Jesus said to his disciples:

20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.

23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny."

Matthew 5:20-26 - World English Bible

How do we truly evangelize? Don't actions speak louder than words? Jesus assumed the power of example over words in his interpretation of the Law. In his commentary over the Fifth Commandment, he equated murder with the desire to destroy another's reputation through insult. While we might think the terms "empty-headed" (a close translation of "raca") and "fool" sound mild, at the time of Jesus they insinuated "unwise" and "godless" ("The fool in his heart said, 'There is no God.'" from Psalm 53:1). Both Greeks and Jews considered wisdom and piety as the highest virtues; to claim an opponent was an empty-headed fool made him both unwise and an atheist, outside the bounds of ancient society. These were charges with heavy consequences.

So what happened if one sinned with ill-chosen words? Reconcile, then offer worship to God, for the sin was like a large debt to the one offended, money owed that could cost one's freedom in debtor's prison. Forgiveness could not only restore a relationship, it could also advance efforts to bring others to Christ.

We end with the first comment Jesus made, exceeding the moral standard of the day. We can only attract others to the Lord if our actions rise above what society thinks is morally acceptable, even admirable. For disciples in the early Church, that standard was the morality of the Pharisees. For us, that level might be different, but, to catch the eye of those around us, our behavior must stand out. We truly evangelize when our actions speak louder than our words.

How have your actions spoke louder than your words this week?