St. Matthew 5:21-26 - But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment

St. Matthew 5

(St. Matthew 5:21-26)

Written by  Subdeacon Alexander (Pradeep) Hatcher

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...(Mt 5:21-22a, NAB)

These two verses from the Gospel of St. Matthew reveal God's will for us so simply, yet with such infinite depth.  I once heard a parishioner ask a bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church why the Old Testament, with all its commandments and strict laws, was more difficult to follow than the New Testament.  The bishop replied with this verse in mind, saying "In the Old Covenant you are guilty if you kill someone.  In the New Covenant, you are guilty for even having hate in your heart.  You tell me which is more difficult to follow."

Christ did not come to abolish the Old Testament, but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17).  Our Lord fulfills the Old Covenant not only by shedding His blood, but He fulfills the Law and the Prophets by opening our eyes to the fullness of the Holy Scriptures.  It is Christ who interprets the Scriptures for us.  Without him, our eyes are 'veiled' to the true intent of God's law (II Cor 3:12-16).  Without Christ, we have no light by which to read Scripture.

Christ brought us to the true understanding of God's law as parents wean children off milk and introduce them to solid foods (I Cor 3:1-2).  In our brokenness as spiritual 'infants,' we could not see God's true purpose for us - the purpose behind his commandments and laws.  In His mercy, the Father revealed this purpose to us fully through his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  He walked among us to show this to us through His teachings and his very life.  God's purpose for us is this: to love.  Without being loving creatures, we cannot hope to return to Him who is love (I John 4:7-8).

Love is also essential because God does not desire that we return to him alone.  God desires we return to him together (I Tim 2:4).  Without unity with each other, there can be no unity, or communion, with God.  Recall what Adam said of Eve: "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Gen 2:23).  Though we as individuals are separate, God created human beings with such a profound link with one another that our past, present, and future are intrinsically linked.  When one person sins, all of creation is affected, regardless of innocence or guilt (Rom 5:12-21).  When one person suffers, all of humanity suffers.  The Desert Father St. Anthony the Great said with great insight, "Our life and death are with our neighbor.  If we gain our brother we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ."

This unity among human beings is so important that the Divine Liturgy itself - which offers us a brief taste of eternal life with God - requires it.  Matthew 5: 23-24 teaches:

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

This is why the Holy Eucharist cannot proceed without the Kiss of Peace.  Without forgiveness and reconciliation with each other, there can be no reconciliation with God.  Communion with each other is required for communion with God.  Lord have mercy on us, who far too often offer each other the Kiss of Peace every Sunday without meaning it with all our heart.

Christ teaches us in Mt. 5: 21-26, then, it is not enough simply not to harm another person.  We must also love them unconditionally.  There can be no place for hate in the heart of a follower of Christ.  St. Isaac the Syrian says of a compassionate heart:

It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons and for all that exists...as a result of his deep mercy his heart shrinks and cannot bear to hear or look on any injury or the slightest suffering of anything in creation.  This is why he constantly offers up prayer full of tears, even for the irrational animals and for the enemies of truth, even for those who harm him, so that they may be protected and find mercy.

Let your heart be full of love and empty all hate from it.  Only then will your heart be opened for Christ to enter.

Questions for Meditation

When you pray for someone you "hate" or are having difficulty with, how sincere are you when praying for them?  Do you merely mention them in passing, or do you pray for them by name and with full concentration?  When you pray for someone earnestly and sincerely wish good things for them, you cannot help but begin to love them, no matter how much you may have "hated" them before.

Author’s Information:

Name: Subdeacon Alexander (Pradeep) Hatcher

Area: Northwest U.S./Western Canada

Number: (509) 768-2241

Email Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it