Matthew 5:21-26
“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ’stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
“This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.
“Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.
January 5th, 2007 at 8:52 am
The children’s chant (”sticks and stones ……..) is false. Words do hurt. Names injure us — sometimes for life. My angry, thoughtless words bring about their own small deaths in my relationships.
Jesus doesn’t simply place “anger management” as an optional social skill for Christians. Reconciliation is not presented as a nice ideal. Rather, he places them at the heart of citizenship in the Kingdom.
January 5th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Powerful words! Who hasn’t spoken out in anger? I know I have and most often to the people I love the most. Reminds me just how much I need God’s grace and forgiveness.
January 5th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
This i find really difficult. Although everything here seems to be great guidance, what on earth is the ‘anger=murder’ part about? Not that i condone wanton rage, but theres at least one example of Jesus flipping his lid, in the temple with the merchants who are cheating punters out of money in a place of worship. I think tables were thrown.
+ as long as anger is focussed, as a result of injustice perhaps, can’t it be used as a motivator for making things right?
actually, thinking about this, its being angry ‘with a brother or sister’ thats described as sinful. perhaps anger is just unnaceptable when its aimed at people rather than ideas/concepts. tricky though!
January 5th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Well put Julie, Jen and Josh (people whose name starts with J are clearly the most spiritual!)
To make a clear link from yesterday’s reading to todays, and the ones to follow, it is all about the heart (as Julie pointed out yesterday).
So the kind of anger Jesus is referring to is akin to murdering someone in your heart (or wanting to) while, to jump the gun, the lust he’ll go on to is having sex with someone you shouldn’t in your heart (or wanting to).
As you say Josh, Jesus anger wasn’t one where he had the kind of wrathful rage that was like an inner desire to destroy the person.