A progression

Matthew 5:21-26

[21] "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' [22] But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire.

More than one commentator has noticed a progression. In Genesis we have someone saying for any injury I will repay sevenfold. Then as part of the laws from Moses we have an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth. Later we have cities of refuge and other means for those who have accidently killed someone to avoid being put to death. And now, if you swear at someone, call them names, you are put to judgement.

And yet I still hear people who call themselves Christian saying things like 'We should do unto them before they do unto us." and those people are not restating the golden rule. Those people are seeking a proactive stance towards violence. Or get them before they get us. That's not the Christian way. It is a very human response, but we are challenged to be better than that.

It is interesting to note that the greek word that is translated here as 'fool' is not one for which we have a clear meaning. At least a few scholars think that it is a sexually loaded epithet. The point for Christians is not whether we have the exact meaning of this word, but whether we live to the way that is taught in this story.

So I ask myself, am I the person who calls their neighbor a fool? Or am I the one who strives to be better than some of my very human impulses? That's a question for all who call themselves Christian.