Date:
Text: Matthew 5:21-26
Title: Vilifying Anger
Theme: The believers morality must arise from the heart.
Introduction:
Last year we had the well publicized trial of Andrea Yates for the killing of her children. This last two weeks, the nation’s attention was on the trial of Clara Harris for the killing of her husband. Murder trials usually generate great interest in any society. Because each society is deeply ingrained with an universal truth that says, “Thou shall not kill”.
Therefore, when we read v21 of Matthew 5, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgement.’”, we respond with, “Good, I know that. I completely agree with Jesus.”
Up until verse 16, Jesus had been teaching in positive terms. He taught his disciples that as his followers, they were to develop characters like his: Humility, godliness, be peacemakers, merciful, doing what is right and being persecuted for it. As we become like him, we are also the salt and light of the world.
Beginning with vs.17, he started to teach his disciples that if we are to continue to be the salt and light of the world, we must also take the Old Testament moral laws seriously. We are to go beyond what is obvious and discover their core intent. In the following passages, Jesus wants to impress upon us a simple truth, that is, true morality must go beyond the superficial and arise from one’s heart.
I. As followers of Jesus Christ, respect for the sanctity of human life is mandatory.
In verse 21, the 6th commandment, “You shall not murder” is repeated. The prosecutor in Clara Harris puts it this way, “Murder is momentary loss of respect for the sanctity of human life.” We all agree to this. Without this, society will be in chaos. Moreover, this commandment also reveals the basic truth that human life is sacred, because we are made in God's image. Therefore, no one can unlawfully take another life. If one does, then he/she is liable to judgment. This could refer to civil court or the divine judgment.
II. As followers of Jesus Christ, respect for the sanctity of life goes beyond the act of killing.
So far so good. We feel very comfortable with this part of the teaching. But the smart ones will also wonder, what is the catch here? Why would Jesus teach such a simple and obvious truth.
Then when we come to vs 22, and see the 3-letter word, ‘but’, we know there is something more than meets the eye. The word, ‘but’ always brings jitters to us, right? You are a really nice person, but……. It usually smells trouble. So what is happening here? V22, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;…” Jesus says that in the context of a normal relationship, if you are angry with your brother, this is wrong, this is like murder, and you will be liable to judgment.
In
order to drive home this point, Jesus continued, vs22, “…whoever insults his
brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be
liable to the hell of fire.” The word ‘Racca” means nobody or nothing. How do
you feel if someone calls you ‘a nobody, you are a nothing!” It is very
degrading and insulting. It hurts. The word ‘fool’ is the same as moron. Its
even worse, isn’t it? No one wants to be called a moron. Racca and
Therefore when, in anger, we call someone a nobody or a moron, or a stupid fool, we have lost respect of the sanctity of human life. From God’s perspective, this is the same as murder. Yes, human may not judge us, but God will. God's judgment hangs over both the murderer and the one who, in anger, insults another person. They both have shown disrespect for the sanctity of human life.
Jesus wants his followers not just to stop at the external act of taking a human life, but he also forbids our inner anger towards another person leading to insulting and degrading words. He forbids such vilifying anger. It is the same as killing someone.
This really makes us quite uncomfortable, right? Immediately, in defense, we’ll say, how about Jesus? Was he totally consistent in his life to this instruction? In the book of Matthew we read about Jesus getting really angry at the merchants who did business in the temple area. They were there to take advantage of the poor, thus defiling God's dwelling place. Another time, Jesus was so angry at the Pharisees for their hypocrisy that he called them blind fools.
In
those situations, he was angry at the sins and injustice of the world around
him. His anger was never wrapped around his own ego or personal well being.
When he was on the cross, in 1Peter
This is quite different from us, isn’t it? Often we are angry because we feel we are being wrongfully judged or unfairly being misunderstood. We can be so angry that we call the other person(s) names. Unfortunately, very often such derogative words are directed to the one closest to us.
Then there are times when we see principles being violated and things are not done the right way, and we can become real angry. Very often we may be correct in our perception. Yet sometimes we may push it a little too far that our ego gets entangled in it. We think we are defending the truth, but in fact we are defending our own ego and pride. Consequently we become angry, using inappropriate words and exhibiting inappropriate attitude and body language. This results in hurting the other person.
