St. Aidan’s Sermons
Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Rev. Canon Dr. Brett Cane, March 27, 2011
Lent 3; 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. Holy Communion
The Ten Commandments #7: “Murder”
Genesis 4:1-16; Matthew 5:21-24, 43-48
Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you have commanded that we should uphold the sanctity of life; teach us now, by your Holy Spirit, how we can avoid not only murderous actions but also murderous thoughts and so live out the new life of love won for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
As we continue our Lenten sermon series on the Ten Commandments it would be good to have a brief review of God’s purpose for them in our lives.
- Our Guardian – to lead us to Christ by showing us our sinfulness – that we need forgiveness can not live up to the commandments by ourselves.
- Our Maker’s instructions – as forgiven sinners we are freed to become the kind of people we were meant to be – like Christ; the commandments show us what the life of love looks like.
Jesus summarized the Commandments as the life of love when he said that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbours as ourselves (Mark 29-31). We see this expanded in the Ten Commandments: the first four have to do with love of God the last six have to do with love of neighbour. This week we have come to the commandment “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Now, many of you might be thinking – “Well this doesn’t apply to me – I’m not a murderer nor ever likely to be!” However, as we shall see, Jesus showed us that the concept of murder goes way beyond the physical act to our inner attitudes towards others. We will begin by looking at the basic principles behind the commandment and when killing is wrong, when it is right. Then, e shall examine the deeper issue of the source of murder as unhealthy anger and how that plays out in crushing another’s spirit. We will close by looking at love as the way forward.
Basic Principles
The basic principle behind the commandment “You shall not murder” is that every human life is sacred. This arises from the fact that humans are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) – they belong to Him – he alone has the right to give and take life. This is enshrined in the Genesis passage “Whoever sheds human blood, by human beings shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made all people” (Genesis 9:6). What’s more, the Christian faith goes further than all religions in this; humans are so important that God Himself became a human, to die for us that we might live. We often quote the saying “If you had been the only person on earth, Jesus would still have died for you.” Romans tells us “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We are precious to God and bear his image so “we must respect our own lives and the lives of others.”[1] Human life is sacred.
But human life is sacred only where God is honoured. If God is removed from the picture, then our humanity is dehumanized. If we are merely a result of mechanistic evolution, we are here by accident, so to speak. If both myself and this pulpit have evolved, without any direction by a personal God, I have the same value as this piece of wood – my personhood makes no difference. In fact, human personality, which seems to be at the root of so many problems and causes of disharmony in nature, appears to be out of place. It would be best to eliminate man’s personality and solve all our problems. But we cry, “No, this is not so! I am human, an individual” – but if there is no personal God then our personality is out of place. So it is no mistake that in societies where God is denied, such as Communism and Nazism, or materialistic humanism, humans become like machines and treated as numbers, to be removed when no longer needed. In these world views and systems, economic concerns and the removal of suffering become the governing principles behind decisions, rather than the sanctity of human life.
The sixth commandment concerns the sanctity of human life. First, though, we need to acknowledge that the familiar form of the commandment from the King James Version of the Bible, “Thou shalt not kill,” is not helpful. There are at least five other words in Hebrew[2] used for “kill” and most modern translations of the Commandments use the word “murder.” This is because the Hebrew word used here refers to premeditated, unjustified killing – murder.[3] But right away, we run into questions – what about euthanasia (mercy killing) or abortion? What about capital punishment, war, self-defence? Let us just touch briefly on some of these, before looking at the heart of the matter. When is killing wrong and when is it right?
A. When is killing wrong? Here are two examples of where the sanctity of life is denied for the sake of expediency- euthanasia and abortion.
1. Euthanasia (“a good death”): We can’t fully discuss the issue here, but when you allow certain mercy killing to eliminate pain and suffering, the questions to be asked are: “Where does it stop?” and “Who makes the judgements?” Totalitarian regimes have developed extensive programs to murder mentally or physically disabled people such as in Nazi Germany,[4] justified by economic and racial arguments. Prematurely ending the life of the elderly can arise when patients are coerced into thinking they are an unnecessary burden or relatives want to end their own discomfort or get access to legacies. Arguments about compassion and “quality of life” need to be very carefully weighed – in my former parish, there was a young woman, Connie, who was severely disabled and confined to bed with major deformities and disabilities. She lived to 30 years of age – way beyond expectations; though Connie could hardly communicate normally, there was a peace and joy about her that was incredible. I believe she was kept alive so long by the love of her elderly parents. She and they were a witness to the sanctity life to society around them. Now it is very important to distinguish between euthanasia and allowing people to die in peace. I remember another parishioner in my former parish who desperately feared dying without her full faculties but the medical authorities got her to agree to the amputation of her leg which did not prevent her death a few days later. She was denied the option of a peaceful death. Pain-killing drugs can shorten life, but are permissible when death is imminent. The key question is to be wary of any measure that would outweigh the sanctity of life for reasons of economy or comfort of those around the dying person. Other measures can be taken to give comfort and dignity to the patient and the hospice movement is one area where Christians have been deeply involved and which has given freedom from discomfort and dignity to the dying.
