March 5, 2016
Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:21-22
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Questions for Reflection:
When I coached debate several years ago, our debaters were given the topic: The spirit of the law is more important than the letter of the law. The debates centered around whether the concept that inspired the legislation was more important than the exact wording of the law. The legal and religious experts of Jesus’ day had become world-class at following every little detail of the law without allowing the law to transform their lives. In this passage and the verses that follow, “Jesus is not negating the Old Testament but the people’s understanding and application of it.”
What was the command that the people were wrongly applying in their lives? How does Jesus raise the bar in His interpretation? Why does Jesus have such strong words to say about anger? At its core, anger can drive us to actions that dishonor God and dishonor others. Michael Wilkins writes, “When we are inappropriately angry with people, we attempt to take their identity and value as God’s creature away from the men, the ultimate form of which is the physical act of murder.” Jesus is instructing us to remember that each individual bears the image of God and should be treated as such. We cannot let moments of anger rob us of that perspective.
For most of us, when we approach the Ten Commandments, we can read “You shall not murder” and think “I’m okay. I haven’t killed anybody.” However, when we apply Jesus’ new standard, how do you fair? Have you ever been angry with another person? In frustration, have you ever yelled at another person? Have you degraded or belittled a person? What would our community look like if we, as followers of Jesus, got serious about treating others with the dignity and respect due them as creations of God? What needs to change in how you interact with others for this to come alive in your life?