Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
These commandments are the ones I think of as the “Neighbor Commandments.” First, God orders His people to respect Him, then to respect and care for their parents, and themselves in the process, and now to care for those around them. Why? What’s the point?
One day, religious experts were questioning Jesus on this point. Luke tells the story as follows: Luke 10: 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Here the religious expert, this lawyer, is proud as he quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 (“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”) and Leviticus 19:18 (“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”) Surely, Jesus will be impressed that this man can rattle off these scriptures without drawing a breath. After all, Jesus’ question is one that boys in temple school study early on. Now the lawyer waits for Jesus’ approval and receives it.
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The lawyer preens just a little, for he has just proven to himself that he can handle this Galilean upstart. But he can’t let the matter go. 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Oh dear! By asking this question, this lawyer is really opening a can of worms. Does this man sincerely want an answer, or is he trying to corner Jesus, hoping that Jesus will not be able to respond appropriately? After all, in this society, there are all kinds of people-Romans, Jews of various descriptions, Greek and Arab traders, and travelers from places nobody has ever heard of. Those Jews who wish to remain clean ritualistically limit contact with such people as much as possible. As a religious expert, this man likely spends most of his days on the temple steps teaching and arguing minute points of religious law with other like-minded men. Unfortunately, this morning he has chosen to confront the wrong guy.
Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Luke doesn’t record the response of the religious expert to Jesus’ poignant story; however, it’s likely that he gathers his robes around him, adjusts his headdress so everything is correct, and quietly leaves while those at the rear of the crowd snicker at him behind their hands. Is Jesus describing a real event here? Quite likely. While Jerusalem is a city, gossip spreads swiftly, and juicy stories about prominent religious figures spread like wildfire. Perhaps Jesus is describing something that has actually happened. And what if this religious expert was one of those who passed the injured man by? The longer we consider such possibilities, the more fascinating the story of the kind Samaritan becomes. Now let’s examine those commandments.
Exodus 20:13 Murder: The Bible explicitly states that the shedding of innocent blood brings curses on a land. This concept is highlighted in several passages:
- Deuteronomy 19:10-13 warns against shedding innocent blood, indicating that such actions bring guilt upon the land: “lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land… and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you”.
- Jeremiah 26:15 emphasizes personal guilt and divine accountability for those who harm the innocent, stating that it brings innocent blood upon themselves.
- Proverbs 28:17 notes that shedding innocent blood always brings guilt, which demands justice, further reinforcing the idea that such actions have serious consequences.
These verses collectively illustrate the biblical perspective that the act of shedding innocent blood not only incurs guilt but also curses the land itself, calling for justice and accountability.
(AI Internet search)
How much guilt do murderers feel? Murderers’ feelings of guilt vary significantly based on several factors.
- Motivation and Circumstances: The reasons behind the murder play a crucial role. Some may feel intense remorse, especially if the act was impulsive or driven by emotional turmoil, while others may rationalize their actions or feel little to no guilt.
- Psychological Profile: Non-psychopathic offenders often exhibit measurable guilt responses, experiencing symptoms like PTSD and deep remorse. In contrast, psychopathic murderers typically show minimal emotional responses and may lack empathy.
- Neuroscience Insights: Research indicates that brain activity can influence feelings of guilt. Some individuals may kill without experiencing guilt due to neurological factors.
Overall, the emotional aftermath of murder is complex and varies widely among individuals, influenced by psychological, situational, and neurological factors.
But there are two ways to look at guilt. There are feelings of guilt after sinning, but there is also the guilt in God’s eyes that results from sinning. When Cain killed Abel, God confronted Cain. Genesis 4:10 “But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
Even if a murderer feels no remorse, the curses attached to such a heinous act will follow him anyway, depriving him of all peace. The longer a murderer goes on without repenting, the more vividly the act will play in his mind. Yes, such a person can become so hard-hearted that arguments appear to have no effect; however, God can still penetrate the stoniest heart.
What about thoughts of murder? What if you never actually commit a murder but you obsess about doing so? Jesus taught that even thinking about murder is wrong. Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”
Jesus doesn’t leave us any wiggle room. Even considering harming someone or cursing them brings guilt. What can we do about our guilt? Confess our sinful acts to God and beg His forgiveness. Then we will be free and then we will have peace.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have sinned by what we have said, what we have done, and even what we have thought. Please forgive us and help us so that we completely turn away from saying and thinking such things. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment