Thirteenth Day
Hate, anger, insulting words: what is their punishment? — Matt. v. 21, 22
AFTER this beautiful preparation, giving such a fine idea of Christian justice, Jesus Christ begins to regulate our duty to our neighbour, and He teaches us how far we must avoid injuring him.
St John says that ' whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer,’ [1] and Our Lord reputes him as such. He therefore says that it is not only by killing that we ' shall be in danger of the judgment,’ but also ' whosoever is angry with his brother ’; and that ' whosoever shall say Raca ’ — i.e., shall say an angry and contemptuous word — ' shall be in danger of the Council; but whosoever shall go so far as to say thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.’ [2]
Here these three degrees of injury must be
