JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
IV. “Dealing With Our Anger”
10-1-06
Ken Peterson
REVIEW
Mtt. 5:17-26
INTRODUCTION
A few years ago, USA Today ran an article describing us as a nation of angry, short-tempered people. Polls tell us that three-fourths of us believe angry behavior has increased. We have road rage, airplane rage, grocery store rage, and violence at youth sports events. James Garbarino, human development professor at Cornell University reports a major social shift:
“There is a general breakdown of social conventions, of manners, of social controls. This gives a validation, a permission, to be aggressive. Kids used to be guided by a social convention that said, “keep the lid on.” Today they are guided more in the direction of taking it off.”
We all have our own stories of encountering angry people, don’t we?
I’ve heard people say, trying to justify themselves, “Well, I may not be perfect, but I try to keep the Ten Commandments. I think I do fairly well– at least I haven’t murdered anyone!” I want to say (though I don’t), “Really, have you read what Jesus says in Mtt. 5:21-26?” Note vs. 21-22,
...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.
I doubt if any of us can plead innocent to the charge of murder this morning.
Murder is seen by our society as the most serious of all crimes, deserving the most severe punishment. But there is a lot more killing going on than is covered in the murder statistics or the news reports. We live in a world of put-downs and one-upmanship that destroys people, murdering that person’s sense of worth, destroying their inner life. And, we scarcely give a thought to it. We are all immersed in a violent world that demeans and destroys people. I see people regularly in my work as your pastor, who have been destroyed on the inside. I see them with their self-esteem shattered and their confidence eroded by what others have done to them– family, spouses, friends, teachers, bosses, other significant people in their lives. Sometimes it is manifested in a retiring shyness, with people too frightened to express themselves, continually living with stuffing their feelings about things. Or it can be seen in a hard shell cockiness, a bravado that seeks to intimidate others, and that lets nothing penetrate to hurt them again– a defense. And, there are any number of variations in between those extremes. All of us know the pain of having something inside us killed by another person. I still feel inside me the scar of the biting sarcasm of a seventh grade teacher directed toward me.
Jesus strips away any illusions in this passage. Murder does not just have to do with physical destruction, but it also involves the way we hurt people and destroy them inside. O, how we need these words today. Everyday in the news media we see people attacking one another– not just the
class=Section2>violence in the Middle East, but politicians, and sundry other people attacking one another with words. People are routinely stepped on for another’s personal advancement. We are doing a lot of standing up for ourselves. We feel if we don’t fight back, we’ll be wiped-out. In fact there’s even an ordinance in one Georgia city requiring a loaded gun in every household. In the midst of all this, Jesus, in this sermon, says the first action prescribed for the Christian in the world is that of reconciliation with others.
Before we begin on this passage I’d like to just make a general observation on this section of Jesus’ reinterpreting six Old Testament commands. In each case, he deepens the meaning. In each one, we’ll note three principles are common:
1. The spirit of the law matters, not just the letter.
2. Conformity must not be thought of in terms of actions only, but in thoughts, in motives, and heart desires.
3. The law must not be thought of only in a negative manner, but in positive actions.
SHOWING CONTEMPT (21-22)
Dr. Dale Brunner observes that the root of killing is contempt– not valuing the person for who they are. It is a failure to appreciate that the person’s life is precious and sacred, both body and soul. This includes demeaning or destroying the soul, the spirit, the heart of a person. We even have expressions like, “It was like a stab to my heart” or “It took the heart right out of me” or “I felt crushed.” It is killing something inside. Jesus goes on to mention two ways of showing contempt:
1. Through an angry nursing of a grudge;
2. And through name-calling.
Nursing a grudge is a good way of translating the Greek word used here for anger. There are two main Greek words translated “anger” in the Bible, thumos and orge. Thumos is like a flame from dried straw. It quickly flares up and is gone. This is the hot-tempered person. Orge is more long-lived, like the anger of a person that smolders and becomes resentment. Orge is the word here in vs. 22– it is like nursing a grudge. It involves a choice to hang onto anger, to feed it, to nurse it. “Nursing a grudge” is quite a telling phrase, isn’t it? We’re taking an offense, something we’re angry at and keeping it alive, carefully maintaining it, nursing it along. It then grows into a resentment or bitterness toward another person.
This says nothing of whether the anger is justified or not. The other person may be in the wrong, but we are in the wrong if we choose to hang onto that anger and let it grow into resentment. In our minds (and maybe in actions) we are murdering or destroying that person again and again, wishing the worst for them and maybe even helping make sure bad things happen toward them that will hurt them.
I think we all know that resentments are a poison in our system. Stanford U. researchers are quoted in an article in U.S. News & World Report,
“nursing a grudge raises blood pressure, depletes immune function, makes you more easily depressed, and causes enormous stress to the entire body.”
And research from Duke U. Medical Center reported chronic anger is so damaging to the body that as a risk factor for early death it ranks with or exceeds cigarette smoking, obesity, and a high-fat diet.
