Dead to Me - the Sin of Unresolved Anger

Open: Fall out at Linney’s Grove Baptist from traditionalism. “Just because grandpa said it, doesn’t make it so.”

Transition: It is good to know our heritage and we should respect those who have gone before us. We have the responsibility, however, to ensure that the traditions of our religious fore-bearers line up with the Word of God

READ the Text: Matthew 5:21-26.

Kingdom Citizens will recognize that man-made traditions can hide the meaning of God’s Law (Matthew 5:21)

Explanation: Jesus has told His audience that His purpose was to fulfill the law, not to abolish it (Matt. 5:17), and then he discussed the dangers of loosening any of the moral commandments (Matt 5:19). Then He makes a staggering statement that shocked His listeners when He said, “except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20)

Jesus then proceeds to illustrate what this statement means. He addresses five life topics that cover a wide range of everyday life for Kingdom citizens (Matt 5:21-48) and the first one is the topic of consideration for today’s message.

He addresses the issue of tradition when He states, “ye have heard that it was said by them of old time ...” (Matt 5:21). Jesus is referring to the twisting of the Law by the scribes and Pharisees. They had lessened the meaning of the 6th commandment and taught the people their tradition instead of God’s intended meaning.

NOTE: The importance of a pastor / leader teaching biblical truth cannot be overstated. The people in this time did not have easy access to the printed Word (the OT). The printed copies were few and in the possession of the leaders for the most part. Therefore, these leaders were responsible for passing on bad teaching! It is still true that pastors / teachers will be held to a greater accountability (James 3:1), but YOU do not have any excuse for failing to check what is being taught with the Word of God!

Jesus IS the true interpretation of the Law (Matthew 5:22-26)

A. Kingdom Citizens are to understand the importance of the internal consequences of God’s moral law (Matt 5:22-24)

Explanation: The Pharisees focused on the external aspect of the law to the omission of the internal spirit of the Law. The religious leaders could rightly state they had not physically killed anyone so that meant in their minds that they were being obedient to the 6th commandment.

Jesus, speaking with authority as the 2nd person of the Trinity and as the Incarnate Word, corrects their misunderstanding and abuse of the Law by revealing that those with hatred and bitterness to others were just as guilty before a Holy God as those who physically murdered another human being.

Point of Clarification: The physical action of deliberately taking another life and the mental action of hating / resenting / despising another are both sinful in the eyes of God. The consequences of those actions are vastly different. The consequence of murder in the 1st degree is either execution or life in prison (in a perfect system of justice [which we do not have!]); the legal / societal punishment for unresolved anger is a non-issue as no human court of law can diagnose the heart.

Argument: We who are in Christ know the One who CAN and DOES judge the motives of the heart.

“for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7)

“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

Jesus is not necessarily presenting a progression of sin and consequences. He is however, pointing out the seriousness of our words and thoughts towards another image-bearer. We can pretend it is not that big of a deal when we only focus on externals. Sinclair Ferguson says, “we treat the damage we do with our lips very lightly because we do not see the corpses we leave behind.” (Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World, by Sinclair Ferguson, p. 83)

Illustrate: Talking with Rick, (an inactive church member) during his mother’s surgery. He had a falling out with his brother years earlier and he told me that he hated him and was just waiting for his parents to die and then he was going to kill him. I shared with Rick that his attitude was sinful and was not in line with biblical teaching.

“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even unto now.” (1 John 2:9)

Application: Perform an attitude check on your life - physical AND spiritual. Recognize the truth of what Jesus declares. If you have unresolved anger or hatred toward a brother or sister in Christ, agree with God’s evaluation of the situation and acknowledge your guilt before a Holy God.

B. Kingdom Citizens will act to resolve anger issues and attempt reconciliation without delay (Matthew 5:23-26)

Explanation: Jesus does not simply offer a diagnosis; He also prescribes a corrective. He commands those who are in His kingdom to act towards resolving the conflicts. He gives two examples to illustrate how we are to respond when we are faced with unresolved anger / bitterness / resentment / deep-seated prejudices, etc. The first example involves a person leaving a worship service in order to make things right with a fellow believer, and the second involves a business or civil conflict / dispute with another person.

Argument: Both examples serve to underscore the importance of KC’s taking action to resolve the problem. Ignoring it or hoping that it will simply go away is NOT an option. As John MacArthur puts it, “As long as there is internal sin, outward acts of worship and not acceptable to God . . . reconciliation must precede worship.” (The MacArthur NT Commentary, Matthew 1 - 7 , by John MacArthur, p. 296)

Application: Describe the Forgiveness Ceremony that is done with the inmate parents during the Friday seminar. Ask those present to imagine going through such a ceremony.

Whose name is on your card? Who do you need to reach out to in a spirit of reconciliation. Another comment from MacArthur may be helpful at this point: “we cannot change another’s heart or attitude, but our desire and effort should be to close the breach as much as possible from our side.” (MacArthur, p. 297)

Read Hebrews 12:14-15: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”