Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount Part 5
Is Anger really that bad?
Matthew 5:21-26
Introduction
Have you ever been angry? Anger is a reality in our daily lives. There is a term for anger on the road and it’s “road rage.”
The Desert News in Salt Lake City ran a story about two individuals that got in an altercation. Two individuals are at a stop light in the early morning hours, one behind the other. The light turns green and the first car doesn’t move fast enough for the second. Both parties wave at each other without using all their fingers, then the second individual pulls out a 357 and fires four shots into the car. One of which hits his middle finger.
Isn’t it interesting how anger can take something so small as a light going from red to green and can escalate in our lives until it escalates to the point of violence.
Jesus in this passage begins a section of His sermon on the mount that is commonly called the antithesis statements. Which means he takes a Law that the Jews followed and he contrast it with what God truly intended for the Law to mean.
Tonight we will learn the true intent behind the Law “Do not commit murder”, we will see that Murder is simply the symptom of the real problem, which is anger. Tonight we will learn how serious anger really is.
Read Scriptures: Matthew 5:21-26
I. Anger is a serious offense in God’s sight.
Vs. 21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ’Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ’Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Murder is deeper than just he outward act. It is an inward act: anger, bitterness, enmity. Murder is born from within. From an uncontrolled spirit, from an unregulated urge, from an inner anger.
Anger itself is the real sin, anger is a serious offense in God’s sight: bitterness, wrath, hatred, slandering, gossip, fury, desiring a to hurt a person. The reason it is so serious is because God knows what unchecked anger can do inside the heart and mind of a human being, add to it the ever temptation of the enemy then you have a poisonness mixture with the real potential to commit the act of murder. Unchecked anger is a serious offense in God’s sight.
II. Anger grows
Vs. 22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ’Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Unresolved anger will fester. It can become uncontrollable and give birth to murder. There are three steps in the growth of anger
1. Anger lingers, it broods, it sometimes seeks revenge.
2. Anger is fed by pride. It says that whatever trouble comes on a person is deserved.
3. Anger seeks to destroy. “Raca” is anger with malicious intent. I am so angry I want to destroy you in every way possible.
If anger goes unchecked it grows.
III. Anger is subject to Judgment
Vs. 22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ’Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Anger is a very, very serious matter with God, to hold feelings against another person. The scripture is clear, it is subject to judgment.
First if unchecked anger turns violent, you are subject to earthly judgment, we see that when Jesus said “again anyone who says to his brother ‘raca’, is answerable to the Sanhedrin, which is an earthly court.
If it is unchecked and held on to until death, then you will be judged for it by God.
IV. The answer to anger is Reconciliation
Vs. 23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Jesus says two things about reconciliation in this passage.
1. The urgency of Reconciliation. Reconciliation is always to precede worship. Even while entering the church to worship if there is a problem with a brother you are to turn around from worship and go to our brother and seek reconciliation.
1 John 4:20-21 “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love is brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Holding on to anger in our hearts affects our worship, it affects our prayer life. Jesus’ says to go and reconcile because you worshiping with anger in heart toward a brother or sister in Christ is of no use to you because God will not accept it, basically you will be wasting your time. Go immediately and reconcile.
2. Reconciliation should be immediate. “While he is still with you” Jesus says. Don’t wait do it now. Reconcile now while there is still openness in the relationship. How many times do you hear people say that they had a fallen out with a family member and they did not reconcile immediately and as the years went by the openness closed and reconciliation never took place. Jesus say the time to reconcile is immediate while the person is still with you.
The true answer to anger is reconciliation which takes humility.
V. Holding on to anger can be damaging.
Vs. 25-26 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth; you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
Holding on to anger will suffocate you. You will be in a prison in your own mind.
Jesus says it best “I tell you the truth you will not get out”. You will not get out until when, “until you have paid the last penny”.
The last penny is reconciliation. Until that anger that is within you is resolved you will not get out, you will be trapped.
Conclusion
How many would be honest and say that they are harboring feelings of anger against someone. If you are then I know you are in a prison and Jesus wants to set you free tonight. Take the first step in reconciliation and come to Jesus first of all for forgiveness then for strength to go to the other person and reconcile the relationship so that you can be fully free.
What if the person you are angry with is gone, they are dead. Then what. Let it go, come to the altar tonight and let Jesus take that away. You may not ever forget what they did to hurt you, but you need to forgive, and release them from that so that you can go forward in your life, it has affected you long enough, come tonight.
(Thanks sermoncentral contributor, Preacher’s outline and sermon bible)
