Do Not Murder

Bruce Banner and his alter ego, the Incredible Hulk, are the personification of “losing it.” Bruce is a normal person until he gets angry. Then, a super serum inside him takes control and turns him into the rage-filled, destructive Hulk. We don’t turn into big, green monsters when we “lose it,” but Bruce’s struggle mirrors our reality closely. It’s also what makes the Sixth Commandment, “you shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), so interesting.

Murder has a specific meaning in our legal codes and in the Biblical passages they came from. It excludes things like capital punishment, warfare, self-defence (Exodus 22:2-3), and genuine accidents. Killing is always a tragedy, but in some terrible cases, it must happen. Whether or not it’s murder depends on the killer’s heart. If they kill someone intentionally, illegally, and motivated by emotions like anger, contempt, jealousy, or bitterness, then it’s murder.

But following this commandment isn’t as simple as avoiding killing people—it’s about purging the sources of murder from your heart. These are usually emotions and conditions like anger, contempt, and bitterness. Feeling them isn’t a sin, but letting them grow within you is like encouraging the Hulk to take over and destroy things. It’s super dangerous for us and those around us. That’s why Jesus says harbouring these emotions is as bad as committing murder, even if we don’t actually kill anyone (Matthew 5:21-26).

So don’t just avoid killing people—rip murder out of your heart by the roots. Jesus paid for our sins on the cross to give us a chance to change before suffering God’s judgment. So don’t waste any time. If you have a problem with someone, go to them and solve it before someone “loses it.”

Watch the full sermon here.