LISTEN: “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ 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.
“This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.
“Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine." Mt. 5:22-26 The Message
CONSIDER: All you need to do is watch the previews at the movie theater, or even commercials for upcoming shows to understand that we are a culture fascinated with violence. Verbal, physical and psychological violence dominates so much of our "entertainment" today. It's all about blood and guts. . .bomb blasts. . . and terrifying massacres. We seem to be told over and over again, implicitly and explicitly, that we must kill or maim our enemies. Remember our childhood chant. . . "sticks and stones may break my back but words will never hurt me"? Well it turns out that sometimes words hurt us just as much (and sometimes more) than sticks and stones. Jesus reminds us, even warns us, that angry names are able to hurt those who utter them.
SO WHAT: Our LOVE or our HATRED begins in our hearts and in our attitude toward others. Jesus reminds us that we are to love our enemies, not destroy them. . . even if we must protect ourselves from them at times. I believe that we are a violent and materialistic culture precisely because we do not stop to think long and deeply about the meaning of life. We must learn to love one another. Is it easy? No, it's not. But yet, as followers of Christ, it's what we are called to do. . . love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies. THAT is what Jesus calls us to do and be. . .to LOVE EVERYBODY. If we think we can say whatever we want about others and it's ok because we are not hurting them physically. . .we are mistaken. Our tongues have the power to hurt and destroy.
Did Jesus really mean that being angry with someone is like committing murder? Probably not, but he wanted to get the attention of those who were listening to him. He wanted them to understand that, as it is written in the NIV version, "that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment." We must learn to love one another and to use our words to make others feel loved.
Lent is a time when we can transform ourselves to be a people who will say nothing evil of another, where we will not want to say anything hurtful much less do anything that demeans another brother or sister.
- Who is it that you are angry with on this day?
- How can you begin to forgive whatever it is that has made you angry with that person?
- How will you use your words to express, "Love God, love your neighbor as yourself. . . and love your enemies". In other words, how will you use your words to "love all"?
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