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.' 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.
I noticed a sign that read, "Anger is only one letter away from Danger." Proverbs like that cause us to think. We all deal with various degrees of anger. It is normal and can sometimes be a healthy emotion. Feelings aren’t sinful. How we respond to those feelings is another matter. That can be a sin.
L.A Times illustrates that point, "Paragraph for people who blow their tops and lose their tempers. It happened in the upper 50’s on the East Side. A man about 55 and his wife quarreled with another driver over a parking space. Bystanders convinced the police that the other driver did not strike a blow. They said that the 55 year old man punched the other driver twice. He allegedly slugged his wife twice when she urged him to calm down and then he walked 10 steps and dropped dead."
Too many articles reveal the sad results of people who exhibit road rage. It seems many well respected people in professional jobs can keep their anger under control at work and at home, but something triggers a release response while driving that unleashes uncontrolled venom. There have been incidents of yelling, punching, hitting cars and people on purpose and even shooting another with a gun.
Most of us don’t deal with it to those extremes.
Dr. McMillian tells of a husband going to the drug store with his son to pick up a prescription for his mother’s colitis. The son asked, "Who’s Mom been “colliding” with now?”
Dr. Redford B. Williams of Duke University Medical Center, N. C. stated, "Individuals who harbor hostility and anger toward others are five times more likely to die from heart disease and six times more likely to die prematurely from other causes.”
Jesus gives instructions for kingdom people. We need changed hearts and to live by a different standard than the world and a different standard than the Pharisees. “Our righteousness needs to exceed that of the Pharisees.” Matt.5:20
It would be hard to add more rules. People have done enough of that, but we can invite Jesus to come into our lives and turn control over to Him. With a changed heart comes changed desires. This is something that rules can never change. Many people need to have Jesus control their anger and help them find a healthy way it can be expressed.
This next passage in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows how anger can affect various areas of our lives.
How do you come across when you are angry? How is your anger displayed differently at home? At work? At church? While driving?
Application: Examine anger situations this week and try to identify the source. Pray about it.
Prayer: Oh Lord, in all situations Your Grace IS sufficient for me. I speak victory to those moments before me that want to steal my joy.
