Thou Shalt Not Speak with Imprecision!

Did you know that Jesus instructs us to cultivate speaking and listening skills in the Sermon on the Mount? Okay, so he never explicitly says, “Thou shalt not speak with imprecision!” But he nevertheless teaches us that this must be the case, if we are to develop genuine friendships. The Sermon on the Mount is a discourse on friendship: friendship with God and friendship among men. The startling feature about this theme is the way in which Jesus approaches it. He begins by addressing the problem of hatred, which is the destructive force that undermines friendship, and name-calling. He states that “you have heard that it has been said long ago, ‘do not murder’ and whoever murders is subject to judgment, but I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of murder. Whoever calls his brother a fool is guilty before the Sanhedrin and whoever calls his brother a moron is in danger of the fire of Gehenna!” (Matt 5:21-22, my translation).

The principal here has two dimensions. Negatively – hatred is part of the prohibition of murder – this is a destructive force to friendship. In addition, abusive language is an extension of hatred and thereby a further violation of the prohibition to murder. This much is prominent and readily accessible in the text. Positively – love is the fulfillment of the law – this is the edifying force for friendship. Love between brothers is what constitutes true community. In addition, non-hostile negotiable language is a further extension or expression of love. Love – that is, an attitude of goodwill that seeks the benefit of one's neighbor – is a necessary condition of the heart that is fully expressed in the words we choose to use with our friends. Jesus affirms this principle when he addresses the problem of dealing with those who may be angry at you. He states, "Even when you are offering a gift on the altar and then and there remember that your brother has something against you, then go, leave your gift on the altar, and be reconciled to your brother," (Matt 5:23, my translation).

The verb "to be reconciled" means to come to terms with your brother. From this it can be inferred that reconciliation involves a skillful use of nonhostile, simple, and unambiguous language. Nonhostile – means that you are not using fighting words or name-calling. Simple – means that you're using ordinary language. Unambiguous – means that you must use language that is not attempting to hide, deceive, or subvert.

The Sermon on the Mount is a discourse on friendship. To be sure, all human friendship must first be grounded in friendship with God (Matt 5:8 – 10). This being established, this friendship extends into human to human relationships. Friendship between brothers is constituted with love (5:21). Love is expressed with a skillful use of language (Matt 5:22). This means that the fulfilling the law does not mean merely avoiding hatred among men but also speaking simply, peaceably, and unambiguously to men. In other words, do your friends a favor by cultivating your ability to speak clearly, truly, and peaceably.