21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Jesus is very clear in these passages that we need to settle disputes with our brothers quickly. If we are to be the salt and the light to spread the word of the good news of Jesus Christ, the last thing we need to be doing is bickering among ourselves. According to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Racathe definition of Raca is:A term of reproach used by the Jews of our Savior's time, meaning "worthless." Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. - Matt. v. 22.
Raca appears to be a term used if you were to take someone before the council to make a judgment. I gather that if you did this, the matter would be settled and life would go on. However, if you say to someone “You fool” which indicates that all the blame is on one person and one person alone, you are the one who will be in danger of the fire of hell.
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