only about living reconciled with God, it is also about living reconciled with your fellow brother or sister. That is the liberating message. There is nothing more beautiful than reconciled relationships – with God and with people!
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: Matthew 5:21–26
- What does Jesus do with the commandments from the Old Testament? What is the significance of these seemingly tightened statements?
- Who would you most like to kill if you could do it at the touch of a button and not have to fear any consequences?
- How do you murder with words? What is the connection between shame and dignity?
- Is there someone who has something against you? How could you deal with this situation according to this text?
- Have you insulted someone with words or in your mind – through swear words or rumours. Take it up with Jesus!
