Jesus on Anger Matthew 5:21-5:26
After spending 3-1/2 hours enduring the long lines, surly clerks and insane regulations at the Department of Motor Vehicles, a man stopped at a toy store to pick up a gift for he son.he brought my selection - a baseball bat - to the cash register. "Cash or charge?" the clerk asked. "Cash," the man snapped. The man Then apologizing for his rudeness, he said, "I’ve spent the afternoon at the motor vehicle bureau." "Shall I gift-wrap the bat?" the clerk asked sweetly. "Or are you going back there?"
Today we are going to continue looking at Jesus Sermon on the Mount
Mathew 5:21-26
We can do some crazy things when we allow our anger to take hold of us.
• Have you done things while you were angry that you wish you could take back?
• Anger can be one of the most destructive things in our life.
• In verse 20, that we read last week
• Jesus tells us that unless our righteousness exceeded (Goes Beyond)
• that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
• When we look at the Old Testament Law,
• We see that the Law deals more with actions than the attitudes behind the actions.
• Today we are going to look at the effects that anger can have on ourselves, on our worship of God and on other people.
Mt 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Mt 5:22 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.
Mt 5:23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mt 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Mt 5:25 “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.
Mt 5:26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Before we get into the effects of Anger,
• We need to look at what Jesus is trying to tell us in verse 21.
• In verse 21 Jesus points to the sixth commandment that in found in Exodus 20:13.
• That is Ex 20:13 “You shall not murder.
• He says that their ancestors were told were told this
• Jesus isn’t dealing with the current interpretation of the Law,
• He is not replacing it, as we learned last week He’s adding to it
The religious leaders thought they were in great shape if they did not kill a person.
• But Jesus tells us that if our righteousness is going to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees,
• We are not to get angry to the point of sinning.
• Eph 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
• This is great advice not only for our everyday encounters
• But advice that I give to every couple that is getting married
• If we are going to be citizens of the kingdom,
• Members of God’s family, not murdering a person
• Is not the correct standard that we are supposed to judge ourselves
• Today as we look at the effects of anger on our lives, in our lives and the lives of others,
• I hope that we will see why Jesus raised the bar.
THE FIRST EFFECT OF ANGER IS ON OURSELVES 21-22
A. The Progression of anger
• Jesus said that according to the Old Testament Law,
• if you murdered someone, you were sent before the court for judgment.
• To murder someone is to take a life with malice and aforethought.
• And The court could do one of three things with you.
1. Send Case to Sanhedrin.
2. Confine to city of refuge. If it was an accident
3. Or you could be Executed if you were found guilty.
In verse 22 we see the progression of anger that Jesus condemns.
• Anger without a just cause.
• We can be angry at sin,
• We see Jesus Himself demonstarated this in (John 2:14-16. Money changers)
• This is RIGHTEOUS ANGER
• But we aren’t to have anger toward people.
• Jesus says that if we go down that path that we are guilty before the court.
1Jn 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Jesus deals not only with the act of murder but the attitude behind it.
I read that one out of every thirty-five deaths in Chicago is a murder,
• And that most of these murders are “crimes of passion”
• They’re caused by anger among friends or relatives.
• Jesus did not say that anger leads to murder; He said that anger is murder.
When the anger is not there, the sin of further consequence won’t happen.
Kansas University football player Dion Rayford was arrested after getting stuck in a drive-thru window. When employees at a Taco Bell forgot his chalupa, he tried to go in after them. The 6’ 3", 260-pound man didn’t quite make it through the tiny drive-thru window. Rayford was charged with several misdemeanors and was suspended from playing in the last game of his career.
The word “RACA” that is found in many translations
• Quite simply translates to mean Empty Headed Fool
• The gist of the word is that you are saying something
• With great contempt outwards another person.
The first step in the anger process is a silent anger,
• This is when it is fermenting inside you
Next it takes the form of speech,
• More specifically hateful speech towards another.
• When we get to this point, then you go to the higher court.
• We need to understand that Jesus is giving us a way to understand the varying degrees of severity.
• And It’s apparent from the scriptures that there are degrees of reward and punishment.
3. The third progression in the anger process is hatred.
• The term “you fool” is a translation of a statement
• That shows hatred for another person.
• In this most serve form of anger,
• Jesus switches from the illustration of where the punishment is ordered
• To the punishment itself.
• Anger is a form of murder because its desire is to destroy anyone
• Who blocks our paths to satisfaction
• Or assaults us or who makes us look bad.
B. Anger also gives us a false view of ourselves.
• The Pharisees thought they were righteous because they did not commit the act of murder.
• When we are angry with people,
• A lot of times we don’t see the problem
• We feel that we are justified
• Jesus scolded the Pharisees about being clean on the outside,
• But dirty on the inside.
Listen to this passage and think about how it applies to us today.
Mt 23:25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Mt 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
• If you are harboring anger,
• You’re hurting yourself and you’re putting yourself at odds with God.
II. THE SECOND EFFECT OF ANGER IS ON OUR WORSHIP 23-24
Mt 5:23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mt 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
• As we look at verse 23, we see a shift in thought.
• The shift goes from us to others.
