Don’t Kill the Messenger
It is perhaps the thought of many that the phrase which makes up the title of this article is a somewhat modern saying. True, William Shakespeare utilized a form of the phrase in “Henry IV, part 2” in 1598, and employed yet a different rendition of it in “Antony and Cleopatra” in 1607. In the latter, he directed that a messenger report that Antony is alive and well, but married to Octavia. This enrages Cleopatra, and she goes into a fury, beating the messenger, drawing a knife on him, and telling him, "If thou say so, villain, / Thou kill'st thy mistress". To this, the messenger defends himself, saying, "Gracious madam, I that do bring the news made not the match," pleading not to be punished for the bad news. In essence this is the same as saying, Don’t kill the messenger.
But this phrase, or something similar has much earlier origin. Perhaps it was uttered before this, but the earliest record of this idea is found in the work of Sophocles, the ancient Greek playwright. In his 440 B.C. play named “Antigone”, "No one loves the messenger who brings bad news" is expressed. Following this, Plutarch the Philosopher, in perhaps his greatest work which he named “Parallel Lives”, describes the Persian King Tigranes, who cut off the head of the first messenger to bring news of an enemy's approach, thus discouraging further intelligence. This work is dated around A.D. 100. This shows that the idea has been around a long time. The killing of the messenger does not change the message, nor does it change the facts.
Now, no one wants to receive bad news. At the same time, very few are willing to be the “bearer of bad news”. Perhaps there is fear that the receiver of the bad news might take out their wrath on the deliverer of the bad news. This is often the reason some preachers might not “lay out” the negative in God’s Word when given the opportunity. Everyone wants to receive the good news that makes them happy. All want to hear things that indicate that their lives are good here, and therefore when the time comes for souls to be judged, all will be well and that their souls will “rest” for eternity.
However, this is not how God operates. God, in His Holy Word, expresses both the good and the bad. He gives man the full picture. When providing the example from men of old, the Spirit had God’s penmen write, not only of the righteous actions of these men, but some of the evil they did as well. This shows the frailty of man as well as the fairness of God. In showing both sides, God also has clearly indicated that when man does as God directs, a great reward awaits. But God has also duly warned of the punishment that awaits all who reject Him and His Word. This is what constitutes choice.
How did God accomplish this? He used messengers. We know this as the latter part of 2Pet 1:21, in the context of a “more sure word of prophecy”, we read, “but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” It was not the “words of the prophets” that was delivered, but that of God as these ‘holy men of God’ spoke or wrote as they were directed by the Spirit. This occurred in both the Old and New Testaments. Perhaps one of the most well-known O.T. messengers in the latter part of the O.T. is John the baptizer. We see the Lord Himself, in Matt 11:10, speaking of John saying, For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Did all receive his message well? No! Many of the Jews rejected him and his message of the Christ. When John spoke the truth in Mark 6:18, and told Herod, “It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife”, Herodius, (the wife) set about to kill the messenger.
Sadly, many of God’s own people don’t want the “whole truth”. They want a gentle, kind message of love, one that doesn’t call attention to sin and the need to address that sin as God directs in His Word. In Isa 30:9-10 some of God’s children, through God’s messenger were told, “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:”. In the sermon of Stephen in Acts 7:52-53, the Spirit had Stephen proclaim, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”. What did they do? You know it! They “killed the messenger”.
We are warned by Jesus in Matt 10:28 to “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:”. Earlier in the O.T., in Ezek 3:17-21, this messenger was made a watchman. His blood would be required for all the souls he neglected to warn. The same thing is true in the N.T. We have the Spirit guided Words of Paul in 1Cor 9:16b - yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! The O.T. prophets, Paul, the other apostles, nor any preacher of the gospel should let the fear of one “killing the messenger” prevent them from proclaiming the “whole truth” of God.
In 2Tim 4:2, the Spirit had Paul write and tell this young preacher, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” There is no doubt in my mind that Timothy faced persecution, even perhaps of the threat of one “killing the messenger”. This didn’t stop him and it shouldn’t stop us. Tell all who will hear that God has a reward for the obedient and faithful, but also has punishment for the disobedient and evil. You who hear, don’t kill (or ignore) the messenger, but follow God and His Word in faithful obedience.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
