“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

For a Christian school community, this one should be pretty straightforward, right? None of us are psychotic murderers, right?

This Commandment is made more poignant by two teachings from Jesus.

The first: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21–22).

Jesus makes it clear at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount that those who are blessed (see the Beatitudes) are not vengeful or prideful, but humble and lowly. Most of us are not inclined to outright violence, but we do all struggle with anger.

Jesus specifically mentions brothers, possibly because brothers have an amazing ability to push our buttons and drive us crazy. As they grow up, our children can develop a similar skillset. It is our responsibility, especially as parents, to model patience, humility, and forgiveness when our pride is injured.

The second teaching from Jesus builds on this: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44).

Just a bit later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus drops one of the most difficult and seemingly unnatural commands in all of Scripture. If you’ve grown up in the church and it doesn’t seem crazy to you, take a step back and imagine the Patriots’ offensive coordinator praying that the Seahawks’ defense would be healthy, well-coordinated, and effective.

But Jesus makes the connection clear. The negative command, do not commit murder, is only the tip of the iceberg. The positive command, love your enemies, is the heart of the gospel. We sinners are God’s enemies, but He gave up His life for us. To commit murder, or (according to Jesus) even to put ourselves in a position of judgement over one another, is to assume the role of God. It is to usurp His throne and despise the love He has lavished on us. But we see that He is willing to forgive us, to love His enemies, even after we condone or commit murder–as we see through the Apostle Paul and King David.

We, as a community, must grow in love. We must be slower to judge others. We must be patient, bearing with those who vex us and make our lives difficult. We must forgive others because we have been forgiven.

This is a hard teaching! But it’s also the hallmark of Christian community. We are, as Jesus says, known by our love. Let’s come together before God, praying for grace to love each other well. May our children, families, neighbors, and everyone else recognize His Spirit working among us.

— Anderson Underwood