Did you know that anger, insults, and contempt are on the same level as murder before God? Stay with me for a moment… because this might change the way you see your own heart.
There are teachings of Jesus you hear… and they stay with you for days.
This is one of them.
In the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5:21–24), Jesus takes something extreme—murder—and connects it not only to anger… but also to insults and contempt.
And honestly… that disarms us.
Jesus is not exaggerating. He’s revealing something most people don’t want to accept: what destroys a life doesn’t start with an action… it starts in the heart and is expressed through words.
Murder doesn’t appear out of nowhere. Before it, there was anger. Pride. Contempt. Words that kept growing… until something broke.
In other words, murder is often the final result of a process that begins with anger, is expressed through insults, and deepens into contempt.
That’s why Jesus doesn’t wait until the damage becomes visible. He goes to the root… and also to what comes out of us.
And He says: be careful with what you feel… but also with what you say… and how you treat your brother.
Because you may not kill… but you can still hurt with your words, show contempt with your attitude, or treat someone as if they have no value… and little by little, diminish a person’s worth.
Jesus lays it out clearly in a sequence: the anger you hold inside, the insult you speak, and the contempt that shapes how you see others. These are not separate issues… it’s the same problem growing within you.
And then comes something even stronger, if you really think about it.
Jesus connects all of this to worship.
He says: if you are in church, praying, giving an offering, serving, or even teaching the Word… and you remember that there’s an issue with someone… stop.
Don’t continue.
Go first and be reconciled.
That completely breaks our logic.
Because we might think: “first God, then people.” But Jesus is saying: you cannot separate one from the other.
Your relationship with God is reflected in how you speak, how you treat others… how you value them.
And it’s not about who was right. It’s about obedience.
It’s about having the humility to take the first step… even when it’s hard.
Because unresolved anger, careless words, and hidden contempt don’t stay still. They build up. They harden the heart. They create distance… and eventually leave wounds that are hard to heal.
Let me leave you with this reflection…
Maybe you haven’t done anything “big”… but there are small things that have been piling up. A word that hurt. A moment of contempt. An attitude you haven’t let go of.
And today, Jesus is not accusing you… He’s showing you the way.
Before moving forward… make things right.
Before pretending peace… pursue peace.
Because in the end, it’s not just about avoiding harm… it’s about living with a clean heart before God and a mouth that does not tear others down.
We are Christians, connecting hearts with Christ.
