“Respecting the Image” Dt. 5:17; Mt. 5:21-22; Rom. 12:10-21 6^th Command- thou shalt not kill.

      One of Kay’s and my favorite shows is NCIS- it ALWAYS has a dead body and a murder in it.  Then there is Bones- my daughter Sarah’s favorite show- always a dead body complete with an autopsy.  American TV has been fascinated with murder even in the black and white cowboy days.  We take what is supposed to be rare, shocking, and bring it right into our living rooms. To the point that murder is not as shocking as it used to be. 
    But also murder connects with us.  We have the capacity for fury, fear, great anger, envy, conceit, callousness, hate- which given the right provocation could make killers of us all.  G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown detective series explained his detection by saying “You see, it was I who killed all those people.” 
     There are seven Hebrew words for killing. The word used here refers to malicious and unlawful killing of another human being. The word here is relatively rare, for it is clear from its context it does not refer to the killing of animals for food, accidental killing, execution of murderers, or of defending ones’ family or warfare.  While this commandment may not directly refer to these things, it does imply something that makes each of those things pause for thought.  That is, it implies life is a sacred gift of God.  It is the most sacred treasure God has given us.  We are unique, with unique gifts and put here for a purpose.  That purpose is not to squander our lives, but to live the truly abundant life.  
    Why is human life precious?  Why is it wrong to abuse another human being?  Nicolas Berdiaev, Russian philosopher who died in exile in Paris said, “Where there is no God, there is no man.”  He meant that when we forget God, we come to think that man has no dignity in himself.  He has value only if he belongs to my nation, my race, my team, my group, my party, or my religion.  
     If we are just a computer number- a social security number- then we are valuable only when we serve the needs of the State.
Human life is one of the most sacred and precious gifts we have.  We honor God when we respect life and when we respect the image of God in others.  Terrorism, bombing, mugging, things that shorten human life with cruelty and violence are also implied in this command
     The killing of Jews by the Nazis and the dehumanization of slaves in the south show us where the devaluation of human life leads.   The killing of millions by the communists in Russia and China should give us great pause.  The bombing in Norway last week- is not the work of Christ, but the senseless work of an idealism gone bad.     
       But we believe every human being is a child of God- made in His image.  We do  believe that God loves everyone.  Calvin said that God represents himself to us in our fellow human beings, and in their persons demands what is due to himself. 
While none of us is likely to kill another, we live in an increasingly violent society- as I pointed out last week- we had a murder right down the road.  People need to see the value in a human being so much that even thinking of killing is not an option.  America is a leader among developed countries in the number of homicides per capita. 
      LIFE IS PRECIOUS- THEREFORE  DO NOT DESTROY YOUR LIFE-
There are different kinds of suicide- some are intentional, some are simply living carelessly and destructively.  Both kinds involve putting ourselves in God’s place.  Many live self-destructive- purposefully dangerous lives, and they might need to be more respectful of their lives.  Too many just live carelessly.  Last year 1/3 of the 30,000 traffic deaths in the United States were alcohol related.  Most were not thinking of being harmful toward themselves.  An additional 254,000 were injured because of drunk driving.  People have this image that you have to be high on drugs or alcohol to enjoy life.  But that just isn’t true.  I know some who are trapped by alcohol and it is taken away their joy and their drive to live a long and healthy life.  They don’t care if their life is shortened.  They are putting destructive behavior ahead of their life, and ahead of their God.  Take care of your life- it is a gift- the great gift to you from God. Too many of our own young people are living self-destructive lives. 
      LIFE IS PRECIOUS- DO NOT ABANDON YOUR LIFE-   Do not give up on your life, and do not stop living.  Live as long as you can.  Do not retreat out of fear.  Do not shutter yourself up because of the evil outside.  There are some that need to be afraid of carelessly living on the edge of destruction.  But there are others who retreat away from living at all and need to really live- courageously.  Both are not healthy.  One sign of getting out and living and wanting to live a healthy God-filled life is being in church- being out among people. Do not abandon your life out of fearlessness or fearfulness.  Rather the balance- is live your life with adventure and hope.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  That is a great motto for our time- and all time.  Do not let revenge consume you.  The taking of life by destruction or squandering the opportunities- tell us a lot about what we think of God.  These commands were given as part of a covenant with God, remember.  They were given so we would think rightly about God and our own lives. 
     LIFE IS PRECIOUS- DO NOT LET ANGER CONTROL YOUR LIFE- Jesus added to this command- focusing on the root motive of murder. It is possible that anger and rage within can turn even a good person bad.  In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus went deeper than the exterior of this command.  He went to the root of the problem.  The root of murder is anger.  We live in an angry society, and if anger consumers us, it will be hard to fight.  There are tons of angry comments- unbridled on the internet.  What is going on now with the debt ceiling debate is a whole lot of people are getting angry over something they cannot change.  I hear things like, “I have a right to be angry at those dirty politicians taking my hard earned money!” Okay- but how does that help.  You are really letting their ineptness do more harm.  
     Leonard Holt was a paragon of respectability. He was a middle-aged, hard-working lab technician who had worked at the same Pennsylvania paper mill for nineteen years. Having been a Boy Scout leader, an affectionate father, a member of the local fire brigade, and a regular church attender, he was admired as a model in his community - until that image exploded in a well-planned hour of bloodshed one brisk October morning. A proficient marksman, Leonard Holt stuffed two pistols in his coat pockets and drove to the mill. He stalked slowly into his shop and began shooting with calculated frenzy. He filled several co-workers with two or three bullets apiece, firing more than thirty shots, killing some men he had known for more than fifteen years. It appeared that he became consumed with bitterness and anger toward being passed over for promotions.
     Richard Walters is a psychiatrist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He writes: "People will be murdered today because of someone's anger. Others will die from physical ailments resulting from or aggravated by their angry feelings. Many people die in anger related auto accidents. While others carry out the angriest act of all, suicide. Countless relationships die little by little as resentment gnaws away at the foundations of love and trust. Anger is a devastating force, and its consequences should sicken us." This psychiatrist closes with these words: "Anger related destruction of the human life and spirit is the incredible national disaster. It's a personal tragedy in the lives of millions." [From PCExec.com]
     THE POSITIVE SIDE- There is grace.  Jesus said for those murdering him- “Father forgive them.” Part of the positive side of this command is to seek to live the abundant, adventurous life.  But there is another side that the Reformers talked about.  That is we are called to defend life- to protect the life of others.  When someone is going out to far into the ocean- call them back.  When someone is becoming too isolated, take them out.  When someone is becoming too angry, be a listening ear and soothe them.  But we are also called to protect life.  We do that when we make life better and healthier when we patch a hole in a roof at GOoDWorks, or buy an air conditioner or fan in this terrible heat; or provide food for kids- and food needs are especially great in our area- everybody bring a can of food next week.  It helps- it helps a lot.  Thornwell, kids in Uganda and Kenya.
     The opposite of murder is not indifference or “live and let live.”  Rather it is, love.  Life and true- God oriented love go together.  They change the world and make it a better place.  In Korea there is a true story of a pastor whose only son was shot by the invading communists just to do him harm. Instead of taking revenge however, the pastor pardoned man and sought for a way to help the man who shot his son.  He adopted him as his own son- and the man became a believer and a minister.  The story still echoes in Soon Chuun.  It should echo here as well.  Do not let anger, revenge, destructive behavior or murder consume you.  Rather overcome evil with good.