The Sweet Doctrine of Jesus Christ

This is indeed true, beloved, because murder does not emerge out of thin air. It begins as the seed of anger that is nourished in the heart until the fruit of murder is borne in one’s actions. After the seed is sown, it germinates and grows. It brings forth leaves and branches. It shoots up and grows tall. And when it is fully mature, it bears the fruit of murder in that one’s actions. As the tree of anger grows in him, he will begin to call his brother “raca.” As it grows further in him, he will call his brother “thou fool.” And when it is fully mature and bears fruit, he will commit the physical act of murder. So then a man becomes a murderer in his heart long before he commits the act with his hands. He is not accounted to be a murderer because he committed the act of killing; rather, he committed the act of killing because he first became a murderer. This is the truth of the nature of sin as is written in the scriptures: “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). This is the same truth, beloved, that we see in nature. For we see that it is not when a tree produces an orange fruit that it becomes an orange tree; rather, it produces an orange fruit because it was first an orange tree. Though the fruit of any tree is one of the most helpful features for determining its nature, we nevertheless do not need to wait for fruits to be borne before we can discern what tree it is. By observing the leaves and branches, we can tell it is an orange tree long before it bears the orange fruit. This is exactly how God sees man, who, if we are to remember, does not see as men see. Men look on the outward appearance, but God looks in the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Indeed, the spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord with which he searches the inward parts of the belly (Proverbs 20:27). God therefore does not need to wait for a man to bear the fruit of murder in his actions before he can recognize him as a murderer. By observing the person’s leaves and branches, and indeed the seed that was sown within him, he is able to determine that he is a murderer long before he commits the physical act. And so we see that all temper-related sins of anger, wrath, strife, rage, and hatred are seen as murder in the eyes of God. They are all branches and fruits of the same tree. They are all borne from the same DNA encoded in the same seed. They are one and the same in the sight of God. Seeing therefore that murder is borne from anger, Jesus tells us that if we bring a gift to the altar and remember that our brother has ought against us, we should leave our gifts before the altar to go reconcile with him before we offer our gift unto God (Matthew 5:23–24). Note that Jesus did not say that we should seek reconciliation if we have aught against our brother but rather if our brother has aught against us. So then, even if we are not angry with our brother, but he is with us, we should place the seeking of peace with him as a priority over the offering of our sacrifices to God. We are to have a peacekeeping heart regardless of who is at fault if we are to avoid becoming murderers in the sight of God. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. (Matthew 5:25–26) So then, the cure for an evil heart of murder is a heart of peace between brothers. It is a heart that seeks harmony with others. This is the heart that tries its best to live peaceably with all men. This is the heart that avoids all strife and discord. We are told in the book of Hebrews that we should follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Paul also tells us that if it is possible, as much as it lies within us, we should live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). Peter tells us that if we want to have a good life and see good days, then we should refrain our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking guile. We should eschew evil and do good, and seek peace and ensure it (1 Peter 3:9–10). Now, beloved, when we talk of peacekeeping, we are not talking of seeking peace the way moral people or those of other religions do. Instead, we are talking of seeking peace one with another because we desire the peace of God. We desire peace with the brethren, not for peace’s own sake, but because we desire the peace of God. We pursue peace with all men, regardless of whatever might have transpired between us, because we, who are laden with iniquities, desire peace and reconciliation with God. Our seeking of peace with the brethren is therefore a prayer to God for his peace. Our reconciliation with the brethren is a prayer to God for his reconciliation. Our harmony with the brethren is a prayer for the harmony of God.