In the Gospel today, Jesus raises the standard on the meaning of murder.
According to him, "Thou shalt not kill" applies not only to those who
actually kill but also involves those who are angry at others.
I think
this is Jesus' version of a familiar quote:
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
If we
look at the Gospel, there is almost a similar pattern:
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to
fiery Gehenna.
The commentary in the Gospel suggests that
"Raqa" means imbecile or blockhead. In Tagalog, gago.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the
judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown
into prison.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
Refer to the quote above on fiery Gehenna.
I don't think Jesus was saying necessarily that
anger is murder. I think what he's saying is that anger leads to that slippery
slope which could lead to murder. So before things get out of hand, deal with
the anger and in the process, save your soul.
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