Heart Murder

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

HEART MURDER

Matt 5:21-22

21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 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.

NIV

There seems to be a bit if a challenge here for our scholars of old. The problem is in the reason for anger. Some would like to include a phrase which may or may not be within the context of the original text. This phrase is “without a cause”. If this phrase was indeed part of the original or the earliest copies, then Jesus would be implying there are valid reasons to be angry with others. There would be a valid cause to exhibit heart murder, which is what anger is, at least in the context of this teaching.  But that does not fit within the context. Jesus makes the comparison between murder and anger. Is there any just reason to commit murder? Sure we have those who engage in the killing of others in the course of war, but that is not murder as a result of anger against another. The Lord is certainly making reference to one of the Ten Commandments, “thou shall not commit murder”. He then makes the statement that becoming angry with others is the same, it is heart murder. The two words Jesus uses, “Raca” and “You fool!” have different meanings but carry the same setiment from the speaker. Raca carries the meaning of empty or worthless while you fool implies, “Shut up stupid”.  Both seem to come from the speaker of such words thinking themselves a great deal more important than the hearer. They would be coming from a position of contempt for the lesser important person. According to our Lord this is nothing more the heart murder.  He speaks to an issue of the heart. Surely most of people and especially we believers would never commit such a physical act of murder, to take another’s life. But this is a heart issue Jesus is taking about. Do we commit such an act against another in our heart? Do we in some sense take their life in our heart? If we diminish their importance, thinking of them as dull or stupid, without the intellect of our higher thinking, have we taken their lives, within our heart? Have we made them nothing in our heart, meaningless and empty? When a person physically murders another they have such anger they in essence have placed no value on the person they murder. There is no value of life, no value of that person. Is that not what we do, if we become angry to the point of saying, “Raca or you fool”? We place no value on that person or their thoughts or words. We disregard them as having anything of value in their thoughts or words. We have taken their dignity, their value, in essence their lives. How is it possible to become that angry with another when we are supposed to honor others above ourselves?

Rom 12:9-10

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

NIV

Rom 12:14-20

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

NIV

There is so much about how we are to behave toward others that is contrary to anger. That is the whole of what Jesus is making here. Anger is heart murder and with that kind of attitude toward others we are so much in danger of leaving our faith at the doorstep and following Satan instead of Christ. If we are followers of Jesus there is no room within our heart for anger, period, with or without a reason.