Growing up in the 60s it was natural to be told, “I’m gonna kill ya!” We knew no one meant it. “Remind me to kill you later” was also used a lot. During my last year in NY as a teacher I took a portrait shot with a best friend-a female worker. She said to me, “Sam, if your wife kills me, I’m gonna strangle you!”
Today we live in an age where people’s lives are often dictated by others’ comments. If someone does something one doesn’t like, others put them down. They go on a rage wanting people killed, etc. Read comments on some news and if someone lost a loved one, the comments go from what the democrats and republicans are doing, to migrants picking bananas in Costa Rica, and why they should all be annihilated. Completely lost.
I have a true story (but packed away) from my daughter where something like this took place: A professor asked his students to express their feelings of anger and rage towards a person who wronged them by throwing darts at a picture he had put up. After they all finished and were satisfied with their expressions, he removed the picture to reveal an image of Jesus behind the first picture. Everyone grew silent. He then said Jesus’ words, “Inasmuch as you have done this to the least of these, you have also done to Me” (Matthew 25:40).
See, we picture killers as ruthless, tattooed, bald, missing every other tooth, and reeking of garlic smell (applies to men too)! And those people might indeed exist-why there’s one…but you have probably never seen one. Nevertheless, Jesus said, “Everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca! Shall be in danger of the council” (Matthew 5:22). The word Raca means worthless, empty-headed, a brainless idiot, foolish, witless.
Jesus also said, “Anyone who hates a brother or a sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him” (1 John 3:15).
So, you might not have killed anyone, but if you hate someone, you’re on the same level as a murderer-and have no chance of entering heaven. Meaning what exactly? Jesus equates hate with murder. He is love (1 John 4:16). When we hate, we’re “murdering” His creation-even if the person is evil, God knows there’s a chance he can be saved because Christ died for them. So, when you look in the mirror, you’re coming face-to-face with a killer.
And hate, is gonna kill ya; not figurative, but literally. Replace it with love. How? Ask Jesus into your heart. He’ll change you from the inside out.
God Bless,
Sam
Finding Laughter In Difficult Times
My life experiences in the good times and in very difficult times will hopefully inspire, encourage, and motivate others to take time to laugh, reflect, and seek God when difficulties in life arise.