You have heard, that it was said to the people long age, Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother,"Raca" is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, "you fool" will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny (Matthew 5:21-26 NIV).
Earthly courts cannot judge such offenses as anger. But God's heavenly court will judge all such offenses. Jesus began by citing the crime of murder in Exodus 20:13, for which the biblical law required a Jewish court to execute the sentence of death. But Jesus presses beyond behavior specifically punished by law to the kind of heart that generates such behavior. Anger that would lead to murder if unchecked is the spiritual equvialent of murder I John 3:15. God has never merely wanted people to obey rules; He wants us to be holy as He is holy, to value what He values.
Anger, calling someone a fool and calling the person Raca (an emptyhead) are roughly equivalent offenses. Both are equivalent to the sentence to be decreed, damnation to eternal hell. Every slanderous word uttered before the heavenly court merits for the accuser the eternal punishment that would be due to the accused. Anger must be expressed productively, never in a manner harmful to another person. We must humble ourselves and seek the other person's best interests in love.
Our relationship with God is partly contingent on how we treat others. When we damage our relationships with others, we damage our relationship with God, leading to eternal punishment. We must profess our faith with our lives as well as with our lips. God will not accept our gift at the altar until we reconcile with our neighbor. Jesus is letting us know how urgent the matter is, it is a matter of life and death. Some would have to go a considerable distance to physically go to their brother and be reconciled and then return. We just need to make sure we do reconcile things with our neighbor (anyone and everyone anywhere). Imprisonment was generally a temporary holding place until punishment; here, however, a longer penality is meant. The last penny refers to the second-smallest Roman coin, only a few minutes' wages for even a day laborer.
God sees what we are made of. We judge by what we can see of a person's actions; God evaluates the heart's motives. Some can act more moral by society's standard because it is to their advantage to do so. But this behavior does not necessarily imply that their hearts are purer than those with less social skills to behave morally. God evaluates us not only by our deeds but also by our character - what we are mde of when no one else sees us. ANYONE WHO HATES HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER, AND YOU KNOW THAT NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE IN HIM (I John 3:15 NIV).
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