You shall not murder.
Briefly stated this means that we should fear and love God that we may
not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every
bodily need.
The preceding commandments deal with divine and paternal authority. Now
we learn how we should live with one another. While this commandment forbids
individuals to kill except in self-defense, it does not forbid God to kill.
Likewise, it does not forbid capital punishment, for God has assigned to
government a different role than that assigned to individuals. God instituted
government as an instrument of His wrath. The role of government is that of
divine avenger, and the authority that God has given to government rests upon
the authority given to parents. Men have a responsibility to defend themselves
and their families. Under certain circumstances, the Law of Moses required
parents to bring their own children to judgment and sentence them to
death. This authority is delegated to rulers who are to use it to condemn
and punish evildoers, while encouraging those who do what is right. Therefore,
this commandment forbids murder.
While the government only requires outward obedience to this commandment,
Christ made it clear that spiritually this commandment condemns those who
harbor hatred or anger in their hearts as well as those who try to hurt their
neighbor in any way, even with hateful words or gestures. (Matthew 5:21) While
it is proper for parents and government to express anger in their role as God's
representatives, this commandment condemns unrighteous anger. We are not to be
angry with our neighbor without cause.
God, knowing that the world is evil and that this life has much
unhappiness, instituted this commandment, as well as the others, to protect us
from evil. However, these commandments are often broken, and we must live among
those who would do us harm, in which case we would have just cause to be
hostile to them. Therefore, it is no contradiction that God forbids murder but
allows weapons and arms. On the contrary, to prevent murder God's commands us
to have weapons and arms. (Luke 22:36)
In this world envy is far too common. A neighbor who envies the fact that
you have a nicer house, a larger family, or greater possessions than he, may be
sulky or speak ill of you behind your back.
Thus by the devil's incitement, you may have enemies who cannot bear to
see you have any good, either bodily or spiritual. When we know of such people,
our hearts may rage and long to take vengeance. Then comes cursing and blows,
from which follow misery and possibly murder. Here God, like a kind father, is
one step ahead of us, making it clear that He wants us to settle the quarrel
before any misfortune comes of it. Therefore, by this commandment God endeavors
to keep the peace and protect us against the crimes and violence of others,
while protecting our neighbor so that we do him no harm.
This commandment not only forbids murder, but also forbids all evil
thoughts, emotions, words, and plotting that would lead to murder. For, if the
deed is evil the desire to commit it is likewise evil. Therefore, we are not to
be rude and hateful to those who have done us wrong, even if they fully deserve
it. If a crime has been committed, let the courts handle it. God does not want
us to harbor bitterness against our neighbor. Instead, we are to keep this
commandment before our eyes, using it as a mirror to show us our sin and bring
our heart into line while asking God for help to put evil thoughts out of our
mind. Do not let the sin of others lead you to sin. Instead learn to calm your
wrath, and have a patient, gentle heart; especially toward those who give you
cause to be angry, namely, your enemies.
To put it simply, we should not harm anyone, nor should we instigate
trouble or try to get others to harm him. We are not to plot evil or to assent
to any means by which others might bring harm to someone. Our heart should not
be ill disposed toward anyone, nor should we harbor anger and hatred or wish
him ill. This applies especially to those who wish you evil or inflict evil
upon you. It goes without saying that we are not to do evil to those who do us good, for to do evil to those who do you good is totally
Satanic.
While this commandment clearly condemns those who actively harm their
neighbor, it also condemns those who bring harm to their neighbor by refusing
to help him in his time of need. (If you refuse to help him when he is freezing
you cause him to freeze to death. If you refuse to help him when he is starving
you cause him to starve to death.) The same holds true if he is sentenced to
death and you know he is innocent but say nothing. If you could have helped
him, but do nothing, you have killed him. The fact that you did not actively do
him harm is meaningless, you withheld your love from
him and deprived him of the benefit whereby his life would have been saved.
When I speak of helping those in need I am not talking about the false
philanthropy of rulers, who would appear as benefactors at someone else's
expense, but rather of personal one on one compassion.
(Luke 22:25-26) The Word of God condemns those who refuse to help those who are
in distress or danger. On the last day Christ will say to such people, "I
was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and
you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you refused to take Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me not; sick and in prison and you did not visit
Me". (Matt.25, 42) In short, you would have allowed Me
(and Mine) to be killed by wild beasts; to die of hunger, thirst, and cold; or
to rot in prison without help. For although you have not actively done this,
you have nevertheless helped to that end.
Even unsaved people realize that it is wrong to refuse to help when we
are able to do so. If someone is drowning or has fallen into a pit and I am
able to pull them out but do nothing, the world would rightly regard me as a
murderer and a criminal.
While even the heathen do good to their friends,
God has called us to a higher standard. He does not want us to cause harm, or
allow harm to come, to any man. Instead we are to love our enemies, bless those
who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray
for those who exploit us and persecute us. (Matt. 5:44-46)
Through this commandment God directs and urges us to true righteousness
by leading us to show gentleness, patience, love, and kindness even to our
enemies. He would also have us remember at all times that He is our God, that He will help, assist, protect, and strengthen us
that we might overcome, and put out of our mind, any desire of revenge.
If we would practice and teach what the Bible says in regard to this
commandment, we would have more good works to do than we could handle. However,
the monks care nothing for such works since such works detract from their
unscriptural brand of piety. They might even condemn such works as a hindrance
to piety, for such works would require them to leave their cloister and go out
into the world. Why if everyone practiced Biblical righteousness the monks
would be no different than ordinary Christians,
and everyone would see how they presently delude the world with a false,
hypocritical show of holiness. They treat God's commandments as if they were
not real commandments, but mere counsels, and toss them to the wind as if they
were unnecessary. At the same time, they shamelessly boast of their
unscriptural piety as the most perfect life, in order that they might lead a
pleasant, easy life. They seclude themselves in cloisters, so that they might not
experience wrong from any one or show kindness to anyone. However, the
commandments of God provide the only true standard of righteousness and the
only truly good works. In comparison, obedience to all of the commandments of
men is but stench and filth in the eyes of God. All of the methods men have
devised for attaining holiness deserve only His wrath and damnation.
[The above is based upon, and
closely follows, Martin Luther's explanation of the fifth commandment.]