Matthew 5, murder/calling someone a fool

[Serpt]

My question is about Matthew 5 where Jesus speaks a relationship between murder and calling someone a fool.

I can understand why belittling someone may be considered the same thing as murder by God, but what about Proverbs? I think Solomon or whoever wrote Proverbs lists all the characteristics of a fool.

It also says somewhere that by being hit by a friend is better than be kissed by an enemy. I understand the case of being hit by a friend as when you made a silly mistake and a friend is there to help you realize your foolishness.

But what if someone calls me a fool and hits me as love, as a true friend? How do you know when it is breaking the 6th commandment or not? What if an abusive parents tell authorities that they just hit their kids out of discipline, out of love for their kids?

[twistedsketch]

Saying "you fool" in the insulting way that people did in Jesus' time was different from Solomon rightly labeling certain people "fools" in Proverbs. What Jesus is saying in this passage is that murder begins with hate. People insult out of hate, and that is not acceptable. Discipline is not the problem here. Love taps are not the problem here.

[ephraimanesti]

My question is about Matthew 5 where Jesus speaks a relationship between murder and calling someone a fool.

I can understand why belittling someone may be considered the same thing as murder by God, but what about Proverbs? I think Solomon or whoever wrote Proverbs lists all the characteristics of a fool.

It also says somewhere that by being hit by a friend is better than be kissed by an enemy. I understand the case of being hit by a friend as when you made a silly mistake and a friend is there to help you realize your foolishness.

But what if someone calls me a fool and hits me as love, as a true friend? How do you know when it is breaking the 6th commandment or not? What if an abusive parents tell authorities that they just hit their kids out of discipline, out of love for their kids?

MY DEAR SISTER,

The following quotations have helped me understand why our Lord came out so strongly about using the word "Raca" against our brothers and sisters:

He has said two things: "Whoever says, 'Raca,' and whoever says, 'You fool,' " referring foolishness to the soul, and "despicable" to things of the body. By this he describes one who assumes an air of superiority, exalts himself over his brothers in the faith. Such a one hates them and turns away from them or looks down upon them with disgust or, frequently, passes them by as not worthy of a single look. He derives this sense of superiority from advantages of either body or soul and, on this account, looks down on his brothers as inferior to him. Such a person, Jesus says, is not considered by me as immune from condemnation. For the one who hates is akin to a murderer; such a person ought expecially to have had love for these others on account of their shared faith, even though their common human nature should have been reason enough to unite them in friendship.
--Theodore of Heraclea

"Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be liable to the council." The word raca, my brothers, is not simply an expression but a visceral reaction of a ridiculer as well as an insult. It usually manifests itself by a sidelong glance or a flaring of the nostrils or a rattle in the throat, so that one's will concocts insults and the extent of the harm done is unknown. But God, who looks at the person's intentions, sees his desires and judges his feelings, brings the one who is guilty of ridiculing his brother to the council of the holy, because ridicule aimed at one person redounds to the insulting of everyone; the condition of one limb spreads to the body, and the suffering of the body goes up to the head. Thus, as to what a ridiculer has inflicted on his brother, he will realize and regret in the heavenly council that his insight reached up to God.

"Whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire." What the angry man concealed in his heart, what the ridiculer held in his throat, the backbiter has put into words. thus the expressed insult will be reckoned with in the fire of hell. The judgment for hidden faults depends on the Savior's decision, so that based on an examination of causes a just judgment is rendered. Clearly then a manifest crime will produce a punishment. But someone may ask, "Just how great is the force of a word, that whoever says to his brother, 'You fool!' will be accorded severe punishment?" Very great, my brothers, very great, for Christ is in your brother, and Christ is the wisdom of God. Therefore whoever says to his brother, "You fool!" has ridiculed God's wisdom.
--Peter Chrysologus

HOPE THIS HELPS!

IN CHRIST,
ephraim

[rocklife]

What if an abusive parents tell authorities that they just hit their kids out of discipline, out of love for their kids?

I believe the police pretty much already have acceptable definitions of what is abusive and what is discipline. spanking without leaving bruises is different than hitting a kid in a less cushy area and leaves bruises, broken bones, internal and external bleeding and/ or scars, emotional and verbal abuse can even just as bad in many cases.

and you put the words "abusive" and love right in the same sentence describing the parents, abusive parents really aren't loving, its usually selfishness and just being mean to abuse kids.

[JPPT1974]

Either you grow up with loving and Christian parents
Or you grow up with mean and abusive ones!

[Serpt]

Thank you twistedsketch, ephraimanesti, rocklife, and JPPT1974. I am sorry for being late to reply.

I didn't know ignoring someone was the same thing as murder. I guess a lot of people will be guilty.

Abusive parents do sometimes loving things like feed, bathe, pay for tuition, etc. Abusive parents may reject kids or say hurtful things to them, but what they say may have a lot of truths in it and so it will hurt.

[twrekx]

Anger leads to Hate
Hate leads to Suffering
Suffering leads to the darkside

[heymikey80]

Thank you twistedsketch, ephraimanesti, rocklife, and JPPT1974. I am sorry for being late to reply.

I didn't know ignoring someone was the same thing as murder. I guess a lot of people will be guilty.
Really, everybody's guilty. I don't mean to minimize it by saying this, but the Law condemns everyone -- and rightly so.

The Law says, "There's no one righteous -- not one." quoted in Rom 3:9-19. If we believe God at His word, then our thinking about God has to center there. We're not righteous, according to the Law.
Abusive parents do sometimes loving things like feed, bathe, pay for tuition, etc. Abusive parents may reject kids or say hurtful things to them, but what they say may have a lot of truths in it and so it will hurt.
Yes, you're right. splitting out the evil from the good is scary and mind-bending.