Scripture to Read: Matthew 5:22
Jesus finished out Matthew 5:22 by saying, “…and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing, ’shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool, ’shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The words that Jesus uses as examples are statements from a heart controlled by anger. In his commentary on Matthew 5:22, William Barclay notes: “Raca is an almost untranslatable word because it describes a tone of voice more than anything else. Its whole accent is the accent of contempt. To call a man Raca was to call him a brainless idiot, a silly fool, an empty-headed blunderer. It is the word of one who despises another with an arrogant contempt” (https://dannychesnut.com/Bible/WilliamBarclay.htm). If someone called someone a “fool,” they were attacking someone’s moral character. For God has said this of the “fool” in Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.” Jesus clarifies that we have no right to pass eternal judgment on anyone, for only God knows the heart. That does not mean we do not lovingly hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable when they are out of fellowship with our Lord, for we are to do so as laid out in God’s Word (Matthew 7:1–5, Matthew 18:15–17, Galatians 6:1–2). But out of “anger” comes unwholesome words, which are not to be uttered out of our mouths (Ephesians 4:29 & 5:4, Colossians 3:8 & 4:6).
Challenge & Application
· Why does Jesus deal so strongly with the words we use towards others?
· How are you applying Ephesians 4:29 & 5:4 and Colossians 3:8 & 4:6 in your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!