2. Abortion: This is another area where motives of compassion for mothers have given rise to overwhelming abuse. A move originally to help mothers in physical danger is now used as a birth-control method – there have been over 3 million babies aborted in Canada in last 40 years.[5] Scripture is clear that life begins at conception. In Psalm 139 (13, 15-16), David tells us:
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb…
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, it says that the baby John, “leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44). I passionately believe that the foetus is a person. I have encountered people who were victims of attempted abortion as they work a resulting sense of being unwanted and under attack. I have spoken before of the person who had a horrible nightmare of the first nine months of his life from birth back to conception during which his mother attempted to abort him. He had no prior knowledge of this, but the dream was confirmed by his mother’s own testimony. I have also counselled people who have had abortions including a woman who carried this burden of guilt all her adult life and finally received forgiveness through Christ in her senior years. Claims that women who have abortions are unaffected by this procedure ring very hollow with me. There are, of course, arguments when abortion can be seen as the “lesser” of two evils such as when a mother’s life is at stake. Overall, though, the sanctity of human life begins at conception and Christians must be at the forefront of supporting women who feel trapped by an unwanted pregnancy.
B. When is killing right? When, though killing is not good, it is allowed as the lesser of two evils? Two examples are Biblical situations sanctioned by God and the defence of others.
1. Biblical situations:[6] Here, God either kills people himself, such as in the Flood, or orders his people to do so, such as with Joshua and the invasion of Canaan. In these examples, the culture had become so corrupt that extreme measures were necessary. We are told in the Psalms that by not obeying this command fully, God’s whole rescue mission for the world was jeopardized (Psalm 106:34-38):
They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
In order to preserve innocent life, God had to take life. But we also note that even in these situations God protected the innocent from annihilation such as when Abraham asked him for protection for any righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 and when God preserved Rahab and her family from the destruction of Jericho.
Capital punishment is also allowed in the Bible, as we saw in the quotation earlier from Genesis 9: “Whoever sheds human blood, by human beings shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made all people” (Genesis 9:6). But this was in a time when conditions did not allow for an effective prison system, plus, we also note in Genesis 4 that God did not carry out capital punishment on Cain when he murdered his brother. The Biblical situations sanctioning killing were extreme measures for extreme times.
2. The defence of others: A similar principle of killing being the lesser of two evils arises in the defence of others who are at risk. This includes “Just War” theories and the use of force by police forces. The principle here is that killing is sometimes necessary to prevent the innocent from being killed. In defending others, however, the principle of the sanctity of life must be upheld for all parties. First, actions must be defensive, not aggressive, and objectives must be to secure justice or remedy injustice and relieve oppression of the innocent. Second, there must be the minimum of violence necessary. Finally, the just cause for which the war was begun must be obtainable. Therefore “a ‘just’ war is one fought for a righteous cause, by controlled means, and with a reasonable expectation of success.”[7] We can see this apply obviously to internal police forces but then, by extension, it can be applied to the military, which serves as a police force in an international situation. If we have a problem with this, then it may be a case of being over-scrupulous. For example, to say that killing is never to be allowed under any circumstances is the same as saying that we should never ever lie. If you were hiding Jews in World War II and the Nazis came to the door and asked if you were hiding any Jews, to tell the truth would lead to their innocent deaths. In this case, as in the protection of others, to obey a commandment literally would be to go against God’s will and result in a far greater evil. However, it is worth noting that many serious Christians do argue for extreme pacifism.
So, we have seen when removal of life can be in disregard of the sanctity of life and when removal of life could be necessary to support the sanctity of human life. These are some of the difficult areas. But what about where the issue is clearer? How can the commandment, “You shall not murder apply to me? Surely we are not criminals – isn’t this for extreme situations? What relevance could it have for me in my day-to-day life? It does!
The Source of Murder
To understand how, we first need to look at the source of murder. In our Gospel passage, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:21-23). Sir Frederick Catherwood comments on this:
“Christ sharpens the edge of every commandment. He goes to the heart, and shows the evil there that leads to the sin. He wants us to resist the sin at the beginning. The beginning of the outward act of murder is the sin of anger and hatred. The very first murder, of Abel by Cain, arose from jealous anger.
