Treasure Life

"You shall not murder."

Exodus 20:12

My heart melted as I peered into the doughy eyes of the pleading puppy.  This feeling of compassion swelling up within me grew as the mournful music played at my heart strings.  When I thought I couldn't take any more, a pathetic-looking cat flashed on the screen followed by a scene of man's best friend suffering from the injuries inflicted at the hand of his cruel master. That's all it took; I was ready to contribute to any organization that could help these poor creatures.

While I love animals and would do anything to protect them, they are not as valuable as humans.  When God created the heavens and the earths, his formation of man was different from every other creature.  Instead of simply speaking one more of countless lifeforms into existence, "God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)  By the imprint of His own image upon us, human life was thus deemed more precious than all other life.

Flashing forward to the time of Noah, conditions had deteriorated so greatly in this world that God had created that was now tarnished by sin that He decided to wipe the slate clean and start over with this righteous man's family.  After the flood had receded and the family emerged from the ark, God once again gave man dominion over all living things, adding that, "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind."  (Genesis 9:6)

Even though I would probably never take the life of another human being (although anything is possible for me as a sinner), there are ways I show my disdain for others, devaluing the life made precious by God's image.  When I diminish the life of God's image bearers in unforeseen ways, I am breaking the sixth commandment.

Hatred

The hatred spewing from her lips left a palpable feeling of oppression in the room.  The woman was sharing her frustrations in living with her husband but it soon elevated to the level of disrespect and anger.  Before I knew it, I had one furious woman on my hands!

While it is expected to feel aggravation and disappointment with those I love the most or even others I come into contact with on a regular basis, I must be careful to hate the sin but not the sinner.  It is all too easy for this abhorrence I feel for another's actions to spill over to the person himself.  Then I find myself treading on thin ice as I think of ways to try to punish them or take them down a notch or two.

When I see a sister continue in her sin pattern, hurting her family and destroying her health, it is all too easy to become angry.  Instead of writing her off as a hopeless situation, I would honor God's image bearer by bearing her burden with her in love and never ceasing to lift her up in prayer.  (Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16)

Whereas it is easy for me to become angry at those who work against me, dishing out the same kind of abuse they generously heap onto my already over-burdened shoulders, it is the desire of God that I bless them instead. (Romans 12:14,20)

Although it is natural to turn to anger when a trusted friend betrays me, I would better honor God by showing the same mercy to His image bearer that He so generously bestows upon me. (Hosea 6:6)

I break the sixth commandment to not murder when I harbor hate against God's image bearers.

Unforgiveness

Each day she drank a little sip of the clear liquid.  It burned the first few times she ingested it, but after awhile, she grew used to it's vile flavor.  Soon, she was able to take a bit more until she got to the point where her whole system was contaminated and she was close to death.  Still, no one seemed to notice her plight.  The dying woman had been drinking poison, hoping she would inflict such guilt upon the one who had hurt her so deeply that he would eventually die.  Unfortunately, her plan backfired and she was the one who suffered a lonely death.

This is a picture of what unforgiveness does to a person.  When I hold onto the hurt I've experienced, nursing a grudge against my offender, I am failing to cover their sin with the blood of Jesus in the same way mine has so generously been covered.

To illustrate the gravity of this common human practice, Jesus told the story of a servant who owed a large amount of money to his master.  When the poor man begged his creditor for mercy, the kind and compassionate master took pity upon him, cancelled his debt and let him go.

Almost immediately upon his release, this newly pardoned debtor ran into a man who owed him a paltry amount.  Instead of extending the same mercy he had just been shown, the servant grabbed the one who would not pay with the intent of choking him, demanding his payment in full.  The servant then heartlessly threw the man into prison until he could pay the debt.

The master found his servant, saying to him, "You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" (Matthew 18:32-33)  Then he had the merciless servant handed over to jailers who tortured him until he should pay back all he owed. (Paraphrased from Matthew 18:21-35)

Jesus went on to say that this is how God will treat me if I refuse to forgive a brother or sister from my heart.  It is important that I constantly remind myself of the depth of my own sin and the greatness of God's mercy and forgiveness toward me.  Then, when a bearer of God's image hurts me or breaks my heart or betrays a trust, I can extend the same forgiveness so freely given to me.

I break the sixth commandment to not murder when I refuse to forgive an image bearer in the way that I've been forgiven.

Judgmentalism

He sat in the seat of honor at the front of the church.  His chin was held high and his eyes averted the stare of his parishioners.  Those in the pews dared not speak out against him or they would be removed from the fellowship.  There was no doubt he ruled with an iron fist.

Even though this preacher portrayed himself as a holy man, most people knew the truth.  They heard the stories of his sexual exploits and some knew firsthand of his greed.  While he wanted everyone to revere him and place him on the same pedestal he positioned himself, his hypocrisy betrayed his blackened and self-seeking heart.

In the same way the Pharisees of Jesus' time placed a heavy burden of an impossibly high standard upon the shoulders of their people yet failed miserably to reach this expectation themselves, so it is common to find this same phenomena today.  When I forget that I am a sinner saved by grace and instead begin to focus on my ability to follow the law as a way to attain righteousness, I am at risk of placing myself in the position of judge.

As a fellow image-bearer, I am neither qualified nor able to tell whether or not my brother or sister is doing right.  To be quite honest, I can never be good enough to please God on my own.  Without the blood of Jesus covering my sins, I am completely devoid of anything good. (Romans 7:18) Instead of holding others to a higher standard than I am able to reach, then, it would be more realistic and God-honoring for me to come alongside those who are sinners just like me, encouraging them with the truth of the Gospel of grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I break the sixth commandment to not murder when I put myself in the position of God by hypocritically condemning another image bearer.

As the part of creation who are made in God's image, every human is infinitely valuable.  Therefore, the commandment to not murder means more than just refraining from killing.  The meaning spills over into my heart, leading me to turn from hatred, see the importance of forgiveness and guarding against the development of a judgmental attitude.  In these ways I am honoring God's image bearers.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can revere God by respecting all human life.

How do I devalue life in my attitudes?

When am I betraying my lack of respect for God in my refusal to forgive?