What Would Jesus Say (Part 4)

Heart Issues

Matthew 5:21–23 ESV

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Matthew 5:24–26 ESV

leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Prayer

Central Idea of Text (CIT): Controlling your anger before its too late.

Introduction:

Opening Illustration: In 1993, a woman named Mary Johnson received the worst news a mother could imagine—her 20-year-old son, Laramiun Byrd, had been shot and killed at a party. His killer? A 16-year-old boy named Oshea Israel. Overcome with grief and anger, Mary wanted nothing more than for Oshea to suffer the way she had. She went to his trial, watched him get sentenced to 25 years in prison, and left the courtroom filled with rage.

For years, that anger consumed her. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t move on, and every time she thought about her son, she was filled with hatred. But something unexpected happened—she started feeling like the anger was controlling her, not Oshea. One day, she decided to do something radical. She went to the prison and asked to meet the man who had killed her son.

Oshea was stunned. He expected her to yell, to curse, to blame him. Instead, she told him that she forgave him. She told him that her heart couldn’t take the weight of hatred anymore. The two began meeting regularly, and over time, something even more unbelievable happened—when Oshea got out of prison, Mary helped him find a place to live. Not only that, but they became close friends. Today, they live as neighbors, travel together, and share their story to help others learn about the power of forgiveness.

Truth Statement: Mary had every reason to stay angry. She had lost something that could never be replaced. But Jesus tells us that holding onto anger is just as dangerous as acting on it. Anger destroys our hearts, our relationships, and our future. Mary didn’t just forgive—she set herself free from the prison of anger.

Opening Question: If someone can forgive the person who took their child’s life, what excuses do we have to hold onto anger?

Let’s look at what Jesus says about how we deal with conflict and anger before it destroys us.

1. Control Your Anger

Matthew 5:21–22 ESV

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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.

Explanation: What are we seeing here? Jesus is again highlighting the Pharisee attitude. People caring too much about the rules and not understanding the heart behind them. The Pharisees new the rules. The 10 commandments say that you shouldn’t kill, so they lived by that. However, they still lived angry and did everything but murder. How many of y’all have had a parent give you a rule and you did all you could to find a loop hole? Same thing. Jesus is saying murder is bad, yes, but he’s saying being angry at your brother is just as bad!

Doctors say that uncontrolled anger can cause all kinds of health issues. Anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive issues, etc. Its important to deal with your anger and control it without letting it build up inside you. Anger is disruptive and will hurt you over time. Jesus is serious about it. He says it’s as serious as murder, take care of it.

Illustration: Have you ever been in a heated fight with someone before? A friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend? Imagine you’re in the heat of the moment, then your mom calls. How do you answer the phone? As politely as possible. You have more control over your anger than you think. Come to Jesus about it.

Application Question: Have you ever let your anger get out of hand? Have you said something hateful to someone because of your anger? Do you feel like you have control of it now? How do you usually handle your anger?

God wants us to handle anger before it causes damage. Pray, take a few deep breaths, be calm, talk things out.

2. Clear the Conflict

Matthew 5:23–24 ESV

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Explanation: What do y’all think Jesus is trying to get across here? Jesus says that fixing broken relationships is more important than just going to church or praying. You can follow all the religious practices you want to, but it doesn’t matter if you have heart issues. Snarky comments, attitude, hateful remarks, talking about others behind their backs, he wants you to get rid of it all before attempting anything at the church.

If we want to be close to God, we have to make things right with others first. I was once told that if its not right this way (point from chest forward), it can’t be right this way (point from chest upward.)

Illustration: Imagine you have a water pipe in your house that leads to the sink. Water is supposed to flow smoothly through it. But over time, food, grease, and dirt build up inside the pipe, and before long, the water can’t get through.

Now, let’s say you keep turning on the faucet, expecting water to flow. Will it work? No! The pipe is clogged. Until you clear out the blockage, nothing can flow through.

Jesus is saying the same thing about our relationship with God. If we have unresolved conflict with someone—whether it’s bitterness, grudges, or harsh words—it blocks the flow of our connection with Him. We can pray, worship, and go to church, but if our hearts are clogged with anger or unforgiveness, something is still blocking that relationship.

