RBushlow:
Why is it that killing is worse to slaughter innocents than it is to swear when you hit your thumb with a hammer? Oh, I don’t know. Let’s think about it for about half a millisecond. Why did Jesus say that one who corrupts the little ones would be better off to tie a millstone around his neck and drown himself. Why does scripture say that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is worse than all other sins?
Dear RBushlow,
You pick an interesting example, given the scriptures you refer to. Between “killing is worse to slaughter innocents” and swearing when you hit your thumb with the hammer, the one most likely to corrupt little ones would be the one with the hammer. That is assuming, of course, that “killing is worse to slaughter innocents” is done out of the range of little witnesses and hitting the thumb with the hammer is an instinctive reaction that could happen anywhere and very likely in front of children. After all, it is in these situations that one reveals his true colors, as “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile.” (Matt 15:18) I believe Jesus is teaching that we need to cleanse our hearts, then when in the heat of the moment we reveal what is in our hearts, we don’t run the risk of teaching filth to little ones.
Perhaps that is a strange concept to a carnal mind but we are called to be transformed, and we are taught that God’s ways are not our ways, and our ways are not God’s ways. Before we are transformed, our cultural training often causes us to react, as you say, in sub-millisecond time, in a rush to judgment that may not coincide with what God would say.
Back to your example, the hypothetical example Jesus presents in Matt 5:21-22 is very similar. The only difference I see is that His example has the anger directed toward another person rather than toward “the situation” (such as the hammer itself). Let’s see what He said, "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, … "
Hmmm. Let’s spend just a little more than a millisecond on this, since we are human and not God. It is clear that Jesus is saying this as a new concept to those who obviously thought as you do. In Old Testament thinking, killing was a sin. Here Jesus implies that harboring anger is a similar sin in the eyes of God.
Yes, I did note your sarcastic tone but no, you did not succeed in making me feel silly for asking the question. I am more interested in the deeper aspect of spirituality than what appears to be right on the surface, and I have become accustomed to people who haven’t looked at the deeper meaning being sarcastic. If your intent in taking such a tone was to call me a fool, please let me lovingly caution you about what Jesus says further in the same verse (Matt 5:22) “…and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.”
In human reasoning, is murder worse than swearing? Absolutely. But be careful when you attribute human reasoning, especially “half milliseconds” worth of it, to God as if He thinks the same way you do. Keep in mind Jesus’ admonition " Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’" (Matt 15:7-9)
Alan
