The Heidelberg Catechism (40) (Explained for Children)

This Lord’s Day deals with the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Question 105: What doth God require in the sixth commandment?

Answer: That neither in thoughts, nor words, nor gestures, much less in deeds, I dishonor, hate, wound, or kill my neighbor, by myself or by another; but that I lay aside all desire of revenge; also, that I hurt not myself, nor willfully expose myself to any danger. Wherefore also the magistrate is armed with the sword to prevent murder.

The Lord wants us to do no evil to others; these evils can be done in many different ways. There are people who kill or murder another person; Cain slew Abel. But someone can also strike a person and cause much pain. The man who was helped by the kind-hearted Samaritan was wounded and left half dead.

It is not only with our hands or with a weapon that we can do evil to another, however. Abusive language can also cause pain to others. How terrible it is if we tease, mock, or laugh at others, for this also causes pain. Those words are sometimes worse than a hard blow!

You can also do evil to others in thought, thinking to yourself, “I could kill him or her.” Then there is hatred in your heart. Perhaps the person is not aware of it, but the Lord sees and knows everything. It can be that someone has done wrong to you, and you think, “Just wait! I will get even with you!” Then there is revenge in your heart. This is also forbidden by the Lord.

Neither may we do harm to ourselves such as by use of drugs. In this way we do harm to our bodies, but we must take good care of our bodies. We may not willfully bring ourselves into danger. For example, you would do so in the wintertime if you walked out on thin ice even though you knew that it was dangerous, and the water was deep. Also in traffic we may not be reckless such as crossing a busy street without looking both ways. In these ways you expose yourself and others to danger.

Do you see that this commandment speaks about more than people who kill others? Murderers are punished by the judges in the courts, but the Lord also observes all these other sins.

Question 106: But this commandment seems only to speak of murder?

Answer: In forbidding murder, God teaches us that He abhors the causes thereof, such as envy, hatred, anger, and desire of revenge; and that He accounts all these as murder.

The Lord forbids more than killing. He observes whether there is hatred in our hearts against others or if we want to take revenge as mentioned in the previous question. Perhaps we are angry at someone because we are jealous of them. The other person may have more money or nicer things than we do. Then there is envy in our hearts. Oh, what evil things there can be in your heart, and the Lord says that if these things are in your heart, you are also a murderer.

We are just like a thorny bush. The thorns can deeply pierce your hands or legs. You do not see the root of the bush, for that is under the ground. However, the root is also at fault, for the root provides life to the bush, and the bush brings forth thorns. In like manner very many terrible sins are hidden in our hearts. Just as the thorns come forth from the root of the bush so also the evil sins come forth out of our hearts. The root of murder is envy, hatred, anger, and desire for revenge. We hope you understand these things.

Question 107: But is it enough that we do not kill any man in the manner mentioned above?

Answer: No, for when God forbids envy, hatred, and anger, He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves; to show patience, peace, meekness, mercy, and all kindness towards him, and prevent his hurt as much as in us lies; and that we do good, even to our enemies.

Thus we must not do those things which are spoken of in the two previous questions, but is that enough? No, it is not. God not only forbids those terrible sins, but He also commands much. He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We must be patient and gentle with others and not become angry, berate, or begin to strike out at them.

The Lord wants us to be merciful and to help others as much as possible. Indeed, we must do good even to our enemies. Think of the kind-hearted Samaritan and how good he was to his enemy. Think especially of the Lord Jesus; on the cross He prayed for His enemies.

You will well realize that all of us sin much and often against the sixth commandment, for our hearts are evil. In our hearts dwell envy, hatred, and the desire for revenge. We do what we may not do, and what we must do, we do not do. Indeed, we are really in need of a new heart.

Do you know what the Lord can and will do? He can and will save manslayers and murderers. He did this even when hanging upon the cross, and He still does so today.

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