Angry Murderers
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 5:21–22; John 2:14–16; Mark 3:5; Romans 12:19; Ephesians 4:26–31
Anger is an immediate emotional response to the obstruction of our will. We then have the choice to receive, indulge and sustain anger by our active will. Jesus equates sustained intense anger to murder, and that contempt is even worse. God’s anger and wrath is fully sufficient. He is angry enough, so we don’t have to be. We must first stop believing the lie that our anger is right and necessary, it is a momentary signal to yield our will to God’s. Ultimately our anger is conquered by Trust in our Father and (more next week) love for our brother. Love fulfills the law.
Punching a Hole in the Wall
Punching a Hole in the Wall
I don’t know what Jono did. He said something I didn’t like. Maybe he sassed me.
But I remember the moment of blinding rage. Like, literally blinding. “AAAAAH! How dare he do… whatever it was that he did.”
He got away, around the corner, down the stairs.
And, unable to reach him, I punched the wall… and smashed right through it. And this I especially remember...
it felt so, so good.
Why? Why is that?
Then, I met Jesus, and I was never angry again. Or maybe not.
Be Salty, Be Shiny, Be Great!
Be Salty, Be Shiny, Be Great!
Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees… and that is what Jesus does. He fulfills all righteousness, He gives it to us, and His righteousness is MORE than enough. It overflows, it produces fruit of righteousness in our lives.
And that is what Jesus pictures next.
Jesus launches into 6 contrasts. “You have that it was said… but I say to you.” 6 contrasts.
The “old” righteousness contrasted with the “new” Kingdom righteousness. A righteousness that is concerned with inside-out righteousness, the motivation, the mind, the heart.
These would be IMPOSSIBLE laws, they can’t be kept as laws, it absolutely requires inside out recreation.
Fortunately, that is just what Jesus is all about.
So, remember, we are not looking at these for new laws to follow, but pictures of what righteousness could look like in our actual lives.
We are learning the beautiful course of righteousness.
We are learning to recognize fruit.
When we encounter something that isn’t fruitful in our lives, we don’t “try harder.” We dive deeper into the gospel.
How do we do that? Glad you asked. Let’s dive in.
Angry Murderers
Angry Murderers
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Anyone here ever been angry at anyone? MURDERER!!!!
You know what being angry feels like, everyone does, this is part of the human experience. Even Jesus felt anger at times.
There is an ancient Hebrew expression of anger, it’s pronounced “AAAAAHHHHHH!”
Maybe that’s just an ancient human expression.
What is it actually?
Anger is an immediate emotional response to the obstruction of our will.
It is immediate. It is emotional. It is like an internal alert “bwoop bwoop” something has BLOCKED you. Something you didn’t want to happen happened.
Someone or something (but usually someone) blocked your goal.
I didn’t WANT you to do or say that thing!
I didn’t WILL for that car to cut me off.
We can even have this at inanimate objects. I smashed my head into this wooden wreathe thing on our front door the other day. AAAAAH! That wasn’t what I wanted!!!
That’s why it feels so good when I punch the wall. I can’t exert my will over there so I will here. Boom! Now there’s evidence, I see my will worked on the world! Yes!
What funny is I feel your anger, if it’s directed at me, and that has an impetus for ME to stop what I was doing if I’m the one imposing on your will. And since that blocks MY will, then I have an opportunity for anger against you, and thus anger begets anger.
And Jesus, here, essentially equates that with murder. You are just as “guilty”, “liable to judgment,” as if you had murdered.
And this is where we might start to think, in fact most people do, that this is an impossible and unachievable standard of behavior. If anger is a sin, then who can keep this?
In fact, we’ll see in a little bit, even Jesus felt anger. And Paul gives this command to the Ephesians:
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
How can one “be angry” and not sin… but Jesus says someone who is angry at their brother is a murderer?
Same Greek word in those two passages, so that isn’t the difference… but there is a difference.
“Be angry” is a command, and it refers to a discrete action or activity or, in this case, emotion.
