I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. (Matthew 5:22 MSG)
I don’t much believe this verse. I’ve read the NIV version (“But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”) enough to be familiar with the passage. But I’ve never taken it seriously.
It could be that when we read the NIV version, we discount the truth because we don’t take the time to understand “Raca” (a term of contempt) and we don’t have any Sanhedrin to answer to. (“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.”)
Jesus is saying to us to quit thinking we are on spiritually solid ground just because we don’t physically murder someone.
Do I hold anyone in contempt and use words to tear them down? Our world is built on these two concepts of contempt and ridicule. We hear and practice it so much that it’s second nature. Every sitcom on TV thrives on put downs and contemptuous relationships. We look to one-up others by taking them one step down with our words. When I follow suit I am guilty of character assassination.
My challenge then is to seek to build others up. The next time I’m tempted to call names or ridicule, instead I can find something positive to say to improve the situation rather than contribute to its deterioration. And, like we’ve learned as children but rarely practice, “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.”
Deep Questions 