The Sixth Commandment
We know the sixth commandment as you shall not kill. Some days, when we finally get home, we admit to ourselves, well, I did not kill anyone today. Life always throws difficult days our way. And we struggle through them. We must deal with irritable people. People who are rude and obnoxious. People who just want to make our lives miserable. Yes, they are out there. But we should not be too quick about patting ourselves on the back for not killing someone.
Jesus redefines the sixth commandment. He tells us that even if we are angry at someone, we should find a way to reconcile. I cannot imagine the anger or hatred involved to kill someone. But I have witnessed anger on various levels and thanked God that person did not have a gun with them. And how do you deal with someone’s anger? Should you give them a few minutes to calm down? A few hours? A few days? People can harbor anger for a long time. And another challenge, what if they do not want to reconcile with you. What do you do then?
Now if all this was not hard enough, the teaching today is for you to be aware of how others feel. And if you think someone is angry at you, you should go and reconcile with them. Maybe you are saying to yourself, how would I know if someone is angry at me? That comes from the commandment to love one another. To love your neighbor as yourself. If you think about this, it means really have a relationship with your neighbor. It means being sensitive to the needs of others. The only way this is going to happen is through prayer. You must first have that relationship with Jesus. Then work on the relationships with those of your family. How well do you know the needs of each member of your family? Are you reconciled?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen