In 1974 Roberta Flack's song, 'Killing Me Softly, With His Song' was an enormous victor at the Grammy Awards. The hit which went gold, as a single as well as an album was named song of the year, and record of the year. Roberta Flack also won for best pop vocal by female. The song was a huge hit.
The song sang about how words were embarasing her; embarrasing her to the point that if felt like she was dying. Words have a powerful impact on us. And this is what Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:21-22.
This is the Sermon on the Mount. What has become known as Jesus Inaugural Address stretches from Matthew 5:1-7:29. His message begins in Matthew 5 with a litany of blessings, known as the Beatitudes. After that Jesus explainged how Christians should live their daily lives, all the while pointing that He is the Messiah. In this section, from 5-7:29, six times Jesus busts some old myths about living. Each section begins with, "You have heard it said . . ." Then Jesus counters it with a radical change that starts with, "But I tell you . . ." In Matthew 5:21-22 the old 'myth to be busted' was murder. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder.' But I tell you . . ." Jesus is quickly referring to the 10 Commandments. The audience then and us today recall (Deut. 5:17) that we are told, "You shall not murder." With His line, "But I tell You . . ." does not mean that Jesus is condoning murder or getting ready to say that it is alright to take a life. Infact, Jesus makes a stronger comment on murder. Instead of talking about physically murdering someone, Jesus talks about the way we murder people daily just by the words we speak. Jesus reinforces His idea that words kill, later in Matthew 12:36 "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be aquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Words and the use of words are very important to Jesus. And Jesus, in both cases is condeming abusive language.
The Movie 'Atonement' is set primarily in England during the late 1930's and early 1940's. The film focuses on the British class caste system through one wealthy family and one servant family. It also demonstrated how ugly words and a lie brought ruin to the two families. Briony, the 13 year old precocious younger sister of Cecilia, is drawn to Robbie, the caretaker's son. Thanks to Briony's wealthy family, Robbie is able to attend Cambridge and plans on a career in medicine. Briony, angered and confused by the mutual attraction between Robbie and Cecilia, creates a fanciful story which eventually annihilates Cecilia and Robbie while destroying both families. The destruction, the murders were not committed by sword and gun, but were are all caused by ugly words and vicious rumors set by a 13 year old.
Jesus tell us that there is power in the words we speak. We have the power to heal someone who is hurting by kind words, or the power to destroy, by our hateful words. We have the power to encourage someone, or discourage someone. We have the power to change the world, simply by the use of the words we use. We can halp bring victory or defeat to someone struggeling. We can lift someone up who has fallen, or crush them just by the use of the words we choose. We have a choice. But Jesus commands us not to murder anyone, even by the words we speak. As my grandmother use to say, "If ya aint got nothing good to say - don't say it."