Here Jesus teaches that such anger is wrong, because it leads to the hurting of another person. In normal human relationships, such vilifying anger is wrong.
III. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be courageous enough to repair damage caused by our anger.
We see Jesus clearly forbidding the unlawful killing of another person. He also forbids the vilifying anger against another person, for both behaviors manifest a loss of respect for the dignity of human life.
Being human, we all have, in times of anger, used inappropriate words and attitudes that bring great hurt to the other person, thus hurting or damaged some precious relationships. To many of us, we may have also accepted this as part of life. Yes, we don’t like those broken relationships, but we tell ourselves that there is nothing we can do, or we just don’t care.
However, Jesus will not let us off the hook. He relentlessly pursues us, wanting us to deal with those strained or broken relationships. Again, he drives this home with two illustrations.
1. The importance of reconciliation.
Vs.23-24, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Jesus says that if you are in a religious ceremony, such as a worship service or praying meeting, you remember someone has something against you. This does not mean that he doesn’t like the way you talk, your manners or personality. Here, it refers to the fact that in the past you have done and said something that might have hurt him. Notice Jesus is quite non-specific here. It could mean that your words and behaviors had really hurt this person. Or this person simply perceived that you have hurt him. And therefore he has a complain against you.
What do you do? Brush it off by saying that it’s all over. It’s in the past, why bother to bring it out again? Or I never really meant to hurt him. He is just being too sensitive. Unfortunately, Jesus would not buy into this kind of reasoning. He simply says, put down the gift you are about to give God, go and reconcile with that person and then come back and finish up your offering to God. If you owe someone something, pay it back. If you have said something inappropriate, apologize. If you have done something inappropriate, apologize. In other words, Jesus says, go and mend the relationship first, go reconcile with this person and then come back to me.
We like religious ceremonies, such as worship, prayer meeting or Bible studies. We want to say that we are ok, we have dealt with the past and we want to move on. But Jesus looks at our heart. You see, human life is very precious, so is human relationship. When in our anger, we say something that hurts and ruins a relationship, it is also a contempt for life. And he wants us to be reconciled. He wants us to be peacemakers.
2. The urgency of reconciliation.
In verse 23 Jesus says leave your gift there and go to that person to be reconcile. In 25-26 he gave another example, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” Jesus is saying, if you owe someone something, pay it back first. Don’t wait till the person takes you to court. Every sin and wrong doing has it consequences. Again, the lesson is, don’t delay, go and be reconciled with the brother you have wronged.
There is this urgency in restoring a strained or damaged relationship. If we wait and procrastinate, our hearts may become callous. Slowly it hardens that we don’t care for that relationship anymore. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to apologize and we wait and wait, we are grieving the Holy Spirit. When we, for whatever reason refuse to be reconciled with the person we have hurt, we are quenching the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
Clara Harris was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She was angry at what her husband did. In her anger, she crossed the line and killed him. Last week a fax came across my desk. It’s not directed to me but apparently the sender wants everyone to know about his feeling towards a certain person. There were words such as, “….you are incompetent, without shame, without conscience. I hate you; you are the most hated person in the world.” He was deeply hurt by this individual. He was very angry with him. But in his anger, he crossed the line. He insulted him personally and publicly. .
Clara Harris ends in murder, this person ends in insult and calling names. In God's eyes, both are wrong.
Haven’t we sometimes also experienced those strong angry emotions? When we feel we are being mistreated and misunderstood, we are angry. When we perceive truth and principles being violated, we are angry. In our anger, we speak inappropriate words. Our words and deeds end in hurting others. In our anger, we have crossed the line. This too is wrong. .
As followers of Jesus Christ, he has set a much higher standard for us. Yes, we may not kill, but our Lord also forbids us to insult another person in our anger. Moreover, when relationships are damaged because of our angry words, he wants us to reconcile.
This is difficult. And we also know it is a matter of the heart. For this reason, we need the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and change us, so that we can have a heart like Jesus. Yes, there will be times we will be angry, but in anger, with his help, we do not sin.