This passage shows just how dangerous and sharp your tongue can be. When you think of the act of murder you usually only think of the lowest of the lows, crazed and deranged people filled with anger and hatred that could murder another human being but this passage states that your words can kill one another which is something that probably most of us are guilty of. I know I am.
21-22"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.
(Version: The Message)
When you think of a murder weapon such as a gun or knife you get chills down your spine. Some people own guns in their home for protection or police officers carry them around all the time. I don't know for sure but I would assume that they would guard that gun and hide it away and put every kind of safety guard or clip on it so that it would never go off unintentionally.
Reading this passage has reminded me once again what a dangerous weapon our tongue is and that we need to guard it just as we would a gun and make sure that the safety clip is on at all times so it doesn't fire.
5 comments:
thanks, christine, for a very insightful post. you are so right to point out that our words can actually kill one another. i think i've "killed" many people in my day.
the whole sermon on the mount is examining the attitudes of our heart vs our outward actions. none of us may ever physically murder in our lifetime. but that is not the criteria by which God will judge us.
He will judge us first and foremost by our thoughts, intentions, desires, inclinations and motives, for "the kingdom of God is within [us]" (luke 17:21). in His kingdom, a wrong thought is enough to condemn you, is as guilty as the action itself.
having hateful thoughts, and worse, saying hateful words, are equivalent to actual murder in God's eyes. how guilty we all are before Him! the moment we see our sins the way God sees them, we realize how "exceedingly sinful we are".
we can also see that there is not one person who has ever lived who is not "exceedingly" guilty before God. the sermon on the mount is an answer to all those who fondly imagine that they are "good" people.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue..."
So many times, I choose to say hurtful things instead of encouraging ones. I forget how powerful a word can be, either it can give life our death.
As you said, our tongue is like a weapon, we always have to make sure that the safety clip is on.
I think that it is so true that we have killed many people with our tongues. I am very much guilty of that. Moreover, it is interesting to note that harshy words Jesus spoke regardng such sin and he addressed the matter far broader than actual physical murdering. Like Dulla said, it it our attutude and heart that God looks at and they are the very criteria by which God wll judge us. That's why hating someone is as bad as murdering a person from God's perspective.
Our words are definitely capable of murder or the most intense pain one can feel. I know I am SO guilty of this. And to think that even our own thoughts could be equivalent to murder in God's eyes, as Sahmoneem stated, is very scary.
This is an issue I need to continually keep myself in check with. Although I try to refrain from saying or thinking anything negative or hurtful about anyone, it's still difficult to keep it from my thoughts. God knows all and there is absolutely nothing we can hide from Him even if we try. I must always ask to change my hardened heart, and lift up these issues that I may not be able to take care of myself.
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