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Matthew 5:21–26
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (vv. 21–22).
First Samuel 16 describes the anointing of David to replace Saul as king of Israel, narrating for us one of the most important moments in redemptive history. In so doing, it gives us a key principle for biblical ethics that applies to all of God’s people. Verse 7 tells us that the Lord does not evaluate people by outward appearance; rather, He judges the heart. Our Creator is concerned with our hearts, with our motives and thoughts, not only with our outward behavior.
The Ten Commandments, therefore, address not only our actions but also the state of our hearts behind them. In fact, to do what any of the commandments forbid starts with a violation of the law in the heart. That is part of what we learn in today’s passage. Jesus makes it clear that we break the sixth commandment not only if we commit actual murder but also when we are angry with another person without just cause (Matt. 5:21–26). Murder is the fruit of anger, for an unlawful killing is always motivated by anger, so if we do not mortify our unjust anger, it could lead to murder.
We should be clear here that Jesus is not saying that unjust anger is as heinous as the actual murder of another person. God’s law, after all, mandates the death penalty for murder and not for anger. Yet the broader implications of the sixth commandment address anger, and indeed, the sixth commandment was given not only to prevent murder but also to show us that we have broken God’s law when we are irrationally and unjustly angry with others. Thus, even those of us who have never killed anyone have broken the sixth commandment when we have not sought to purge sinful anger from our hearts.
It is, of course, possible to be angry without sinning. After all, Scripture tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day (Ps. 7:11), and He is perfectly righteous. Yet we must acknowledge how difficult it is for human beings to be angry in a righteous manner. So it is wise to deal with our anger immediately and to seek to put it away before it festers and becomes an occasion for further sin. If we seek to be slow to anger and to repent for our unjust and sinful anger, then we will be well on our way to keeping the sixth commandment. We can do this only in the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek to put to death all that is ungodly within our hearts and minds (Col. 3:1–14).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God’s law does not merely address things at a surface level but penetrates deep to our hearts and minds. It is to guide our affections, thoughts, and desires. If we are not putting to death ungodliness in our hearts and minds, we will certainly not put to death our ungodly actions.
For Further Study
- Ecclesiastes 7:9
- James 1:19–20