But what Jesus says is a “present participle.” Like if I said “That guy is running...” I am using a present participle, it is currently ongoing action. So Jesus does not say “anyone who ever feels anger at their brother,” but “anyone who is angering at their brother. Ongoing, present action.
Their brother didn’t just slap them and they felt a flash of anger… the anger has been somehow sustained into the present moment while Jesus is talking.
Somehow… in fact, we all know exactly how that works.
Anger Sustained
Anger Sustained
We said anger is an immediate emotion response to an obstruction of our will.
And we use this kind of language. A spark of anger, a flash of anger, and that’s what it is… and then we have a choice.
As an act of my will, this can become such a habit we are barely aware it is an act of will, but it is. As an act of will, I can receive the anger, I can nurture the anger, I can even grow the anger.
It’s like a spark, I can fan the flame, I can fuel the fire, I can make it grow, I can make the anger burn, I can make the anger last.
Why would I do that?
Righteous Anger
Righteous Anger
Here’s why. My anger if righteous! I have good reasons to be angry. The best reasons!
Sometimes in a silly, self-righteous way, but how about it an actually righteous way?
Like, you have legit sinned again me. You hurt me, you insulted me, You punched me in the face. You killed my dog!
This is the name of the game in 2023. Outrage! It’s a race to see who can be most outraged the fastest! And they feel so VERY justified. Their anger is RIGHTEOUS.
(I know that your anger really is righteous, I’m talking about their anger ;)
In fact, let’s read this verse in the good old KJV.
Matthew 5:22a (KJV 1900)
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...
Oh thank goodness. I like that WAY better. Why isn’t that there in my Bible?
Now, most of the times, in most places, the KJV is just fine as a translation of the Bible. It was translated into English by a group of scholars, doing their best, and they translated from the Latin bible that the church was using.
That Latin translation was mostly put together in the 5th century. That’s pretty old.
But if I want to get the closest to what Matthew actually wrote, closest to what Jesus actually said, I want to read the oldest manuscripts I can, the earliest, and in original language instead of a translation of a translation of a copy of a copy. And in all the earliest manuscripts, this phrase isn’t present.
Some scribe, a couple hundred years later at least, added this bit of “interpretation” and letting us all off the hook.
Oh… you’ve got a cause. Well, in that case, go be angry, my bad.
We can laugh… but I this kind of blew my actual mind. I have heard about “righteous anger” so often, I can go find a thousand sermons that will tell me about righteous anger.
Jesus here is condemning sustained intense anger as sinful… but righteous anger is a different thing.
In fact, what’s the best example of “righteous anger?”
Angry Jesus
Angry Jesus
I’ve heard this story so many times.
Jesus cleanses the temple:
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.
15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
Is this a “be like Jesus” moment?
Is Jesus even angry here? In your imagination, I bet he is. God’s righteous anger. Could well be. But it is worth noting that every gospel records this incident, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and none of them mention anger. Zeal? Yes. That’s “intense positive interest.” Not anger.
It does mention “zeal for his Father’s house” but zeal is NOT anger. It is positive passion and devotion. That could give rise to momentary anger, a “flash”… but does Jesus act out of his anger?
In fact, he was in that same temple dozens of times, including many feast times. Those money-changers and livestock were there then too. At the right time, in the right way, to teach the right lesson, Jesus drives them out. With zeal, but it says nothing about anger.
I did find one reference to Jesus being angry.
4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
There is “anger” there, orge, same root.
Looked (imperative) with anger. Momentary emotion at seeing their hardness of heart.
But what does Jesus do? Does he sit in that anger? Does he fan the flame, make it a fire, does he respond out of that anger? No, it turns to grief, for He loves them, and his action is one of healing.
Is it an “angry healing?” It was his intention in the first place, carried through despite their hardness of heart and despite his own anger. Jesus let it go and did the Father’s will.
Righteous anger.
