Matthew 5:21-24 (ESV)
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.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Losing your temper is not the way to get rid of it. Dealing with anger is exacerbated today by our hectic lives. Traffic jams, long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicle, and the McDonalds employee giving you the wrong order and no straws, among other things, all have their ways of ticking us off.
Some have battled their anger so much that courts mandate they enlist in "anger management" classes in order to help them both understand and deal with their anger.
In this passage of His message on the mountain, Jesus deals with the subject of anger. He explains how that a murderer would be held liable to judgment according to the Law, however, He compares anger to murder under the New Covenant! Furthermore, insulting your brother will cause you to have your day in court before the council, and finally, if you were to call your brother a fool, you could be in danger of hell fire! WOW!
I have to pause and wonder how many "amens" Jesus got on that one! I bet you could have heard a pin drop when He shared those words!
Anger is destructive and dangerous. In fact, anger is just one letter shy of "danger." Scripture is replete with warnings against anger. Usually anger manifests itself with the intent of damaging someone else, their property, or their character. Jesus goes straight for the heart of the matter by addressing how even calling someone a fool can be dangerous. Jesus vehemently opposes character assassination and so should we!
Jesus is so serious about this issue that He explains one must first be reconciled to their brother BEFORE they bring their gift to God. WOW! God is serious about our relationship with Him and others. John wrote, "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." (1 John 4:20 ESV)
Bottling things up inside is not the way to deal with your anger either. If there is an issue, go to your brother in a spirit of meekness and humility and address the matter.
If you feel that your worship is not what it used to be, maybe it's because you have unresolved anger in your heart. The tragedy is that if you don't deal with it God's way, it will turn into resentment and then bitterness. Bitterness is like a weed that will consume you, and eventually defile you and others around you.
Usually a preacher would tell you to go to the altar and "pray through" over your situation, but in the case of unresolved issues, Jesus tells you to leave the altar and first be reconciled, THEN come back and offer your worship. Obviously prayer and worship are imperative and cannot be ignored, but your prayers will be hindered and your worship hampered if you do not first deal with your anger.
So, let me ask you one final question, "Is it well with your soul?" If yes, then keep on keeping for God and His Church! If it is not well with your soul, then go and be reconciled today.
