Among the “abominable things that the wicked man does,”* is murder. Everyone agrees that murder is wrong. You just can’t go around killing people.
But today Jesus raises the stakes. Not only is killing someone wrong, he tells us, but so is getting angry with them and calling them a fool (sometimes even with a colorful adjective preceding the word fool).
Then Jesus gives us an example. The man in today’s story has a fight with his brother and calls him a fool. And soon afterwards the man goes to Church and brings a gift to the Altar. (Since this is the Season for Partners in Charity, let's say he is bringing his pledge card to Church). But when the man gets to Church, his conscience gets the best of him and he remembers he has just insulted his brother.
So what does Jesus tell him to do? He tells him to leave his gift at the Altar, go home and be reconciled with his brother. Otherwise, the Lord tells us, he will go to hell.
So, maybe we should take a moment, we holy people who have come to Church, take a moment to remember everyone whom we have called a fool (or worse) and make sure we make peace with them today.
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Proverbs 29:27. By the way, I think this is the only time I have ever heard the adjective abominable used, except in reference to the "abominable snowman."
