Only Murderers in the Church?
Exodus 20:13 & Matthew 5:21–22
“You shall not murder.”
At first glance, the Sixth Commandment feels like one of the easier ones to keep. Most of us can read Exodus 20:13 and think, Well, at least I’m doing okay on this one. But then Jesus speaks. And suddenly, the commandment becomes much more uncomfortable.
In Matthew 5, Jesus takes the command “You shall not murder” and leads us beneath the surface of the act itself—into the heart, the mind, our anger, our words and the ways we treat one another. The question is no longer only whether we have physically taken a life. The question becomes: Are the things we think, say and do helping others to flourish—or slowly breaking them down?
Why Does God Say, “You Shall Not Murder”?
The Ten Commandments were given to Israel after God had freed them from slavery in Egypt and was leading them toward the Promised Land. They formed part of God’s covenant with His people and helped shape the kind of community they were called to become. Within that new community, one foundational principle was simple:
Human life is precious.
Life is not something we created for ourselves. None of us decided to exist. None of us gave ourselves breath. Life is a gift from God, and therefore the life of another person is not ours to take simply because we are angry, hurt or seeking revenge.
The Sixth Commandment prohibits us from taking justice into our own hands and deciding for ourselves who deserves to live and who does not. God is the giver of life, and human life should therefore be treated with dignity and care.
There is also a communal dimension to the command. Violence does not affect only the person who dies. It tears through families, relationships and entire communities. Fear grows. Anger breeds more anger. Revenge creates further revenge. A community that was meant to be a place where people could flourish gradually becomes a place where people live in fear. So far, most of us can probably still breathe fairly easily. Then Jesus takes it further...
Jesus Takes Murder Into the Heart
During the Sermon on the Mount, 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.”
Jesus does not abolish the Sixth Commandment. Instead, He reveals just how deeply it reaches.
Murder does not begin with a weapon. It begins much earlier. It can begin with anger that is allowed to grow unchecked. With hatred that we repeatedly rehearse in our minds. With contempt for another person. With the desire to see someone humiliated, harmed or diminished.
Jesus forces us to look not only at our hands, but at our hearts.
Proverbs 4:23 puts it plainly:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
What lives inside us eventually shapes how we behave. The hand might carry out the action, but the mind has often been giving the instructions for a long time already.
Murder Without Blood?
Jesus also speaks about the way we talk to people. He refers to insults and contemptuous speech and places them in the same discussion as the command against murder. That should make us uncomfortable. Most of us were probably taught some version of:
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
But we know that simply isn’t true. Words can hurt. Sometimes very deeply.
A sentence spoken in anger can stay with someone for years. Repeated criticism can slowly destroy confidence. Mockery can make someone feel worthless. A cruel look, dismissive gesture or sarcastic remark can communicate: You do not matter. One author described this as a kind of “bloodless murder.” There may be no physical wound, but something in another person can still be damaged. We can curse with our thoughts, destroy with our looks, wound through our gestures and cut with the sharp edge of our words.
Suddenly the playful sermon title; “Only Murderers in the Church?” doesn’t feel quite as ridiculous. Maybe the question is closer to home than we would like.
How many times have we carried anger toward someone?
How often have we torn another person down with our words?
How many times have we used sarcasm, contempt, gossip or silence to hurt someone?
Jesus shows us that obedience is not merely about avoiding the obvious outward sin. He is interested in what is happening inside us too.
What Are We Carrying in Our Hearts?
Perhaps one of the most important things we can do is become honest with Jesus about the people we struggle with. Instead of pretending the anger is not there, we can bring it before Him.
Lord, You know how I feel about this person.
You know what happened.
You know the thoughts I keep replaying.
You know that the way I am treating them is not right.
Please lead me into another way.
Following Jesus involves allowing Him into the parts of ourselves we would rather leave hidden.
And perhaps one question can guide us: In the way I am thinking, speaking and acting, am I bringing life, or am I taking it away?
The Commandment Has a Positive Side
The Sixth Commandment tells us what not to do. But every commandment also invites us to ask:
What kind of life is God trying to create through this command?
If the negative command is “Do not murder,” then the positive invitation is something like:
Protect life. Value it. Help it flourish.
Human life is precious because it comes from God. That means we are called not merely to avoid destroying others, but actively to become people who give life.
We can encourage.
We can celebrate.
We can listen.
We can use our words to build confidence rather than destroy it.
We can treat people in ways that remind them that they matter.
And this applies not only to close friends and family. It includes the people who simply cross our path during an ordinary day. Our interactions can leave people with a little more life, or a little less.
Your Life Matters Too
There is another side to this that we sometimes forget. Your own life is also a gift from God.
Caring for yourself, growing as a person, developing your gifts, deepening your faith and learning to enjoy the goodness of God’s creation are all ways of respecting the life God has given you.
The commandment invites us not only to protect the lives of others, but also to cherish the life we ourselves have received.
You are not an accident to be tolerated. Your life is something God has given—and something you are invited to steward, develop and celebrate.
Words That Give Life
We have an incredible amount of life to give one another through our words.
A reverend friend of mine once felt compelled to visit a man. During the conversation, he simply told him that he had beautiful eyes. It was an ordinary compliment, perhaps even slightly unexpected. Later, the man contacted him and explained that on that particular day, he had been contemplating suicide. Those few words helped him make it through.
Something incredibly small became life-giving.
We may never know how much weight our words carry. A compliment. A message. A moment of kindness. A sincere “How are you?” A reminder that someone matters.
These things may feel insignificant to us, but we do not always know what is happening inside the person standing in front of us.
So… Only Murderers in the Church?
Perhaps... At least if Jesus is allowed to define the question. The Sixth Commandment is not simply about avoiding physical murder. It challenges our anger, hatred, contempt, speech, gestures and the ways we either diminish or strengthen the people around us.
But Jesus does not reveal this to condemn us. He invites us into something better. He calls us to become life-giving people. People who recognise that every life we encounter is a gift from God.
People who build rather than break down. People whose words heal instead of wound. People who help others flourish. So perhaps the question we should carry into this week is not simply:
“Have I murdered?”
But rather:
“Am I giving life?”
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