Contemplative Bible Reading

Matthew 5:21-22 (New Living Translation)

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Once again, America is on fire. Marches and rioting and fires. This is about racism in our lives. Well, no it isn’t. Race discussions draw attention away from the root of the matter.

This is about police brutality. Agents of the state are out of control. We should reconsider the role of Christians in the kingdom of God and how we relate to local kingdoms. No, it isn’t about police brutality, that only draws attention away from the root of the matter.

Jesus spoke of the root of the matter. Murder brought judgement—death by stoning. Jesus updates the teaching: anger at another person created in the image of God brings judgement. Hmmm, we have to … well, maybe there is a problem in translation here, because it is okay to be angry at the cop who killed that man or that woman who called the police or that person who…

No, its not okay. And we know its not okay. No one discovered these verses this week. The verses have been right in front of us all our lives, and we know what they mean.

It is not okay to scowl at the person who is or is not wearing a mask at the grocery store. It is not okay to scowl at the person who sped through a yellow light at the corner. It is not okay to scowl at the person who killed another person. It is not okay to scowl at the guy who just parked his car next to me blocking the street while he picks up a carry out order at Chick-Fil-A—and that is happening to me as I type these words.

This is a difficult teaching. (Hmmm, that phrase is somewhere in the Bible.)

This shows how far we are from God. This shows how much help I need from God in my unbelief.

Let’s focus on the root of the problem. Let us all examine the one person who we can affect.