Swords Into Plowshares - Nov. 2, 2014

Swords into Plowshares

The Sixth Commandment

Genesis 4:1-10, Matthew 5:21-26

November 2, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

How to Treat Siblings  A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" your Father and Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without hesitation the little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."

The little boy was right, of course. The sixth commandment says that we should not kill our siblings no matter how much they irk us.  But the commandment extends to all humanity. It appears to be saying that we must not kill another human being, not ever, under any circumstances.  And in our hearts, we agree, for we know that there is nothing so horrendous than taking another human life. But is that really what God is saying? Over the years, the specific meaning of this commandment has been discussed and debated for hours on end. This is because as we apply this commandment to everyday life, we discover it is far more complicated than it appears at first glance. In fact, it doesn’t take us long to to come up with some pretty valid reasons to break this commandment.

For instance, we might say, “We must not kill, except in self-defense.” Or, “It is wrong to kill except during wartime.” Or, “We must not kill except in the case of terrorists who are threatening our lives.”

Even in the Bible, one can find statements which approve capital punishment, killing in self-defense and in war. Intermingled with this commandment are such legitimate concerns as suicide, abortion and euthanasia. Pro-life and pro-choice groups grapple each day with this commandment. Connected with such discussions are such issues as gun control, birth control, and sterilization.

In the Church  In the Church we hear many conflicting voices. Some oppose abortion, but approve capital punishment and war. Others feel abortion has a rightful place, yet say capital punishment is always wrong. In 1981, the General Assembly of our Church published a report entitled “The Nature and Value of Human Life.” It says that this commandment “commands both that we do no harm to human life and that we do all we can to protect it.” However, sometimes to protect life we must kill life. For instance, to protect the American people when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States went to war to kill and defeat the enemy. In another example, a high official of the Russian Orthodox church denounced the missiles of other countries because their use violated the commandment not to kill. However, he called his own country’s use of missiles a defense of human life and thus did not violate the sixth commandment. As we can see, the interpretation of “Thou shalt not kill” often depends upon where a person is standing in life.

Biblical Background Perhaps it would be helpful to look at this commandment in its original setting. First, it is set within the context of nine other commandments in which all of life is governed by God, not humans. Treating one another in love is vital to the life of a community. Second, the protection and sanctity of life is basic in the commandments concerning parents, adultery, stealing, false witness and coveting. Therefore, respect for all aspects of life is basic to the understanding of this commandment, aimed at protecting a person’s life against being killed by another human being.

Third, the Hebrew word used in this commandment for “kill” refers only to murder - the willful and premeditated killing of someone else out of hatred, desire for revenge, or greed. In our scripture from Genesis, we heard the story of Cain’s anger that Abel’s sacrifice was more favorable to God that was his. That anger with God became directed at his brother. Cain then plotted to kill his brother.

This is why Cain’s act of killing was considered contrary to the will of God. The act purposefully destroyed a life. One commentator noted, “All murder is killing but not all killing is murder. Murder involves killing unlawfully with premeditated malice. It involves a deliberate, planned, pre-mediated attack against a fellow human being for the purpose of taking his life for reasons that are purely sinful.” [Middletown Bible Church, Middletown, MA]

Calvin commented upon this commandment by saying that all humans are made in God’s image and therefore are our brothers and sisters. Thus any killing, he felt, resulted in the killing of one’s own flesh and blood, and became an assault against God.

Life Belongs to God The fundamental basis of this command is that all life belongs to God [Genesis 9:6]. God’s intention in creation was that no life be taken, and that it is not up to us to do with life as we please. When we take a life, we are acting in the place of God. Ultimately it is up to God to determine what shall be done with life. Our task is to discover God’s will.

Jesus Expands the Commandment How does this commandment affect our lives? After all, we aren’t guilty of murdering another human being as Cain did to Abel. Our hands are clean, are they not? Jesus answered this in his Sermon on the Mount when he said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.“ [Matthew 5:21-22]

By saying this, Jesus expanded this commandment to prohibit unrighteous anger, insult and revenge. Such feelings are the fuel for both murder and for destroying relationships.

 

 

However, as we know, Jesus himself became angry on several different occasions. For instance,

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. They were cheating the poor. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" John 2:13-17

 

So we find that righteous anger aimed at injustices is proper and right for a Christian to express.

Proverbs put it this way, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” (Proverbs 22:24-25).

Yes, anger invites us to seek revenge. And anger can be dangerously contagious.

In his autobiography, ““Number 1””, Billy Martin, the well known manager of the Yankees in the 1970s, told about hunting in Texas with Mickey Mantle. Mickey said had a friend who would let them hunt on his ranch. When they reached the ranch, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he checked in with his friend. Mantle’s friend quickly gave them permission to hunt, but he asked Mickey a favor. He had a pet mule in the barn who was going blind, and he didn’t have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him. When Mickey came back to the car, he pretended to be angry. He scowled and slammed the door. Billy asked him what was wrong, and Mickey said his friend wouldn’t let them hunt. "I’m so mad at that guy," Mantle said, "I’m going out to his barn and shoot one of his mules!" Martin protested, "You can’’t do that!" But Mickey was adamant. "Just watch me!" he shouted. He then ran into the barn and shot the mule. As he was coming out of the barn, he heard two shots. He saw Martin standing by the fence facing a herd of cows. "What are you doing, Martin?" he yelled. Martin yelled back, face red with anger, "We’ll show that son of a gun! I just killed two of his cows!"

We each know feelings of anger and resentment, don’t we? The feeling that we hope all of our enemies would be removed from our lives in some fashion.

Children who feel unjustly treated by parents wish they were freed from their control. Some run away. Others become unruly. Employees who receive unfair treatment by bosses wish they would retire. Spouses find solutions to conflict by seeking divorce. Yes, whether we like it or not, there are many times when we want our adversaries out of our lives forever. We fantasize how life would be without them. We devise ways to exact revenge upon them for what they did to us. We take matters into our own hands. Included in this commandment are all forms of verbal and physical abuse for they are fueled by anger.

Jesus also gives us the positive side of this commandment when he says that we are to love and pray for our enemies. [Matthew 5:44]. We are to do everything in our power to protect and preserve life by doing only those things which maintain life.

The Promise This commandment has a goal that one day all people will live in such a way that killing of any kind will be obsolete. No need for self-defense, capital punishment or war. Guns no longer will be instruments of taking a human life. The electric chair and gas chamber will be relegated to museums. Micah captures the essence of this promise when he wrote that one day nations “will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” [Micah 4:3]

Is this simply an impossible dream? By our own efforts, Yes. But with God, all things are possible for this is God’s dream for us. It is his chosen future for us. Our calling as Christians is to live as though that future is now with the family we have and in the world in which we live. As individuals we can do a great deal to transform relationships through forgiveness and reconciliation. We can choose not to act upon feelings of resentment. We can affirm the sanctity of life and the sanctity of relationships.

Of course this is not easy. There are times when there is no clear-cut choice. However, through a strong prayer relationship with God, guidance will come. And strength to exercise God’s will over one’s emotions will come. If ever swords are to become plowshares, we must allow the Spirit of God to direct our every word and act. Amen.

Genesis 4:1-10 NRSV

 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen; your brother’s

 

blood is crying out to me from the ground!
Matthew 5:21-26 NRSV

 

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.