Thou shalt not kill. Four words. They sound pretty straight
forward. The way that they we interpret these words have been anything but
straight forward.
Thou shalt not kill. Four words. Moses received these words
from up on high, but when he returned from the mountain, he found the
Israelites worshipping a golden calf. When he discovered this, he sent out
Levite priests to slaughter folks who had bowed the knee to this evil idol. Three
thousand were killed that day. Even though God had just said, “Thou shalt not
kill”.
Thou shalt not kill. Four words. Four words vigorously
discussed and debated about in regard to what they mean to our lives together
in our society. Many of our most contentious issues politically revolve around
how we interpret this passage. How does the sixth commandment apply to things
like birth control, abortion laws, our wars in Iraq and Afganistan, the
execution of Ghaddafi, assisted suicide and the right to die movement, capital
punishment, and other such issues?
Thou shalt not kill. Four simple words. And yet, by the time
we get to the teachings of Jesus they are words that should guide us toward a
life that is free from anger, revenge, score settling and violence.
So, what are we to make of the four simple words? How are they
supposed to make their way into our hearts and lives? How are they to guide us
toward a grace-filled, blessed life?
Furthermore, what do they really mean? What was God trying to
say through them anyway? I have had a lot of questions in my life about those
four little words.
And as I prayed about how to present this passage this
morning, that is how I felt led to share this message with you today. I thought
instead of me simply telling you what to believe in regard to this passage, I
would have you join me on my spiritual and intellectual journey as I have
sought, and continue to seek, clarity in relationship to this small, succinct,
and very wise command.
I realize as I do this, you and I may not come out at the end
of this process with the same attitude and perspective. That is ok. We are
Baptists. We are not required to agree. But as I hope as I share how I have
worked through these issues you will respect where I am coming from, and I will
work on, if we disagree, showing you the same respect in return.
And I hope you will know that I come to this issue from a deep love of Scripture and faithfulness to Jesus, and a desire to be faithful obiedient to it no matter what the cost.
So, I have to tell you, starting off, a little bit more about
who I was growing up. I was, from a young age, a person who often tried to
avoid a fight, but more often than not found myself in physical altercations.
How this happened is complex, but I think I can explain it. First, I was
always, growing up, a little bit larger than people my age. I was at one
hundred pounds by third grade, around 160 by sixth grade, and just under 200
pounds before 9th grade. And, that was all before I hit my growth
spurt, entered puberty, and really started growing.
I was also, as you may have noticed in a more refined way now,
a tender-hearted, sensitive soul. I was an am a people pleaser. And, for the
most part a conflict avoider.
At the same time, I had this temper, that would flare up more
often than I would like it to, which would come out through angry words
screaming, and once in a while through some more physical way, such as breaking
things or hitting something, and sometimes through tears as well.
All of this made me a ripe target for the young punks who
wanted to move up in respect and fear of their fellow classmates through taking
on the big guy. Which in turn, meant that I would often end up in fights. I was
taught never to start a fight, which was a rule I almost always complied with.
I was also taught that if someone tried to start a fight, I had every right to
finish it. Which is something I learned how to do if necessary.
I have to admit, it did feel really good to go toe to toe with
someone and win in a fight. In fourth grade, a guy was picking on a friend of
mine. I told him if he wanted to pick on someone, he should try someone his own
size. He punched me. I punched him in the nose. Blood spurted everywhere. I
broke his nose on the first punch. It was such a rush to bring bodily harm to
someone. And when the principal confirmed the story—that I acted in
self-defense—I received no punishment whatsoever, and quite a few “atta-boys”
from friends and family.
As I grew older, I channeled most of my aggression through
sports. I played football. I wrestled. I learned that I played better when I
could get myself in a really angry and violent toward everything I hated about
my life, and then funnel that anger and that violence toward the person I was
competing against. My senior year in high school I had a guy in a headlock, put
his arm over his mouth and nose so he couldn’t breathe. He was gasping for air
and finding none, like you do when you are underwater for too long and trying
to hold your breathe. Finally I pinned him. Having his breathe, and in many
ways his life, in my hands, it was such a high. I still have not forgotten it.
All this to share this, growing up I did not question much of
the violence I saw around me. In war. In fights. In politics. In anything. I
did not want to go into the military because I did not want to have some
strange man screaming and yelling at me. I knew I would end up yelling right
back at him over and over again until I was discharged or punished in some
extreme way. Besides, I was too big to do more than one or two pull ups. I knew
it would not be good.
I was also pro-life. Have been for as far back as I can
remember.
Flash forward to seminary from there. I had played four years
of football. I had finished two years of seminary. I was taking an ethics
class. The ethics class required us to take on one issue for our research
paper. I did not want to do much with environmental ethics and faith, because
to be honest I was over the leftist propaganda on that issue. I had already
been pretty clear on several other issues. I ended up studying the ethics of
war and peace. It wasn’t a hot button issue by 1997. With my pick-up truck and
short hair I certainly could not have been mistaken for a hippie, and with my
portly, informal appearance I could hardly be mistaken for the militaristic
type. The Cold War had ended. Our military was not in Iraq. This made this a
perfect issue to study objectively. No drama. No agenda. Just trying to learn
what the word of God says. Turned out I did not just learn a lot about war and
peace, I learned a lot about what the Bible said about what the Catholic Church
calls a “culture of life” in general.
The Creation story shows us that God values life. He created
it. Human life was brought into being by God’s Word. After the fall, we see
brother murder brother, and this was strongly condemned. By the time we get to
Noah and the Ark, what we see is a world that is becoming increasingly violent.
This violence was a large reason why the flood was sent.