• Jesus tells us if we know of a brother (that we have a problem with)
• That WE are to go to THEM and try to settle the issue.
• The focus is on the OTHER person, not YOU.
• Jesus is saying, “if you are going to church to worship God”
• And you know of a brother who has something against you,
• Stop, go to them, And Try and fix the problem
• Then come to church and worship.
• The ‘therefore” of verse 23 ties theses verse with the consequences of having an angry spirit.
• Jesus is telling us that if we are angry
• Or if we have caused someone else to be angry with us,
• We can’t properly worship God until we have at least tried to make it right.
• Verse 23 sets the course for reconciliation.
• We are not responsible for the way people react to our efforts,
• Only for our effort.
• I used to think this only went along with our taking communion,
• But Jesus says that when we are angry with others
• Or they have issues with us,
• Our VERY WORSHIP is affected in a negative way.
III. THE FINAL EFFECT OF ANGER IS ON OTHERS
In a article entitled, "Wars’ Lethal Leftovers Threaten Europeans,"
• Associated Press reporter Christopher Burns writes:
• "The bombs of World War II are still killing in Europe.
• They turn up--and sometimes blow up--at construction sites, in fishing nets, or on beaches fifty years after the guns fell silent.
• "Hundreds of tons of explosives are recovered every year in France alone.
• Thirteen old bombs exploded in France last year, killing twelve people and wounding eleven,
• Unexploded bombs become more dangerous with time.
• ’With the corrosion inside, the weapon becomes more unstable,
• The detonator can be exposed.’"
• What’s true about lingering bombs
• Is also true of lingering anger.
• Buried anger will explode when we least expect it.
• How many people do you know who have been blown up by old bombs left behind by you?
Think about what anger does to other people.
• When we are mad at people, what do we do?
• We drag more people into the war zone.
• Anger affects our worship because when we are the reason that a person is angry,
• We are jeopardizing their eternity.
• How can we sing praises to God
• When we have done something to cause another person to stumble?
• Anger destroys people
• Have you ever noticed that when we get angry
• And we don’t let it go
• That eventually we forget why we’re Angry?
• Take, for example, the notorious Hatfield-McCoy feud.
• It hit the front pages of newspapers in the 1880’s,
• When the Hatfield clan feuded with the McCoy clan from across the border in Kentucky.
• Historians disagree on the cause of the feud
• Some claim it was over Civil War tensions:
• The McCoys had sympathized with the Union,and the Hatfields with the Confederacy.
• Others say it began when the McCoys blamed the Hatfields for stealing hogs.
• As many as 100 men, women and children died.
• In May 1976, Jim McCoy and Willis Hatfield -- the last two survivors of the original families
• Shook hands at a public ceremony dedicating a monument to six of the victims.
• McCoy died Feb. 11, 1984, at age 99.
• He bore no grudges -- and had his burial handled by the Hatfield Funeral Home in Toler, KY.
Anger has such serious effects that Jesus tells us to deal with it before we come to worship Him.
IV. NOW WE SEE THE STEPS TO RECONCILIATION 24-26
• First we have to Go.
• Jesus tells us to go be reconciled with our brother.
• This means that we need to recognize what we did
• And that we are to be Christian enough to go to the person we wronged
• And try to make it right.
• At this point it’s up to the other person to forgive,
• But that isn’t your problem.
The second step is found in verse 25.
• We are told to Make friends quickly with your opponent at law.
• This verse shows that the brother who has something against you has a legitimate issue.
• In Jesus day, if you had an issue with someone,
• It was up to you to get them to the court of law.
• Jesus says when this happens, make friends quickly with them.
One morning, a young lady darted her compact car from a side street into the stream of traffic immediately in front of a driver just a few car lengths ahead of me, forcing him to brake sharply.
• He avoided hitting her by inches and was obviously furious.
• Within seconds, traffic stopped at a red light, and the offender, leap from his car, and walked angrily toward hers.
• It was Clear that he intended to give her tear her apart.
• But Seeing him coming, the very attractive young lady jumped from her car and ran to meet him—with a big smile on her face!
• Before the man could say one word or know what was happening,
• she had thrown her arms around him, hugged him tightly, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips!
• Then she was back in her car and driving away, leaving her opponent standing in the middle of the street
• Speechless and looking somewhat confused and embarrassed—
• But no longer angry!
This Lady knew how to make friends quickly.
• Maybe others who saw this will try to let her cut them off also.
Verse 25 tells us that when it comes to earthy problems,
• It’s better to resolve them before the judgment comes.
Heb 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Heb 12:15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
CONCLUSION
• Jesus said that our righteousness is to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisee’s
• Most people would be able to stand before God
• And say that they haven’t killed a person,
• But how many of us could say that we never hated a person
• That we have never harbored anger and contempt toward another person.
• Jesus wants our hearts to be pure
• As well as our actions,
• He desires worship, not just outward religion.
• So today I hope that if you are harboring hatred or anger toward
• Another brother or sister in Christ,
• Or if you know a brother or sister has something against you,
That you will do what Jesus has instructed you to do and
• Go and try and make things right
• Holding on to anger has devastating effects on our lives,
• On our relationship with God and the lives of others.
• Don’t let anger tear you apart, let it go, give it to Jesus.
