Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:22b, 23-24
The word “Raca” is a Greek word that is really hard to translate, but it basically means “empty, good for nothing.” So to translate this, ‘you good for nothing’ means this person really has nothing to offer. In other words, they are stupid.
But my Mama taught me taught me not to call people stupid, so what I’ve been guilty of through the years is just calling someone an ‘air head.’ (You know, those people with a wind tunnel between their ears!)
Well, Jesus said, “That’s a sin to call someone a good for nothing. And not only that, it’s a sin equal with murder to belittle your fellow man like that.” And if that’s not tough enough, He goes on to say, “And whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
The Greek word for fool is the word “moros,” which we get our word “moron.” So you begin to get an understanding of the gravity of what Jesus is talking about when we have such an attitude of arrogance and pride that we can call someone a moron and show little respect for that person. Is this hitting home for anyone? It surely does for me!
So, what can we do to fix this? It’s actually pretty simple.
Stop It! Go get it right. In other words, make a commitment. If there is somebody at the office that you’re hoping to avoid this week because of how you have interacted with him or her, or of your contemptuous attitude towards them - first, confess it to God; then seek to ask God for help to go and get that right with them, if they are aware of your feelings.
Whether it’s your spouse, child, a sibling or friend. Whatever it may be, Jesus tells us to take action immediately. So, ask God for the strength and the courage to go and seek to get things right. You won’t believe the freedom you’ll feel in making things right. If you don’t, you’re “good for nothing.” (Just kidding! )
