You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.
In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins a series of teachings often introduced by the phrase, “You have heard that it was said... But I say to you...” With this, Christ is not abolishing the Law but bringing it to its fullness (cf. Matthew 5:17). The first commandment He deepens is the prohibition against murder: “You shall not kill” (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17).
In the Old Testament, the commandment not to kill was understood as a prohibition against the unlawful taking of innocent human life—a fundamental safeguard of justice and communal life in Israel. However, the focus remained largely on external actions rather than internal disposition. The Law could restrain violence but could not heal the source of violence: the human heart.
Jesus, who reads the heart of man (cf. John 2:25), now reveals that murder begins long before a blow is struck. It begins in anger, contempt, lust, and hatred. He teaches that these interior acts—though hidden from human courts—are visible to God and lead to judgment unless truly repented (cf. Joel 2:13). His warning that the angry person is liable “to fiery Gehenna” (v. 22) echoes prophetic imagery of divine judgment (cf. Jer. 7:31–33), intensifying the moral seriousness of harboring hatred.
In doing so, Christ reawakens the natural law—that inner moral compass written by God into the human heart (cf. Rom. 2:14–15). The commandment “You shall not kill” is not merely a divine prohibition imposed from outside, but a reflection of the inner truth that all human life is sacred and that enmity toward others violates this innate order. Jesus makes visible the fullness of what natural law has always revealed: that life must be protected not only externally but inwardly, in the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Thus, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not introducing a new moral code, but calling humanity back to the law of love that has been present from the beginning—truths written into every human heart (Rom. 2:14-15). This moral law, often called the natural law, reflects the dignity of the human person and our shared understanding that life is sacred and that hatred and violence tear at the fabric of human relationships. Jesus’ teaching restores this dignity by inviting us to confront not only harmful actions, but also the hidden attitudes—like resentment, contempt, and anger—that can poison the soul and wound others.
St. John Chrysostom (ca. 349–407 AD) affirms this in his homilies on Matthew, noting that Christ calls not only for the cessation of physical violence but for the purging of enmity that has taken root in the soul—the interior center of thought, will, and desire. Likewise, the Didache, a first-century Christian manual of moral and liturgical instruction for new believers, echoes Jesus’ words: “Do not be prone to anger, for anger leads to murder” (Didache 3:2).
To make His point clear, Jesus presents two practical illustrations. If one brings an offering to the altar but remembers a grievance with a brother or sister, reconciliation must come first (v. 23–24). This highlights the primacy of interior harmony over ritual practice—a principle that has echoes in the prophets (cf. Isa. 1:11–17; Hos. 6:6) and anticipates the Christian emphasis on peace before Communion (cf. Matt. 5:9; 1 Cor. 11:27–29). Early Christian worship, particularly the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ, assumed unity among believers. Division was not just a social inconvenience; it was an open wound to the Body of Christ then, and it continues to be in our own time (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10–13; 12:25–27).
The second example (vv. 25–26) draws from civil courts and urges swift reconciliation before judgment. This parable-like warning anticipates the final judgment: unresolved hatred has eternal consequences. The phrase, “you will not be released until you have paid the last penny,” conveys the seriousness of unrepented serious sin and the just demands of divine mercy.
Jesus fulfills the Law by bringing it to its full purpose—not just by obeying it perfectly, but by revealing its deepest meaning and empowering us, through grace, to live it from the heart, not just in external actions. He heals the human heart and invites us into the perfect love that reflects the mercy of the Father.
Lord Jesus, You who see beyond outward actions and into the hidden places of the soul, purify our hearts of all anger and contempt. Teach us to walk in the path of mercy, to seek reconciliation, and to live in the dignity of Your law written upon our hearts. Amen.
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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