If anyone could do “righteous anger” as a human it would be Jesus. But Jesus never held on to anger, nurtured and sustained anger, or seemed to act out of anger.
God never told one of his prophets to go speak His message and “be really ticked off about too!” Make sure you show them YOUR wrath while your telling them about MY wrath.
In fact, this blew my mind actually. For all the sermons I have heard or times I have heard it said to “only have righteous anger.” “Be angry at the right things!” Or best
Be angry at what God is angry at.
That sounds almost right. I’ve heard that sermon. Maybe even said that a time or two.
I can’t find a single Scripture where God asks us to be angry for him. To stir up anger at sin or sinners. But I can find DOZENS of texts telling us not to!
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Remember that from the beatitudes? Jesus knows the Word of God, He IS the Word of God. But what was that?
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
Your anger is useless and accomplishes nothing, it doesn’t matter how “right” you are.
20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
It doesn’t make them righteous. It doesn’t make you righteous.
What about that one where Paul tells us to go ahead and be angry?
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Be angry, momentary emotion… and then don’t sin. How do I do that? What is this “do not let the sun go down” thing? Don’t sustain it, don’t keep it around, get rid of it as quick as you can. Let it go!
In fact, it goes on to say this:
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
I think he wrote down every word for anger he could think of. LET IT ALL GO!!!
Is that true in the NT? Paul quotes this one.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Never? Never.
It even goes on to say, that’s the best revenge you can get. Be kind to your enemy, that will “heap coals” on their head.
Did I pick all the verses that tell you to let go of your anger? Not even close!!! There are dozens more. All over the place. But this Romans one is one of my favorites. And he’s quoting from Deut 32:35… God has been very clear about this from the start.
Here’s why this is my favorite:
God is Angry Enough for All of Us
God is Angry Enough for All of Us
That’s a fun phrase.
God’s anger is BETTER than yours. In every way. He has the actual power to do something about it.
He doesn’t NEED your anger. At. All. It isn’t helpful to him. And it’s poisonous to you… so over and and over, God says to leave anger to him.
I search this. I found 666 results (creepy) describing anger or wrath or vengeance in the Bible.
I couldn’t find one that told us to be angry.
Even with hate. We say “hate the sin, love the sinner.” That’s not Biblical. God says he hates the sin and the sinner. That’s okay, He loves the sinner perfectly. Those aren’t opposites, He can do both perfectly, though you and I might struggle.
But are we to hate the sin?
3 spoke of humans having anger or wrath at sin or sinners in something like a positive way. 2 were David, and he’s really just venting.
One verse, in Revelation, speaks in almost positive way of the Ephesians hating the sin of the Nicolaitans, and God hates those too. It’s faint praise, shouldn’t be the basis for our philosophy at all.
That’s it.
Then you have dozens of verses telling us LET GO OF YOUR ANGER!!!
Anger leads to the dark side. (Oh wait, that’s Yoda). But DOZENS of verse saying “Let it go.” “Put it away.” “Slow it down.” “It’s not helpful!”
Leave it to God. He has the anger. Vengeance is his. He holds it for you, His is absolutely sufficient.
If the anger is righteous, His will has been thwarted, He is angry enough at that for everyone involved.
Your anger is unneeded and unhelpful and likely to drive you to sin.
If the anger is unrighteous, your anger is unneeded and unhelpful and likely to drive you to sin.
But what about action? What about addressing wrong?
Is it necessary to be angry to oppose evil?
“There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it.”
It is God’s Will that has been affronted. He will act. It may be that He has put you in a place where He can and will act through you to stop evil, right wrongs, or punish evildoers.
Does He ask you to be “real ticked off” while you do it? Did he every command one of his prophets to “really give it to them?” Or to deliver his message, or his miracle.
When the parent spanks the child, I think that’s appropriate, but not out of anger. That is abuse. Discipline comes out of love for the child, to correct.
