Hateful: #3 – Murder, in the Classroom, with the Mouth

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV

It’s hard to imagine God hating anything. Yet, Solomon gives us: God’s Top 7 Hate List.

Number Three: “hands that shed innocent blood.” What we’re talking about here is murder. Though the police deal with far too many murders each year, even more go unreported. I’m talking about murder by mouth and it occurs every day. Check out Matthew 5: 21-22 (The Message). Jesus fleshes out an explanation of one of the ten commandments:

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.”

Based on this passage, I stand guilty. Put-downs and insults fill school hallways and playgrounds, but adult circles are no better. Soccer moms dish out gossip with the orange slices and Gatorade. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4: 29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

If Mom ever told you “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” she’s helping you with some serious crime prevention. So, get a Clue, Murder, with the Mouth, Anywhere, is deadly.

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