Thou Shalt Not Kill: From Galilee to the Caribbean
The commandment “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) is not a relic of ancient law but a living word of God. It stands as a rebuke to every age that seeks to justify violence under the guise of necessity. The echoes of this commandment resound from the hill of Golgotha to the waters of the Caribbean.
Modern Echoes: The Venezuelan Boat Incident
Reports of U.S. forces attacking a Venezuelan vessel suspected of crimes outside American territory raise troubling questions. Suspicion is not proof, and deterrence is not justice. When lethal force is exercised against those who have not stood trial, the commandment is not merely bent—it is broken. The rationale offered is familiar: prevention, protection, expedience. But expedience is not righteousness, and prevention is not justice.
Ancient Parallels: The Killing of Christ
The Gospels recount how political and religious leaders conspired to kill Jesus. Pilate washed his hands, the Sanhedrin claimed necessity, and the crowd was stirred to demand blood. Each actor justified the act as expedient, lawful, or protective of the people. Yet Scripture unmasks it as murder—the killing of the innocent Son of God.
Even Jesus received a trial before his killing, albeit a sham one. The proceedings were rushed, the witnesses false, and the verdict predetermined. Still, the formality of a trial acknowledged that justice must at least be seen to be done. Today, governments sometimes bypass even that pretense, exercising lethal power without due process. Of course, Jesus’ death is not on the same level as the deaths of those aboard the Venezuelan boats. His righteousness was perfect, his innocence absolute, his sacrifice redemptive for the world. Yet the principle of justice remains: whether the victim is the sinless Son of God or suspected men at sea, the unlawful shedding of blood demands accountability.
Biblical Witness Against Unjust Killings
Scripture is filled with warnings against the shedding of innocent blood:
- Abel’s murder by Cain (Genesis 4:8–10) reveals how envy and suspicion can lead to fratricide. God confronts Cain with the chilling words: “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Innocent blood cannot be silenced; it testifies against injustice and calls down the judgment of God.
- Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) shows how rulers can manipulate law and witnesses to justify killing, all for expedience and gain. God condemns Ahab and Jezebel for their abuse of power.
- Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:54–60) demonstrates how religious leaders, enraged by truth, silenced the witness of Christ’s servant with stones. His prayer for forgiveness echoes Jesus’ own words on the cross.
- The prophets repeatedly denounce rulers who “shed innocent blood” (Jeremiah 22:17), warning that God’s judgment falls on nations that sanctify violence.
These stories remind us that unjust killings are not anomalies but recurring temptations for those in power.
The Christian Question
How can Christians condone such actions? To bless violence cloaked in legality is to forget the cross. To excuse killing in the name of suspicion is to betray the One who was condemned under suspicion. If we claim Christ crucified as our salvation, we cannot remain silent when modern killings occur in the name of national interest.
At what point does the authority of government become judge, jury, and executioner? Should we also be killing all the people selling drugs on the street corner and elsewhere on site? If suspicion alone is enough to justify death, then the line between justice and lawlessness has already been erased. The state that claims the right to kill without trial has ceased to be a servant of justice and has become an idol of power.
Theological Depth: Just War and State Violence
Christian tradition has wrestled with the tension between justice and violence. Augustine’s just war theory sought to limit violence by grounding it in moral necessity, not suspicion. Thomas Aquinas insisted that war must be declared by proper authority, fought for a just cause, and carried out with right intention. None of these criteria are met when suspicion alone authorizes killing.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who resisted the Nazi regime, warned that the state can become a “false god” when it claims ultimate authority over life and death. When Christians bless such authority, they betray the Lordship of Christ. The cross reminds us that governments can and do kill the innocent under the guise of necessity.
A Pastoral Closing
The commandment remains: Thou shalt not kill. The church must resist the temptation to baptize state violence as righteousness. Instead, we are called to bear witness to the Lamb who was slain, to defend the dignity of every life, and to remind rulers that suspicion is not justice, and expedience is not truth.
Christians must ask: do we follow the logic of Pilate, washing our hands while violence is done in our name? Or do we follow the logic of Stephen, who bore witness even unto death, praying for his killers? The blood of Abel, Naboth, Stephen, and Christ himself cries out against unjust killing. The church must answer with courage: No more.
A Closing Prayer
Lord of life and justice,
We grieve the innocent lives lost to violence and power abused.
We remember Abel, Naboth, Stephen, and all who have suffered unjustly.
We ask Your mercy upon the innocent whose blood cries out from the ground today.
Turn the hearts of rulers and authorities from suspicion to justice, from expedience to truth.
Teach Your church to stand boldly against the shedding of innocent blood.
Make us witnesses of Your peace, defenders of Your image in every life,
And servants of the Lamb who was slain, yet lives forevermore.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.