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 5:22
How we speak to one another matters. Calling someone a fool, whether in anger or disgust, reveals more about us than them. It unveils the state of our own heart, displaying a lack of grace for our fellow man who is made by God in His image. This is in line with the teachings of Jesus later in the chapter of equating lust with adultery and anger with murder. Our actions eventually reveal the state of our heart and God is immensely concerned about our heart.
Every person is a precious creation of God and, regardless of their faults and failures, Jesus died for each of us. A harsh insult shows not only our callous disregard for the person, but our pride as well. We think we know their circumstances – and we put ourselves in the place of God by passing judgment. This is someone that God loves, in fact, has died for.
The next time my frustration boils over and I’m tempted to refer to someone in a way that mars their dignity – to say raca, idiot, fool or anything else, it’s time to pause. I aim to guard my tongue so as not to hurt the person or damage them in the eyes of others. But more than holding my tongue, I pray the Spirit works in me to change my heart, so that the thought never enters my mind in the first place.
