Safeguard Life

 

The Big Idea: God wants us to nurture and protect all living things.  We have a role as protectors of life and caretakers of all creation.

 

Protecting Life

God gives the Fifth Commandment in order to protect life. Even though we have life through our parents, and they care for us, we don't spend all our time tucked away in the safety of home. We have to go out and about. We have to deal with people outside our families. The Fifth Commandment seeks to assure us of safety and security out in the world.

 

Who May Kill?

God, of course, is the true Lord of life and death. As the Fourth Commandment says, God is the one who uses our parents to bring us into this life. And God is also the one by whose choosing our last breath comes. God always retains his eternal lordship over us.

 

The Fifth Commandment is intended for us as individuals. Sin happens. Sometimes we want to get even with our enemies by hurting them or taking their lives. In times of anger,  all kinds of payback are too easy. But the damage is sometimes impossible to undo. So God speaks this Commandment to protect others from you and you from your enemies.

 

There are some good reasons God wants to stop the trouble before it gets out of hand: so that we can approach our problems with others with a cool head and a warm heart, so that we can see our neighbors' actions in the best light, and so that we can begin to see our neighbors as a gift and be of service to them in return.

 

How We Kill

It's pretty obvious from the words of the Fifth Commandment what kind of behavior God seeks to prevent. The Commandment demands that we refrain from hurting anyone physically. No injuring. No hitting. And certainly no killing.

 

But there are ways to hurt, maim, and kill other than injuring another person physically. When our anger, fear, or jealousy work on us and we can't injure someone physically, we sometimes look for new weapons. Instead of fists we'll try to manipulate them; instead of guns we'll shoot nasty words. So this Commandment also restrains us when we want to hurt others by killing their sense of security, pushing them into doubt about their own gifts, or bringing them into despair over whether our God of life truly cares for them.

 

Caring for Our Neighbor

God created us to be his working hands in the world. We were created to care for our neighbors, to help and support them. When we don't live out that care, we break the Fifth Commandment.

 

A vivid picture of taking care of our neighbor's needs comes in Matthew 25, where Jesus says, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). Christ calls us to care for our neighbors in all the ways that make life secure, enjoyable, and hopeful.

The hard part of caring for others is that it always means you have to give up something of yourself. If you feed your hungry neighbor, the food comes out of your own cupboard or the money comes out of your wallet. Taking care of the sick means giving up some of your own time and freedom. And visiting criminals could mean risking your own reputation.

 

No matter how hard it is to give up our own time and energy, goods and effort, Jesus promises that those who lose their life for his sake will find it. By saying, "You shall not kill," God wants to keep you from taking another person's life or well-being, and also wants to see you giving up your life for others.

 

 

Opening Prayer

 

My Faith Story

Share a story about a time that you were "killed" by another's words or actions, or about a time you "killed" another, and you knew it—maybe even did it on purpose. Did this person become "dead" to you, or did you continue to see and relate to them after the incident? In either case, what happened to your relationship as a result? What happened to you personally on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level? Did healing ever occur (in yourself, in the relationship)? How?

 

Cartoon Connection

 

The tables are turned here. The little animal safeguards the life of the large man because he is one of God's creatures.

 

• How do you safeguard life, and nurture and protect all of God's creatures—even people who are very different from you?
  

God's love for us can change our behavior toward others, even (perhaps especially) our enemies.

 

Open the Catechism

When a child is born or a sprout emerges from a dead-looking seed, science can describe what happens. But the who and the why of life are matters of faith. Life is an awesome gift from God. So when God says, do not take what I have given, we obey. We know what the "You shall not murder" in Exodus 20:13 means. But since we are created in God's image, we must do much more than "not murder."

 

Open the Catechism to the Fifth Commandment  read it with its meaning.

• What are the do's and don'ts  in "Do not murder": do "help and support" and don't "endanger or harm?" 
• Do the do's and don'ts surprise you?
• Why does God make us responsible for one another's lives?
• Look up Genesis 4:9 to find out how the first kid, Cain, saw THAT question!

Bible Connection: Who Is My Neighbor?

 

Turn to Matthew 5:17-48. Jesus describes his understanding of the law of the day as the people understood it. Throughout these verses he focuses on how people treat others—by what they do, think, see, hear, and say. In verse 48 he tells them to be perfect. Wow, Jesus is really ramping up the requirements here!

 

Jesus begins by likening murdering someone to anger and insult. Then he speaks of adultery—by action and by thought, of breaking vows, and of reacting to others who treat you poorly. Jesus expands the law. It's not just about actions someone can see but also about what you are thinking.

• What does all of this have to do with murder?
• How does Jesus advise us to handle situations of conflict?

 

These verses conclude with Jesus' command to love our enemies. One can look at the Commandments as God's attempt to be in charge of every detail. One can also see how the Commandments show God's love for all—humans who make mistakes and live in relationship with others who make mistakes.

• What does it means today to love your enemies.
  
• Is this more difficult in the early 21st century than it was at other times?
  
• How does the Fifth Commandment work in our daily lives?

 

Read Matthew 25:31-46.

• What are the people compared to in this parable?
• What is it that the sheep have done that the goats have not? Did either group realize that they were doing or failing to do God's will?
• What does this parable say about the nature of our relationship with God?

 

 

More Bible Connections

 

Open to Genesis 4:1-16, and  read aloud.

• What causes the conflict between the brothers?
• Is Cain's jealousy justified? What does Cain do?
• What are the consequences of Cain's actions?

Note that, though Cain is punished severely, God does not require "an eye for an eye" in vengeance. Even though in our understanding of fairness he may deserve it, Cain is not killed in retribution.

 

Turn to Luke 10:25-37, and  read. Sometimes asking Jesus questions is dangerous! The young man is trying to squirm out of obeying these two great commandments. Jesus responds with a parable that once again ramps up the stakes!

• How does this story relate to the separating of the sheep (who cared for others) and the goats (those who did not see or meet the needs of others) in Matthew 25:31-45?
• Who are the sheep and the goats here?
• What does this story teach us about neighborly love?

 

 

Living the Connection

 

Humans have an built-in connection to creation. We are not separate from it, and our actions often have accidental consequences. Human behavior affects the lives of our human and non-human neighbors in creation. Like puzzle pieces, the actions humans take affect those closest to them and those far away. The near  consequences can be seen, but often we don't see the consequences (what is killed) that are not close to us.

Closing Questions

• Why does God care so much about the neighbor?
• What about situations that come down to kill or be killed?
  
• What about situations of war, when helping to preserve the life of some neighbors may entail taking the lives of other neighbors?
  
• Are there ways to address such conflicts without resorting to violence?

 God tells us not to kill, but then in the wars to establish the land of Israel, God tells the people to kill all the non-Israelites.

• What's that about?

 

 

Closing Ritual

 

L: The earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it.

C: The world, and those who live in it.

 

L: Therefore, lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

C: with all humility and gentleness,

 

L: with patience, bearing with one another in love,

C: making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

ALL: By the grace of God! Amen

 

(Adapted from Psalm 24:1 and Ephesians 4:1b-3.)

 

Closing Blessing

L: May you move through this week assured of and filled with the love of the Lord, the love that cherishes you and all of the life that surrounds you. Amen