Adolf Hitler's father was an extremely violent and harsh man. Beatings and verbal abuse were common to Adolf as he was growing up. They finally brought him to a life-molding decision– he would harden himself against pain. Latter in life, he told his secretary:
“I then resolved never again to cry when my father whipped me. A few days later I had the opportunity of putting my will to the test. My mother, frightened, took refuge in front of the door. As for me, I counted silently the blows of the stick which lashed my rear end.”
How much influence did his unresolved anger and bitterness have in driving him to the politics of power and hate and ultimately to the horror of the Holocaust? We’ll, of course, never know. But almost certainly the resentment he felt toward his father had some shaping influence in his demonic politics of hatred.
Carrying hurts and grudges, whether from childhood or more recent events is exhausting, nonproductive, and self-defeating. It destroys us and may destroy others around us in tragic, unintentional ways we’re only vaguely aware of.
Jesus goes on to talk about the verbally violent with two name-calling examples. The first, "Raca," is an Aramaic term of contempt. It seems related to the word for "empty-headed" or "idiot" or "stupid." The second name, "You fool," carries more of a moral implication. Both constitute verbal abuse, demeaning the essence or character of another person.
I preached on gossip and other destructive uses of our tongues a few weeks ago, so I won’t repeat that here. But certainly gossip is one of the hurtful ways we destroy other people in our anger– spreading harmful information about them– a kind of guerilla warfare. David speaks of "words aimed like deadly arrows" (64:3). And Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death." There is no question that one of the ways we kill one another is with words.
While Jesus is referring here to the smoldering anger of orge, I want to insert a word about the quick, explosive, thumos, lest some think that’s okay– just “letting off steam,” “getting it off my chest.” A woman once told the evangelist, Billy Sunday, that she had a bad temper, but it was all over in a minute. He replied, “so is a shotgun; but it blows everything to pieces.” The Bible says we need to get rid that kind of anger too. It is the anger of Lk. 4:28, when the people of Jesus’ home town, Nazareth, didn’t like Jesus’ sermon in the synagogue and tried to throw him off a cliff. This thumos rage is mentioned, along with orge in Eph 4:31,
Get rid of all bitterness, rage (Gk. thumos) and anger (Gk. orge), brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
So, both kinds of anger need to be gotten rid of.
Also, remember that anger as an emotion is not wrong. It is part of our human makeup. When we are hurt in some way, anger is a natural reaction. But what we do with our anger is where we often sin. There are appropriate uses for the energy of anger. Unfortunately, we can’t cover all this in one sermon– but it will provide some profitable discussion for our small groups that begin meeting this week to discuss application of the sermon. There you will be discussing Eph. 4:26,
"In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry....
Jesus is calling us to respect every human being because they are significant, each uniquely created in the image of God. In our jockeying for position in our competitive society, we dare not demean or destroy one another. There will always be irritating people in our lives. People will anger us with their attitudes and behaviors. Resentments can easily take root in hearts when we experience an injustice, or see injustice done to others we care about. Our self-esteem will be hurt by other people, sometimes deliberately and sometimes out of ignorance. But, we must not fight back in the same destructive ways. We are called to preserve life, to enhance, and to affirm life– building one another up.
What do we do with resentments and grudges? God calls us to forgive, to release the other person from our judgement. Jesus says more about forgiveness later in this Sermon on the Mount, so I'll talk more about the process of forgiving there. Here though, Jesus ties dealing with our anger to worship. Let’s look at these two verses.
RECONCILIATION THROUGH WORSHIP
"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 (Matt 5:23-24).
Jesus is talking about worship here. In that day, it was centered in the temple. In essence, Jesus is saying you can’t have a right relationship with God if you don’t have right relationships with the other people in your life. God will not talk to a disciple who won't talk to a brother. The horizontal and vertical relationships are inseparable. My wife, Polly, likes this verse in I Pet. 3:7, Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives... so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
I'm sure it is supposed to go both ways! But, Scripture is abundantly clear, the spiritual cannot be separated from our human relationships. In fact, later we'll see in Jesus’ sermon, He equates our forgiveness from God with our willingness to forgive one another.
Also, "remember" is interesting in this context. As gather in worship, the Holy Spirit is present to convict us of sin through the Word, through His direct action in hearts, and through others. He brings to our remembrance things and ways that may have hurt another person and that amends need to be made. It says nothing about who's at fault. If he or she has something against you, go– take the initiative, do your part to make it right. "Leave your gift" implies that no amount of giving or spiritual service can cover over or make up for not mending a broken relationship.
C. S. Lewis confesses:
“When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to mind is that the provocation was so sudden or unexpected. I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself.... Surely what a man does when he is taken off guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth. If there are rats in the cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.... Now that cellar is out of reach of my conscious will.... I cannot, by direct moral effort, give myself new motives. After the first few steps... we realize that everything that really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God.”
MAKING PEACE (vs. 25-26)
Jesus now moves now from a religious setting to the secular– the court. The “accuser” is the aggrieved person, the one who has something against us. Take care of it quickly. Don't let it fester and grow or, Jesus says, we will pay lengthily for our tardiness.
