What’s In a Jot or Tittle? part one

Matthew 5:21-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. ²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

So there is a big demand and command out there that we count as number 5 that says you shall not murder anyone.  But the 5th command has little jots and tittles that the average human being totally misses, or chooses to ignore.   The 5th commandment also demands that we show kindness in word and demeanor (Matt. 5 :21-26).  I have no right to be angry without cause.  I have no right to say that someone is empty headed or a numbskull, that is the meaning of “Raca”  I can’t get through the news or a day without thinking that, let alone saying it.  How many times have I said that someone was a fool because they were.  That is not in my purview no matter how much I believe that it should be.  Those words and thoughts and actions are showing that I, in my heart and mind, have murdered someone.

Some of us cannot go through a day without calling someone down or out, insulting or thinking bad thoughts about them and when we do it we think it is no big deal.  Jesus says if you do this you should go to hell.  That is how harsh the Law is.  These are not suggestions that we should “work on” and try and do better.  These are the means that if we do not keep perfectly we should go to hell.

The rescue is the Gospel but first, more jots and tittles.