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.
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus wants his disciples to take to heart God’s ways and to do better than the Pharisees who maintained an external, superficial adherence. The Pharisees had hearts of stone beneath their religious lifestyles, secretly loving money and abusing people to get it. Jesus explained how his disciples should relate to the people around them and begins close to home, with how they should relate to each other.
The use of the word ‘brother’ in the quotation from Matthew 5:21-26 at the start of this Reflection should not be overlooked or underestimated, although that is not to say that Christians should not be equally tolerant of people who do not share our faith. The specific guidance is not to resort to anger to resolve conflict: it is not directed to disciples who caused offence but to those who respond in anger.
It‘s easy to see why this is foundational. It’s not only a very clear example of how a command about behaviour (do not murder) needs to be internalised but it’s necessary to maintain the disciples’ love for one another that should distinguish us from the rest of society. There will, inevitably, be occasions when Christians upset each other. But the person who is upset is not to resort to anger, name-calling or any other way to 'get even'. On another occasion, recorded in Matthew 18, Jesus explains how those who have been offended should seek reconciliation.
We have reflected on the importance of Christians relationships earlier in this series and the impact it has on Christian witness and evangelism. It's why Paul had to write so strongly to the Christians in Corinth. They had to reform the way they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, because it humiliated the poor believers, and the Christian businesspeople had to stop going to court when cheated by their fellow Christians. Rather, they were to try to resolve the fraud privately and, if necessary, suffer financial loss. ‘Why not rather be defrauded?’ Because personal financial loss was preferable to undermining the church's collective witness!
(This was not, of course, creating a licence for Christians to cheat each other. As Paul also makes clear in his letter, the fraudsters who are unrepentant should be excluded from the fellowship and the Christians refuse to do business with them again.)
We have reflected on the importance of Christians relationships earlier in this series and the impact it has on Christian witness and evangelism. It's why Paul had to write so strongly to the Christians in Corinth. They had to reform the way they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, because it humiliated the poor believers, and the Christian businesspeople had to stop going to court when cheated by their fellow Christians. Rather, they were to try to resolve the fraud privately and, if necessary, suffer financial loss. ‘Why not rather be defrauded?’ Because personal financial loss was preferable to undermining the church's collective witness!
(This was not, of course, creating a licence for Christians to cheat each other. As Paul also makes clear in his letter, the fraudsters who are unrepentant should be excluded from the fellowship and the Christians refuse to do business with them again.)
Sadly, the history of the Church shows how poorly Christians have maintained a love for one another. Something that never ceases to amaze me is how some Christians who are tolerant of people who follow other religions are fiercely intolerant of their fellow Christians. In fact, it seems to me that the less the disagreement the sharper the conflict, with the same understanding shown to people from different theological traditions not being shown to those within the same local fellowship.
When strife between Christians began to emerge during the great revival in England in the 18th Century, John Wesley wrote to various people to foster mutual love. To his old friend George Whitefield, he wrote.
When strife between Christians began to emerge during the great revival in England in the 18th Century, John Wesley wrote to various people to foster mutual love. To his old friend George Whitefield, he wrote.
In Moses’ school we thought, and spake the same:
And must we, now in Christ, with shame confess,
Our love was greater when our light was less?
‘In Moses’ school’, refers to their time together at university, when they were united in the search for God. After they had both found God, when they were ‘in Christ’, their theology developed in different directions, and pushed them apart, and it was to their shame that their love or each other suffered as a consequence.
An event in history that inspires me is the
Moravian Revival of 1727. Christians of different backgrounds had been finding sanctuary
from religious persecution for five years on the estate of Count Zinzendorf in
modern Germany. Concerned about their theological divisions, and
motivated by love for each other, they diligently pursued a common
understanding, pausing frequently to remember together how their Saviour had
died for them all. Then at a communion service the Holy Spirit came on the
people in a special way and revival began. As one witness described it, the
coming of the Spirit did not resolve their differences but made them easier to
bear. I cannot but wonder what might happen today if Christians were similarly
diligent to share love and eradicate disharmony!
I accept that Christians will have differences about theology and behaviour, and that sometimes those differences might run so deep as to make it impracticable for them to worship and work together. But that can be no excuse for the lack of love and concern. When Paul organised a collection to help the Christians in Jerusalem, he was asking mainly Gentile Christians to help Jewish Christians who could be not only critical of the Gentiles but who may have included some of those who had undermined Paul's ministry to the Gentiles.
As James reminded the rich and poor Christians who were in conflict, ‘Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God’. Jesus went further, '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.'
This can be hard to swallow, especially if it involves financial loss or requires us to give money to fellow Christians we profoundly disagree with. But it is the starting point for Christians to be salt and light in society, to distinguish themselves as true disciples of Jesus of Nazareth and become able to recruit more disciples.
As James reminded the rich and poor Christians who were in conflict, ‘Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God’. Jesus went further, '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.'
This can be hard to swallow, especially if it involves financial loss or requires us to give money to fellow Christians we profoundly disagree with. But it is the starting point for Christians to be salt and light in society, to distinguish themselves as true disciples of Jesus of Nazareth and become able to recruit more disciples.
© All Souls Clubhouse Community Centre & Church and Philip Evans 2014.
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