“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire» (Matthew 5:21, 22).
One day, a friend called me because she wanted to ask for forgiveness. She had spoken badly about me and wanted to make things right with me before the Lord ‘s Supper. When we washed each other’s feet and participated together in the emblems was very meaningful. I understood that her heart was in full harmony with what God asked, and it became a clean channel of blessing.
With that attitude, my friend taught me that she had understood the depth and practical application of the Commandments.
No, there was no open murder in Jesus’s preaching that day, but there were many who believed that by not being prisoners, they were free of guilt and realized that they were murderers. What about us?
In His love, God gave us the Commandments to protect us, receive His thoughts, and rise above temptations and natural desires and tendencies (The Desire of Ages, ch. 31, p. 308).
«Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world» (ibid, p. 309).
Jesus spoke about the Commandments separately and explained their depth of requirements. He did not take away their strength but showed how far-reaching their principles were. Just as the Jews were considered murderers for harboring hatred in their hearts toward the Romans, we may be violating this Commandment today.
«There are great principles of righteousness to control the life of all intelligent beings, and upon conformity to these principles the well-being of the universe depends (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, ch. 3, p. 48).
Perhaps you need to call someone today to ask for forgiveness? What words will you use to refer to others today?
