You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder"

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

- Matthew 5:21-26

This week, we have begun reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus preached:  ""Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire."  Here, my study bible tells us:  "But I say to you indicates Jesus' authority (7:28-29).  Jesus, the Son of God, acting with the Father, created human nature and gave the law of the Old Testament.  As the Old Law is fulfilled in the New Law, so human nature is healed by Christ.  Jesus forbids sinful anger (see Ps. 4:4 and Eph. 4:26 for anger, or righteous indignation, that is not sinful), identifying such anger with murder.  The council is the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell (Gr. Gehenna) is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace."  Raca is an Aramaic word meaning "empty head."  The word for you fool in the Greek is our root for moron.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."   My study bible tells us:  "Peace with other believers takes primacy over duties of worship (Mark 11:25).  In early Christian worship the liturgical 'kiss of peace' at the beginning of the Communion prayers - not after - was a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, preparing the Church to offer and receive the Eucharist (1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Pet. 5:14)."

Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  A note reads:  "Luke 12:57-59 places this teaching in a context dealing with the end of the age; here it is in the context of reconciliation.  In both cases it is clear that quarrels must be settled quickly, not allowed to continue.  Delaying reconciliation and good works gives room for the working of more evil (Eph. 4:26-27)."

Anger is a difficult and complex emotion.  We can be angry about all kinds of things, both just and unjust.   But where Jesus begins is with name-calling that comes from the quick flash of anger, ad hominem attacks (calling someone a moron) that do nothing but fan the flames of disagreement and clashing.  This form of anger provokes, and is akin to murder precisely because it is a deliberate attack upon the person, and not the issue or behavior in dispute.  This is the wrong way to express any anger, justified or not.  If we've done something to cross this line, moreover, Jesus suggests that as we approach the altar, we'd best repair the damage on the way!  Whether our "cause" is justified or not, we can surely apologize for something stupid we've done in the heat of anger.  I know many people who expect that, with time, all insults will be forgotten.  But it doesn't really work that way.  Modern psychology tells us of the damage done to others from name-calling, things that truly diminish and disrespect a person, as opposed, let's say, to teaching about bad behavior.  This name-calliing (a form of abuse) creates a harmful effect to the whole person and when it becomes a habit has the effect of brutality upon someone.  An apology goes a long way to help remedy such a situation, rising above the personal, and holding the door open to an honest discussion about what the problem truly may be.  Jesus warns us here that we are responsible for what we do, and that we will pay the fullness of the price in an improper wounding of others.  In fact, this entire passage is Jesus' expression regarding the statute against murder, and what it means to say that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (see yesterday's reading).   I believe that it is important to keep in mind that Jesus' ministry is one that takes the chief form of healing on every level.  Peace and reconciliation, or an attempt to resolve a problem in the full light of truth rather than personal attacks, become yet another act of healing.  Righteousness and truth cannot be separate from healing.  Even forgiveness, another act of healing, doesn't take place separate from truth -- even if one party refuses to acknowledge it.  Let us remember that Jesus' teachings are for our betterment, our good.  Let us become the people He calls us to be, and take His words seriously.