You Fool

Matthew 5:21-22  “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother  shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.


Boy does this one hit home. I hope I'm right when I say that I have improved through the power of the Holy Spirit. My family knew me as argumentative and some others might have experienced it as well. My personality is easily convinced that we are right because our goal is to know it all, and that leads to being a know it all. I have been known in a moment of passion to call someone a fool. I don't think that is the unforgivable sin, but this passage does put me in my place. My harsh judgmental language of the past fits into the sermon on Sunday and a couple of my own important theological principles. Change requires repentance which includes acknowledging that something is wrong and, more than being sorry. to turn and seek God's help to change. I have not lowered myself to angry words or name calling behavior in some years now. I'm not sure God has cured me, but I am convinced that God has helped. I might still think I'm right because that is just who I am, but I don't judge people who have different ideas.


The penalty for calling someone else a fool seems rather harsh. We live in a country now where that seems to be a way of life. This past summer and continuing even now we have a government in gridlock because the order of the day is name calling and demonizing people with different ideas rather than finding a way forward that would work for all of us. Jesus knew the cost of anger and judgement. He knew it was among the greatest threats to our common good.