Sixth Commandment: Murder
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Exodus 20/Matthew 5:21-22 “6th Commandment: Murder”
13 You shall not murder. Don’t kill your neighbor. There might be circumstances where one might have to defend your nation/home and where killing the enemy or an invader might be justified. But killing someone out of retribution or in anger or anything else is called murder and you shouldn’t do it. Let’s pray! If you’ve been around for any length of time you are used to the fact that it won’t be this external. Lots of us feel like good people because we haven’t killed anyone and don’t slap your kids around or anything. But God gives this command to push back against a very basic inclination that we have to do one another harm. Don’t think so? Let’s look closer at what murder could include, then at Jesus, and finally at our lives.
Murder broadened
This word murder does certainly include cold blooded, premeditated killing. But I also realize the chances are virtually nil that anyone in here has done that. If you did, you’d be in jail. Maybe you beat the rap. But hey, if you can podcast this somewhere in the Pen, then know that Jesus died for lawbreakers like you.
In the OT, the taking of innocent life would have been included in the broadest definition. There were several case laws on what would happen if you accidentally killed someone. If you look at this broader sense, I can think of at least two things that I can almost guarantee have happened directly or indirectly in here.
1. End of life issues (Suicide/Euthenasia). Killing innocent people includes you and granny, so don’t! With granny, I think we have to draw a distinction between artificial means of keeping her alive and ending her life. Its almost like Holy Grail when someone gets the sniffles and we decide they aren’t going to pull through!
Suicide is tough, especially when some religious groups might infer that people go to hell that do this. For the record, the whole heaven and hell deal rests on what we do with Jesus. If we reject His provision on the cross, then we’ll answer for our own works and that’ll land us in hell. If we embrace Him, He takes our failures on Himself and we get Him in heaven. I think it is very possible that someone could genuinely love Jesus and momentarily (but very permanently) lose perspective. It just takes a moment. I don’t doubt that many of you still wear the scars of someone that was ripped from you in this way. Jesus died for depressed and suicidal people. He died for grieving friends, too.
2. Beginning of life issues (Abortion). Wow, this one is lots of fun to talk about. The fact that an abortion involves a baby seems somewhat obvious. In fact, most Americans actually do agree on this. “According to a 2007 survey commissioned by a progressive think tank called
In case you think I live in a different planet from some of you who are dealing with the aftermath of guilt and anger about all of it, I’ve tasted this. Have you sat in a room with a young girl heaving in tears after having made this decision? I’ve known many people that made this decision a long time ago and they regret it very much. I am positive several of us in here have been in the clinic or have sat with a friend through the pain of it all. This is a call for two things: First, if you end up in this place, you have options. I know several friends that are just begging for a kid to adopt, but there are lots more adopters than there are babies to adopt. Go to Parkridge pregnancy center to talk through options. Second, if you’ve already been down this road and you know that little one is gone, let me speak a good word to you: God came in the flesh to save sinner just like you. Your sin is cancelled and God very much wants to heal your broken heart. He accepts you.
Wow, that was all heavy. Some would point out that Christians should be more consistent in their love of life and put more attention on poverty and disease. Ok, talked me into it! While we may be tempted to do harm to people (intentionally or unintentionally) or harm ourselves, the point is that life is really valuable. This is a gracious command! But I realize that the majority of you still haven’t killed anyone even in this broader sense used in the OT. Let’s keep pressing then.
Jesus: The Root of Murder Identified
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. There’s more to what Jesus says on this, but this captures the big idea. Jesus is saying that anger is the root of our issue and finds its fullest expression in murder. While there are lots of forms of justifiable anger, the wrong kind of anger isn’t concerned with justice and reconciliation. It just wants to chop someone down to size. It wants to get its way. This may not lead to actually ending someone’s life, but you are killing them in other ways. One person brought this up in our Redeemer group the other day. You can say lots of things, but you can’t say that Jesus is taking us down the tired road of legalism. Religion always wants to say, “Look man, just tell me what I need to do to be a good person!” He’s pushing back to the root of what would make us take someone’s life in cold blood.
Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying or Jesus’ words as drawing a sort of moral equivalence between murder and being short with your spouse. That’s not the point. The point is that they come from the same place. Murder in cold blood would be the greatest expression of it. But think of your fury when you are really upset. Don’t you just burn with desire to harm the offender? Maybe not with a machete, but maybe with your words putting them in their place. With your tone letting them know who’s right and wrong here. Maybe inspire some fear in them to keep them from doing it again. Yeah, we are very prone to do one another harm. So it’s not just those on death row who break the external and internal implications of the 6th command? No, it’s not just those that have harmed another person or baby without intent? It’s all of us that have been angry. And I have good news for those that tend to torch each other with our tongues. God sent His Son Jesus to die for angry people just like you. You are clean and forgiven. In fact, not only are you clean, but God sent Jesus to even heal what’s been damaged by your anger or your brother’s anger. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. He forgives you and you now can forgive yourself no matter what you’ve done. You don’t have to hide behind your excuses or other people’s roles in what went wrong. You can just wear your sin and receive God’s mercy and humble yourself and be reconciled to your brother as you admit your error. You can consider the sin beneath the sin of anger. Example: Angry with spouse/close friends all of the time. Why?
God forgives you and you now can offer forgiveness to those that have hurt you. You may feel like someone murdered part of you because of how they treated you. You may harbor decades of resentment. But because you realize that God could have held you in contempt, but has forgiven you, you choose to make it right as far as you can.
The effect of the Gospel
I guess what we are getting at is that a murderous, angry heart leaves death. We harm and hurt those closest to us. Even with all of our excuses it shows something very broken inside. In fact, when we taste this reality, it helps us understand that we aren’t all that different than the death row murderer. It’s in us. So this commandment demonstrates a very dark reality in every human.
But that’s not where this story ends. I realize there are different things for people here. There are likely a couple of dozen that have been impacted by abortion and you are really struggling. Some of you have been devastated by a suicide. Others of you are seriously considering it. And that’s when you stopped listening to the rest of this. You are still back there dealing with that.
On top of that, just about all of us realize our quick fuse, sharp tongue, amount of drama, amount of broken relationships, stubborn heart, and lots of things and hate it so much. What do all of us murderous people do? You know what to do. Take our broken self to Jesus and walk in His mercy. The cross happened because of people just like me and you. It happened for people just like us. Jesus is working for our healing and full restoration. Consider what is driving your anger. What is the sin beneath the sin?
Can you imagine how great heaven will be? No more tragic death. No more difficult issues surrounding beginning or end of life ethics. No more combustible anger. We will be whole for the first time, but God is beginning that right here on this earth.
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