Throughout the law, not only is there the command “Thou shalt
not kill”, but there are all sorts of laws that protect life, including the
life of an unborn child. Besides that, there are ritualistic laws that teach
the people of Israel to honor life. And to protect the lives and the well-being
of even those that are not from our country but live among them, or people who
are too poor to have the resources to protect themselves. These laws were
radically compassionate for their time.
Yet, in the Old Testament law, we also see a place for capital
punishment of many crimes. In addition we see commands for warfare, and in the
midst of warfare. And practices of warfare that go beyond anything we would
think appropriate today. Things like killing not only every warrior, but every
man, woman, child, and animal of one’s enemies. If you like reading some gory
stuff, just read your Old Testament stories.
At the same time, though, you often see that the Scripture
sees those who do violence, even if they do so in justifiable causes, to be
considered less pure. Ceremonially this is definitely true. David couldn’t
build the temple because he had too much blood on his hands, but Solomon was
given permission by God to do so.
You also see God at times how God delivers his people from
military threat without them having to go into battle. This is the case when
the Israelites escaped Israel through the Red Sea. 2 Kings 19 tells a story
about how God went and killed 180,000 people in their sleep when a mighty army
was attacking Israel, and the people did not even have to fight against those
folks. There is this underlying stream of thought that comes to fruition in
Zecheriah 4:6…which says, “not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says
the Lord”.
So we come to the New Testament with this command that tells
us “don’t kill” and this violent world that the Israelites lived in. We see
them having a high regard for life, but also involved in many violent
endeavors, like many of the nations around them were as well.
In the middle of this world, comes Jesus. Jesus, in Matthew
5-7, begins to speaks some pretty radical words. Words like these, from the New
International Version:
21 “You have heard that it was said to
the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be
subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother
or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a
brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says,
‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift
at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something
against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be
reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly
with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still
together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the
judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26
Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
And these:
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you
on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants
to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone
forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks
you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 “You
have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that
you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If
you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect.
These passages, and others, seem to say that the command to
not murder was to lead us as far away from violence as possible. It was, as a
matter of fact, designed by God not to simply keep us from killing one another,
but if we believe Jesus it was designed to keep us from hating one another, wishing
harm on one another, wanting vengeance on another, or anything like that. All
of this seems to run counter to the Jesus way.
So what does “Thou shalt not kill” mean? For me, as I
continued to study, it meant what it said, and much more. Because the command
was not only a call to not kill, but an invitation to a life in the Spirit
where I would and could be a person of grace, peace, reconciliation, and love. In other words, I believe in being completely pro-life.
In regard to abortion, this meant that I believed that abortion
was wrong. I discovered in fact that early church was actively involved in
efforts to prevent abortion and infanticide from early in its history. Often
rescuing children that were abandoned because of their gender or their
disability, and taking them into their home, Christians had a powerful witness
in the ancient world because they were the original right to lifers.
Note, however, that the early church’s pro-life activities
were amazingly pro-active. They took children in that nobody wanted. They
raised them at their own expense. They didn’t make their pro-life stand simply
a political stand. They made it a lifestyle and a costly commitment.
The New Testament is remarkably silent regarding capital
punishment. It seems clear thought that when God does have an opportunity to
offer someone life instead of death, he certainly does it. He tells the woman
who is about to be executed in John 8 to go and sin no more. He speaks of
himself as one who wants to set captives free. And in America, as Chuck Colson
wisely points out, our standards for capital punishment are in some ways not as
stringent as Scripture’s, which calls for eyewitnesses to a crime of murder in
order for it to be a death-penalty case, for instance.
In regard to issues regarding end of life, I don’t believe in
assisted suicide. Looks like murder to me according the Scriptures. Having said
this, I don’t think artificially keeping people alive by machines is
necessarily mandated by Scripture either. The Bible says that for “everything
there is a season”. It is not our place to play God by taking a life
prematurely, or trying to use machines to extend it indefinitely.
And in regard to issues of war and peace, I must again listen
to the one who said, “Love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek”. Although
this issue is difficult for many to wade through, and many Christians disagree,
I personally could not participate in military service in good conscience.
This is, a stance, interestingly enough, that was also
endorsed by the early church until the government took authority over the
church at the time of Constantine.
Don’t get me wrong. I do not condemn others who have. In fact
I admire their courage, commitment and others-centeredness in their service.
And I believe our nation should do everything to offer the best health care and
social and emotional support for people who have put their lives on the line on
behalf of our country. The gospel is a gospel of mercy and compassion that
extends to all.
But when I ask myself, “Who would Jesus want me to kill?” I
can only answer, “Nobody!” Even in the case of war.
I would rather be overly-obedient to the commands like “Love
Your Neighbor”, “Love Your Enemy”, and “Thou shalt not kill” than to compromise
my conscience in this regard. And I would rather die or suffer for standing for
what I believe in this regard than to simply go along with the crowd instead of
what I believe Jesus preaches. Some of you may believe this stance to be weak
or cowardly. I believe it to be both courageous--especially in the middle of
our culture of violence—and right.
I also believe it to be in line with the model of Jesus, who
when arrested could have led armies to free himself, his friends, and his
countrymen. Instead Jesus allowed foreign mercenaries to hang him on a cross to
do the bidding of corrupt political leaders. And he bled. And he died. He died
so that we could life—eternal life.
And he gave us the mission of going out into the world with
that same self-sacrificial life and that same hopeful message. What is that
message? That life is a gift given to us by God. And it is a good gift. And
that God loves each of us so much that his will is that we “should not perish,
but by believing inherit eternal life”.
