‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) teaches about the height of Allah’s righteous standard for our lives in this story from the Holy Injil (al-kitab.org) beginning in Matthew 5:21. In this teaching he equates angry behaviour with murder and urges us to take initiative to pursue reconciliation with others.

Matthew 5:21-26

²¹[‘Isa said] “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ [Taurat, Exodus 20:13] and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ ²²But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a reason shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ [‘Raca’ is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for ’empty’ and conveying the idea of empty-headedness] shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Jahannam.”

²³“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the road; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be thrown into jail. ²⁶Most assuredly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.” [Literally, kodrantes. A kodrantes was a small copper coin worth about 2 lepta (widow’s mites)–not enough to buy very much of anything.]

Study the Story

Do you have a friend with you now?  If so, then tell each other this message in your own words and help each other remember the complete teaching.  If you are alone, then please take a moment to retell the message to yourself in your own words.  Also, think of a friend you can share this teaching with later on.

As you study this message, what does it teach you about ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh)?  (Think about this before reading more.)

Key Points

First, ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) raises our awareness of Allah’s righteous standard. We know that murder is wrong, but ‘Isa (pbuh) teaches us that holding anger in our hearts against another and condemning others with our words is the same as killing them. Who among us is innocent? Haven’t we all become angry at others for the wrong reasons? Haven’t we all spoken such murderous words to others? How does Allah view me when I am compared to his righteous standard?

Second, ‘Isa (pbuh) urges us to pursue reconciliation as a high priority. Even before completing an act of worship or a religious duty, we should pursue reconciliation. Notice that the burden to pursue reconciliation should always be on me. Clearly, if I am angry at my brother/sister, I should pursue reconciliation. In this teaching, ‘Isa (pbuh) goes further and says that if I realize a brother/sister has something against me (if he/she is the angry one), I should pursue reconciliation. ‘Isa (pbuh) doesn’t give us the opportunity to sit back and say, “My brother/sister is angry so they should take the first step to make things right.” No, the responsibility is always with me to pursue reconciliation.

Lastly, ‘Isa (pbuh) advises us to “agree with your adversary quickly” otherwise we may be handed over to the judge for punishment. Reconciliation often stalls out on questions of justice. We want the harms we have suffered to be paid for, but we have also harmed others (even murdered them according to Allah’s standard). If we are not ready to pay for our wrongs, then we should not demand that others pay for theirs. Instead, we should forgive others and be forgiven. We can choose if we want to live a lifestyle of demanding justice or a lifestyle of extending forgiveness. ‘Isa (pbuh) teaches us that forgiveness is the better path.

We should apply this teaching of ‘Isa (pbuh) to all of our relationships – family, friends, and strangers. We should even apply it to our relationship with Allah himself. If we know that he holds something against us, if we know that we have failed to live up to his expectations, then we should pursue reconciliation at all costs, and we should hope to enter into a relationship with him based on forgiveness rather than justice because we cannot afford to pay for our wrongs.

Dua

If you know you have fallen short of Allah’s righteous standard and need to be reconciled to a brother, sister, or Allah himself, say a dua like this:

Oh Allah, you are most merciful and compassionate. I confess that I have failed to live up to your standards. I have held onto anger without reason. I have condemned others. This is just like murdering them. Forgive me especially for the anger I have held against _____________. Help me to forgive them. Help me to be reconciled to them, and show me how I can be reconciled to you. I need your forgiveness.