The difference in law between anger and murder is that the first is inward and cannot be proved in a court of law to have harmed anybody, while the latter is an outward act which can he proved. But Our Lord is saying that, in God’s sight, the anger is just as much an offence. It is just as deserving of judgement.”[8]
We know, of course, that all anger is not evil – but here anger refers to a malicious and vindictive spirit. In this way, murder is merely the outward expression of hate – it has the same root. We all hate at one time or another and some of us have the opportunity or a background conducive to let us take it to its physical expression. We are all guilty. One of my discoveries from visiting folk in prison has been to see how “normal” inmates are; we are all the same internally – it is just that some have expressed their sinfulness in ways that have landed them up in jail. I would also say that the vast majority of inmates deal with anger issues.
What is hatred? Hatred is intense animosity towards another, when our own desires or ego have been threatened. We want to protect or exalt our own position. It is the ultimate in selfishness because it demeans the other person in our eyes and at its root wishes the destruction of the other. This is why calling a person harsh names – “You fool” (Raca) – is wrong because you are destroying them verbally. (“Raca” was a term of reproach used by the Jews of Jesus’ time, meaning vain or empty or worthless. It is derived from a root meaning “to spit.”)[9] Hatred, anger and lies take away from an individual all that he or she is meant to be – you demean the person. The ultimate is to take away that person’s physical life as well, with the same motivation.
But, you might say, anger is not a problem for me – so this commandment still does not apply. Then listen to this: the Jewish psychiatrist Leonard Felder legitimately expands the meaning of the Hebrew word for murder to “crushing a person’s spirit.” Do you see yourself in the following descriptions?[10]
- As a parent, do you sometimes try so hard to protect your child that you may be inadvertently crushing his or her independence, motivation, or ability to make self-reliant decisions?
- As a spouse or lover, do you sometimes feel competitive with your partner and say or do things that undermine your loved one’s self-confidence?
- As a family member, do you find yourself so busy with your job or other activities that you often appear burdened, resentful, or impatient when a family member needs you to listen or pay attention to his or her legitimate needs?
- As a boss or supervisor, do you sometimes overmanage, exert too much control, or inadvertently squash the creativity and good ideas of the people who work with you?
- As a caregiver to an ailing or disabled loved one, do you sometimes rush in and do things for this person that he or she would prefer to do independently, thereby unintentionally dampening this person’s spirit?
- When someone comes to you with an idea or the beginning of a project that needs support and guidance, do you sometimes harm this person’s enthusiasm with your sceptical questions or anxious fears and concerns?
- When someone comes to you for emotional support, do you sometimes cut this person off by trying to fix the problem with unsolicited advice instead of being a good listener?
Many of us are guilty of crushing a person’s spirit and in doing so have broken God’s commandment “You shall not murder.” Many of us are also guilty of unhealthy anger. This is our problem. In closing, we will look briefly at the underlying solution to all this.
Love as the Solution
Anger and demeaning others are countered by love. Love has been defined as “Wanting the other person’s greatest good” – to build the person up – to “help them be or become the best kind of persons they can be. This is why Christ tells us to “love our enemies” (Matthew 5:44); we can’t remain indifferent and not just “not hate.” Indifference is a form of hatred – it treats the individual as nothing. Love treats the person as something – someone; it is positive concern.
We love this way because God has loved us in this way. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:8, 10). God has reconciled us to himself. Christ says we are to do the same. “We love because he first loved us. If we say we love God yet hate a brother or sister, we are liars. For if we do not love a fellow believer, whom we have seen, we cannot love God, whom we have not seen. And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love one another. (1 John 4.19 – 21).
How are we to show love? By doing everything in our power to make peace with our brothers and sisters. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). We are to have positive actions of love – to actively seek reconciliation, not to bear grudges. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). God is open and forgiving with us – we need to be the same with others and in this way we will defeat anger, avoid crushing others’ spirits and so uphold the sanctity of life.
[1] J. John, Ten Steps to the Good Life. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1990), pg. 62.
[2] See definitions found in The Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Brown-Driver-Briggs as cited on “Evidence for God”, http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/notkill.html
[3] Ibid.
[4] Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer. (Nashville, TN: Thomas nelson, 2010), pg. 250.
[5] In 2005, the latest year on record, 96,815 abortions were performed on Canadian women. More than three million unborn babies have died from abortion in Canada since 1969, when abortion was first decriminalized. Statistics Canada tables show a recorded total of 2,822,293 abortions between 1969 and 2005. Assuming an annual average of 100,000 abortions for 2006 and 2007 (and recognizing that reported numbers since 2000 reflect about 90 percent of abortions) the total number of abortions is more than three million. (www.AbortionInCanda.ca).
[6] For further treatment of this, see: “Evidence for God – Thou Shalt Not Kill: Does God Violate His Own Commandment?” by Rich Dean, found on http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/notkill.html
[7] Ibid., pg. 88.
[8] Frederick Catherwood, First things First. (Downer’s Grove: Il: InterVaristy Press, 1979), pg. 67.
[9] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Raca; http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/raca.html
[10] Leonard Felder, The Ten Challenges. (New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 1997), pp. 135.
