Tradition Versus Truth
Murder And Anger

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest pieces of literature in the world! However, it is not merely something to adore, but is rather something that God wants us to practice (cf. Jas. 1:22). In Matthew 5:21-48, there are five sections that begin, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time” (5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43). In each case, after stating what had been heard, Jesus counters, “But I say unto you” (5:22, 28, 34, 39, 44). In so doing, Jesus is not correcting what Moses said, nor is He adding to what Moses said. Rather, Jesus is teaching what God through Moses always intended!

Many Jews of Jesus’ day could not immediately see the truth because they had been so thoroughly blinded by human tradition. Thus, Jesus exposes the false limitations that Jewish tradition placed upon the truth. Jewish tradition over-rode and replaced God’s law (cf. Mt. 15:1-9). Although their tradition often sounded Biblical—“Ye have heard that it was said” is usually followed by a quote from the Old Testament—Jesus’ answers reveal their misapplications of what God through Moses taught. The emphatic use of “I [myself] say” underscores the authority of Jesus’ teaching over that of Jewish traditions (cf. Mt. 7:28-29). Let us examine tradition versus truth concerning murder.

Tradition: Harsh Treatment Is Fine
As Long As A Person Doesn't Murder

Jesus begins this section, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment” (Mt. 5:21). The word “kill,” better translated “murder” (NKJ), refers to intentionally taking innocent human life, which under God’s law was punishable by death (cf. Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12-14; Num. 35:16-34). “The judgment” may refer to the last day (Mt. 5:27) or to a human court, but in either case, the murderer would be held accountable. This sounds correct, but Jesus’ answer reveals that tradition taught that one could treat another has harshly as he wanted as long as he did not “pull the trigger” and murder him.

Truth: Murder Begins With A Spiteful Attitude

Jesus answers their tradition, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Mt. 5:22). Jesus here reveals two things that can lead to one person murdering another. First, unjust anger can lead to murder. “Brother” in this context refers to one’s neighbor (cf. Lev. 19:17-18). “Without cause” lets us know that all anger is not sinful (Eph. 4:26). However, when our anger is from envy or some other unjust reason, it can escalate into the murder of the object of our anger. Second, hatred revealed in our speech toward others can lead to murder. The word “Raca” is a term of abuse believed to be derived from an Aramaic expression  that means “empty headed.”1 “Thou fool” must be kept in the context of unjust anger and hatred. Jesus called people “foolish” (Lk. 12:20), but not out of unjust anger and hatred. Any name we call someone out of anger or hatred reveals an attitude that can lead to murder. The punishments of the “judgment...council [tribunal of the Jews]...hell fire” show the seriousness, not just of murder, but also of the attitudes that lead to it!

Truth: One Who Harbors Unjust Anger And Hatred Cannot Be In Harmony With God Or Man

First, the person who harbors unjust anger and hatred cannot be in harmony with God; thus, he cannot acceptably worship God. Jesus says to this one: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Mt. 5:23-24). Worshiping God correctly involves not only the correct actions, but also the correct attitude (Jn. 4:24). When the right attitude is not present, then not even the right actions can please God (cf. Isa. 1:11-15; Amos 5:21-24; Mic. 6:6-8). In the context of Matthew 5, the worshiper is at fault and thus has it within his power to make things right with his brother (the opposite is true in Mt. 18:15-17). “First” indicates that there is something more urgent than offering a sacrifice (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22-23). Being reconciled to one’s brother (neighbor) is more important in this setting because without so doing the worshiper will never be able to worship God “in spirit and truth”!

Second, the person who harbors unjust anger and hatred cannot be in harmony with his fellow man. Jesus emphasizes the importance of human harmony. “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (Mt. 5:25-26). One must not delay in establishing friendly relationships. “Adversary” is an opponent in a lawsuit (cf. Lk. 12:58; 18:3; 1 Pet. 5:8). “Quickly” shows the importance of haste. “Whiles thou art in the way” shows where the friendship should be established because once it gets to court it will be too late and one will have to pay the full force of the law. “By no means” is a double negative in the original language, which, unlike English, serves as an emphatic way of showing the impossibility of being released until all conditions are paid in full.

Conclusion

Though we may not think of ourselves as capable of murder, how do we treat one another? If we are never unjustly angry with our neighbor or harbor ill will, we will never have to worry about being a murderer. May the Lord help us to live in such a way that we truly love each other and all humanity.

Endnotes

1Max Zerwick, A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament (Rome, Italy: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 1993) 11.