Fifth Commandment #jesus #lutheran #10commandments #bible

You are not to kill.

In the fourth commandment, God set a framework for the relationships we have in our home with our family. Now, the fifth commandment extends that framework -- moving us out of our house and into our neighborhood.

The fifth commandment is short and sweet. But, as Martin Luther knew, these simple words mean much more than what appears on the surface.

While killing is the main concern in this commandment, the root of the problem is far more complex. What leads to killing is a whole host of other sins. Wishing we had what someone else has, being frustrated with our place in life, or being angry at being treated wrongly are negative and harmful feelings that make us want to undermine our neighbor’s well being and life.

It isn’t uncommon for people to hear the Fifth Commandment and think they haven’t broken it. But as Jesus says in Matthew 5, this command is a lot deeper than you might think: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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.”

Luther summarizes it this simply: we can murder with hand, heart or word.

There are two sides of this commandment. God sets a limit and He gives us ways to help our neighbors.

So you might be asking, “Who is my neighbor, and how do I know how to help them?” Simply put, your neighbor is the people you interact with on a daily basis: family, friends, co-workers, people you see in the grocery store. And this doesn’t even begin to talk about the neighbors you don’t even know who live in other states, or other countries - they all have needs, too.

Such demands from God can feel overwhelming. “Does God really expect me to help the whole world?!” The question actually exposes the heart of our problem. Worrying about our ability to help others, and what we “should” do, reveals we are not trusting God to give us all we need. When we trust God we are freed to give to others who need our help. Remember the promise of the First Commandment: I am the Lord your God. You have a God who helps, comforts, protects, and provides for you all that you need. This is most certainly true.

[RyanDrevlow]

Wow, 5th commandment and no talk about abortion or euthanasia? Pretty weak explanation. Like what you guys do but you missed the boat on this one.