According to Matthew 5:21-24, which points to the fact that murder is a sin, the principle of non-maleficence makes the basis of His teaching. Jesus inspired people to accept each other and live in peace. The extract in question makes it clear that any form of violence, be it aimed at a human being or any other creature, is against everything that Christianity stands for: You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.
Consequently, any act of harm, let alone murder, is viewed as unnatural and is, therefore, to be avoided at all costs. Moreover, the above-mentioned principle heralds the need to judge the murderer; it is implied that only God can judge people based on their sins. In other words, the specified passage displays the need to refrain from judicious attitudes and rely on God’s will as the power that restores justice and gives people their due for their wrongdoings.
Although the idea of harmlessness as the basis for interactions between people is not new, the teaching of Jesus offers a new way of looking at the issue. Particularly, the concept of life as the gift granted to a human being by the Lord and, therefore, as something that people have no right to terminate, should be brought up. The teaching about the inadmissibility of murder shows that Jesus, in fact, encouraged the relationships between people, which were based on mutual understanding and non-violence. Instead of fighting for a specific cause, Jesus encouraged peacefulness and non-violence.