SAYING TO A BROTHER, "RACA"
"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire," MAT 5:22. Raca is a scornful word which proceeds from pride as its source. Raca means "Thou empty fellow." The person who calls a brother, Raca, is well described in PRO 21:24, "Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath." Any person who has knowledge of the spiritual depravity of his own heart, will not be able to say, "Raca", to his brother. There is a righteous anger with a Godly motive, when it is contending for the truth, to bring repentance. The sin of calling a brother, Raca, goes much deeper; it comes from hateful emotions of the heart. Anger which breaks out into disdainful words, coming from a desire to harm the brother is never a just wrath. Calling a brother, Raca, shows a lack of self-knowledge. Jesus said in MAT 15:18-19, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." The Lord does not just look at the letter of the law from the outward appearance, but at the spirit of the law by what is in the heart. 1SA 16:7 says, "...the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." As we begin to understand the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, we begin to realize that our best, "righteousnesses are as filthy rags," ISA 64:6. ROM 8:2 says "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The law of the Spirit brings humility as it begins to reveal unto us the sinful motives of our heart: that hatred, selfishness, and the sinfulness of our harsh thoughts as well as words. As we begin to grow in grace, we grow smaller and smaller in ourselves, and cannot call any man empty. As we grow in grace we begin to understand the language of the apostle in ROM 12:10, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." The tongue reveals what is in the heart. JAM 3:8-9 says the tongue, "...is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity," 1TI 4:12. Where our heart is, our conversation shall be also. God turned, "the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked," 2PE 2:6-7. Jesus says that to say unto our brother, "Raca", is not only heart and tongue murder, but it is a damning sin. The Lord says to you who, "sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son...Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." We are to edify, and build up our brother and esteem him ahead of ourselves, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God," PSA 50:20-23. Amen. Though justly of wrongs we complain, The pride of the lofty endures. |