“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.
-Matthew 5:21-22 (MSG)
Here we have Jesus giving his historic sermon from a hillside near Capernaum, and he comes to the subject of murder. Obviously, people of his time (and people today) generally knew that it was wrong to kill another human being. So Jesus takes it one step further. He says it’s not enough to simply avoid killing — you must avoid anger and hatred. His point: Words kill too, and that makes you just as guilty.
Jesus continues this theme in Chapter 5 as he hits upon other subjects. He says it’s not enough to just offering gifts and sacrifices to God; we also must have right relationships with people. It’s not enough to just avoid adultery; we also must not lust after others. It’s not enough to just be legally married and not divorce; we also must cling to our marriage commitments. It’s not enough to just keep a vow; we also must avoid casual commitments to God. It’s not enough to try to fix things when we’ve been wronged; we also must show love to others in the same way God show it to us.
It’s relatively easy for most people to stay away from the extreme sins — murder, adultery, etc. But here Jesus is challenging us to avoid sin completely, even the ones that might not seem “that bad.” In particular, those “small sins” seem to be the kind that Jesus is most concerned about.
There’s more to following Christ than just avoiding the “biggies.” Simply put, it’s not enough.
