FOOLISH ONE!

QUESTION?

Jesus called people fools and yet he tells us not to call our brother a fool or were liable to judgment in hell. Is this a contradiction?

ANSWER!

 Jesus proclaimed that “whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:22 RSV). However, there are instances throughout Scripture where people are called fools. For example, David wrote, “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God…" (Psalm 14:1 RSV). Paul told the Galatians that they were foolish (Galatians 3:1). Jesus even said the Pharisees and scribes were fools in Matthew 23:17 & Luke 11:37-41.

So do the Lord’s words in Matthew 5:22 contradict these other passages where people are actually called fools? Lets go back to basics, when studying Sacred Scripture, one of the first principles to keep in mind is the context of the passage. With that in mind, lets consider the entire context of what Our Lord said while considering the other passages of Scripture which appear to be in contradiction to this one.

"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. 'But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire (Matthew 5:21–22, RSV).

In the OT. murderers were liable to judgment and even the death penalty. Our Lord referred to this generally understood fact amongst the Jews, that murderers will be judged. However, Our Lord went deeper into this issue and by saying that not just murderers, but anyone “every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.” Our Lord upped the ante by claiming that those who insult their brother or call their brother a fool would be held liable for those words.

Jesus did not just focus on an individual’s actions such as murder but also on the heart and attitude behind those actions (cf. Mark “out of the heart comes evil”). A heart full of anger toward someone can lead to insults, name calling, and even murder. In other words, murder is not the only symptom of a corrupted heart, which is the main point Jesus made.

Does this mean that calling people foolish is always wrong? Jesus emphasized the fact that not just murderers will be judged by saying that those who call people ‘fools’ will also be judged. He demonstrated that sin is an issue of the heart rather than just the actions.

If you were to study each biblical example where God calls someone a fool, you will find a righteous reason behind it. When Jesus called the Pharisees and scribes fools in Matthew 23:17 & Luke 11:37-41, He explained that they were honoring and exalting themselves instead of giving the glory to God. The Pharisees and scribes were ‘foolish’ and blind because they were “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it” (2 Tim 3:4-5 RSV).

Also, keep in mind that Jesus is the Judge and the Lawgiver with perfect knowledge, so He is able to do what humanity cannot do, He can judge anyone (cf. James 4:11–12) because He is sinless (cf. Hebrew 4:15) and He is God (cf. Titus 3:4-5). For the rest of us who are not divine, we must make sure to base our words by the standards of Sacred Scripture. If we have to judge others, we are called to “judge (someone’s behavior) with right judgment” (John 7:24) and not by their appearance (ibid). We are to avoid making “rash judgments” (CCC 2478) which means to morally discredit someone with insufficient evidence.

In Conclusion: Our Lords words in Matthew 5:21–22 serves as a reminder to all of us followers of Christ to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22 RSV), which includes issues which proceed “out of the heart of man” which is where are “all these evil things come from” (Mark 7:21-23). When we understand the words of Jesus in their full context, there is clearly no contradiction. When we take one verse of Scripture out of context, we make a pretext for a prooftext and “which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures” 2 Peter 3:16 (RSV).