Our call is to be a peacemaker– to do all we can to heal the relationships with those who are against us. Of course, there are no guarantees it will work. But, we need to do all that is in our power to bring healing. This doesn't mean we always accept injustice to make peace. But, we do our best to work things out as a Christian. And at times, Christ may call us to accept an injustice for a greater end, for His kingdom or glory. Certainly He shows us that path. We need to let Him guide us in those areas.
When Thomas Edison and his staff finally came upon what they thought would work for an incandescent light bulb, they spent hundreds of hours to manufacture a single light bulb. When it was finally ready, he gave it to a young errand boy to take it upstairs to the testing room. The boy stumbled on the steps and the bulb shattered. But, instead of rebuking the boy, Edison reassured him and told the staff to get to work on making another bulb. Several days later, when it was done and needed to be taken to the testing room, he walked over to the same boy and asked him to take it to the testing room. Imagine the sense of restoration that boy felt.
CONCLUSION
Lee Rhodes writes of a seminary class that made a deep impression on him As the students walked into class one day, they saw a large target mounted on the wall and a table with darts. The professor invited all who wanted to draw a picture of someone they disliked or hated or someone they were angry with, and then he would let them to throw darts at their picture. At first they were hesitant, but one woman got up and drew a picture of another woman who’d stolen her boyfriend. Then others got into it. Another drew a picture of a younger brother he was angry with. Most were quickly busy with a picture of some hatred or anger. Then, they each took a turn mounting their pictures on the target and throwing darts at them. Some laughed at the effect of the darts on their caricature. Some used great energy in throwing darts at their targets– getting quite emotional. When they were done, and all had returned to their seats, the professor went over to the target and removed it from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.
A hush fell over the room as they all viewed the mangled image of their Savior–holes and jagged marks covering his face with His eyes virtually pierced out. The professor then quoted Jesus’ words from Mtt. 25:39, Inasmuch ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. End of class.
Who are those in your life you've demeaned, destroyed, or put-down? Maybe out of your insecurity or ego needs, your needing to look good, you’ve destroyed or devoured others. Maybe out of your own hurt and bitterness you’ve turned around and hurt others. Sometimes out of perfectionism or a need to be in control, we’ve failed to allow those around us to grow and develop? How about your children, your spouse, your peers? Have you crushed anyone’s spirits, taken the wind out of their sails? Are there those whom you know you’ve hurt by “putting them in their place,” dressing them down because in your view they were wrong?
At the time of this last anniversary of 9-11, Peggy Noonan wrote in the Wall Street Journal,
“Something terrible had happened. Life was reduced to its essentials. Time was short. People said what counted, what mattered. It has been noted that there is no record of anyone calling to say, "I never liked you," or, "You hurt my feelings." No one negotiated past grievances or said, "Vote for Smith." Amazingly– or not– there is no record of anyone damning the terrorists or saying "I hate them."
“No one said anything unneeded, extraneous or small. Crisis is a great editor. When you read the transcripts that have been released over the years it's all so clear.
The messages left with people and answering machines as those dying called were messages like, “I love you”, or “Tell Billy I forgive him.” The sounds from the towers in those fateful minutes from the people dying were sounds of love.
As we come to the Lord’s Table this morning, I want you to ponder one question. Imagine that this is your last day, your last communion. With whom do you need to be reconciled before you appear before God?
We all need a Savior. None of us gets off on this command. We are all hopeless sinners. But, He came for that reason, to save us from our sins. Receive Him this morning, His forgiveness, and then let Him empower you to make amends. Let Him heal all the roots of bitterness in your life. All He needs is for you to let go of them.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS for home groups:
JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
IV. “Dealing With Our Anger”
For Further Study and Reflection on Sermon for 10-1-06
Mtt. 5:17-26
1. Read Mark 3:1-6. Talk about Jesus’ anger here. What made him angry and what does He teach us about handling anger?
2. 1 Pet. 3:7 and Mtt. 5:23-24 tie our relationship with God and effectiveness of our prayers to reconciliation with one another. Why do you think that is?
3. Read the following Scriptures:
Ps 4:4
In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent
Eph 4:26-27 (here Paul quotes from this Ps.)
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Eph 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ps 37:8
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret — it leads only to evil.
Prov 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Which one is most convicting to you?
4. Discuss Eph. 4:26-27. Talk about good ways to handle anger and sinful ways. How does vs. 27 (do not give the devil a foothold) fit with anger?
5. Is there an instance you would be willing to share with the group of an anger you have or had with someone and how, if it did, get resolved?
6. Can you list some steps (Biblical and out of your experience) that can be helpful in healing a broken relationship?
7. How did it make you feel to hear the illustration of the students throwing darts at their enemies and then learning there was a picture of Jesus underneath?
8. Silent, guided meditation at the end of the discussion:
Close your eyes and picture the person you most tend to be angry with. Now picture Jesus putting His arm around that person. Then, picture Jesus bringing you to His other side and putting His arm around you.
How does that make you feel?
What thoughts run through your head?