When the judge sentences the criminal, are they to do so out of anger? They aren’t supposed to! They are supposed to be executing justice as justice is called for. Wisely. And ultimately with the goal of curbing violence, crime, in that individual or with an eye to society at large. That may not be the reality in our fallen world, but that is the ideal.
Your anger is unneeded and unhelpful and likely to drive you to sin.
Your anger is unneeded and unhelpful and likely to drive you to sin.
There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it.
I think we lie to ourselves with this “righteous anger” thing. We baptize our own anger, and call it God’s, but God has His own and doesn’t need yours. Your motives are too mixed, too messy. Bring your anger to God, that’s real, but leave it there.
If anger is a spontaneous emotional response to our will being opposed,
then yielding our will to God’s will
includes yielding our anger to God’s anger.
our wrath to God’s wrath.
Hard to do.
Obviously that’s hard to do. This requires an inside-out recreation of who you are. That’s what Jesus is about.
This requires that you know and trust God. If I don’t know God and don’t trust Him, I have to fight for MY will, and I need my anger as fuel to do that.
Holding on to my anger reveals a lack of trust in God’s Will and God’s Word and God’s Love.
… and we’re only half done with the verse.
Matthew 5:22 (ESV)
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother (raka) will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Scorn is worse than Anger???
Scorn is worse than Anger???
Well, if you don’t call your brother “raka” you are fine.
Jesus adds these two to anger. Raka is a word of insult, a word of contempt. It may have originated in the sound to bring up spittle “rakkkkkka.” It means “empty” as in empty headed, as in “you’re dumb!”
To call someone “dumb,” that’s worthy of being brought up on charges to the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court as far as their concerned.
And to call someone a “fool.” Well, you can read what the Bible has to say about fools. Contempt and scorn and probably anger too! All of together!
Really, we need some profanity to capture the tone here. You have some special words that you call someone who is REALLY worthy of your contempt. On the count of three, everyone say it! One. Two. Please don’t.
Contempt and scorn.
That person is “liable to the hell of fire.” Literally the fires of Gehenna, the valley where Jews had once sacrificed their children to Molech and now where they burned garbage and disposed carcasses and “all kinds of filth.” So possibly a reference to eternal judgment or, I think, to the worst place Jesus could think of.
Scorn, contempt, is ultimately a denial of their personhood, a violation of the soul.
The person you are calling “dumb” or “fool”… they are made in the image of God. I’m not saying they are perfect, or doing the right thing, they’re probably into some stupid stuff.
What Do We Do With Anger and Contempt?
What Do We Do With Anger and Contempt?
Remember, these are not laws for the Kingdom… they are pictures of what the fruit of righteousness will look like in our lives. But most of the fruit part of the picture comes next week.
I had to draw the line somewhere… I knew this would be a long one.
If you are transformed by Jesus, trusting in His Will, knowing His perfect wrath and perfect love, and that His command to you is love, freedom from anger and contempt comes for free.
Which we will see more in the “therefore” that follows, positive illustrations of the Kingdom heart.
Scorn and contempt just go away. But anger...
But dozens of times, the Bible commands you “Let it go.” “Let your anger go.”
This is not like saying “Calm down” to someone when they’re angry. That never works.
It is not “pretend you’re not angry.” The emotion, especially that spark, that is real, that is human, and apparently that first spark is not sin. Feel it. Be real. You can express it to God, David sure does.
But then, let it go. Not into the air. Into the hands of God. If you’re right, and your anger is righteous, then He’s angry about it too, He is WRATHFUL, and He can and will do something about it.
It may not be what you want done about it. But His Ways are higher and better and smarter and actually work.
Anger, then, the emotional response to your will being “thwarted” or blocked or obstructed… that becomes a signal to submit your will to His.
Anger becomes a signal to submit your will to His.
You know where I find the best place to do that? Spiritual disciplines are going to help us throughout our responses to the Sermon on the Mount. We’ll get real intentional with these come January, but there’s one in particular that really helps me take my will and submit it the Lord’s will...
That’s worship. That’s praise.