The only way to fix it is to clear the pipe—to make things right with others before trying to move forward with God.

If your relationships with others are clogged with conflict, your relationship with God will feel stuck too. Fix the blockage, and the connection is restored!

Sometimes, you can be right. Sometimes, you’re not the one at fault. However, its better to take a punch to the chin to keep things okay between you and others. Jesus is a perfect example of a sacrifice of love and forgiveness. We are called to mirror that in our lives.

Application Question: Is there someone in your life you need to make things right with? What is holding you back from taking that step?

How does unresolved conflict affect your heart and emotions? Have you ever noticed it impacting your relationship with God?

3. Choose Peace

Matthew 5:25–26 ESV

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Explanation: Jesus warns us not to let problems grow bigger. If we wait too long to fix things, the situation can get worse and harder to repair.

It’s not always easy to say sorry first, but do y’all remember what the bible told us to be in verse 9? Jesus wants us to be peacemakers. He says we will be blessed and called the children of God.

Choosing peace doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you. It means handling problems with kindness and wisdom. You can voice your side of the disagreement without being rude. Jesus’s opinions opposed many around him, yet he handled situations with grace.

When we choose peace, we reflect Jesus. Jesus forgave us even when we didn’t deserve it. We should forgive others and make peace no matter the circumstance. If we don’t soon enough, we could cause permanent damage.

Picture

Illustration: There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

The little boy then understood how powerful his words were. He looked up at his father and said, “I hope you can forgive me father for the holes I put in you.”

“Of course I can,” said the father.

Application Question: How many of y’all have been in a situation where an argument changed your relationship with someone? How many of y’all look differently at someone because of how they treated you? How can you be a peacemaker instead of letting your anger take control of you?

Conclusion:

Jesus calls us to deal with anger the right way. He wants us to let go of bitterness, make things right with others, and choose peace. The Bible says, in Ephesians 4:26

Ephesians 4:26 ESV

do not let the sun go down on your anger,

That means the day you get mad, should also be the day you forgive. When we do this, we show others what God’s love looks like!

Anger is a normal emotion, but how we handle it determines the direction of our relationships and our walk with God. Jesus isn’t just telling us to avoid fights—He’s telling us to check our hearts and make things right before anger causes lasting damage.

So, as we close, I want to leave you with a few questions to think about:

Is there someone you need to forgive or ask forgiveness from? What’s stopping you from taking that step?

Are you letting anger or bitterness build up in your heart? How is it affecting your relationships—with others and with God?

Are you quick to hold grudges or quick to make peace? What kind of example do you want to set for others?

If Jesus can forgive those who put Him on the cross, what does that mean for how we should forgive?

Anger can either control us or be controlled by us. Jesus calls us to release it, to reconcile, and to be peacemakers.

Let’s not let anger control our relationships, our joy, or our connection with God. Instead, let’s take Jesus’ words seriously and clear the conflict before it’s too late.

Closing Prayer

Bible Passage: Mt 5:21–26

Summary: In Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus challenges His followers to go beyond mere external adherence to the law regarding murder and to consider the internal struggle with anger. He equates anger with serious moral failure and emphasizes the deep need for reconciliation, encouraging believers to take proactive steps towards repairing their relationships before engaging in worship.

Application: This message can profoundly impact teens by encouraging them to recognize and address their feelings of anger in constructive ways. It will empower them with the tools to initiate reconciliation with friends, family, and even themselves, leading to personal growth and healthier connections within their community.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that dealing with anger is essential for living a life that honors God. It highlights the idea that reconciliation and understanding among individuals reflect God's love and justice, urging teens to embrace this responsibility in their daily interactions.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage foreshadows Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, where reconciliation became possible for all humanity. By teaching about the heart's condition, Jesus anticipates His passionate ministry of love and forgiveness, inviting believers to follow His example in their relationships.

Big Idea: Taking the steps to reconcile and heal from anger opens the door to experiencing genuine community, reflecting God's kingdom on earth.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider immersing yourself in the commentaries on the Sermon on the Mount available in your Logos library. Look for insights on how the implications of anger relate to the wider biblical narrative of reconciliation and forgiveness. This exploration can help you develop a nuanced understanding of how Jesus' radical teaching transforms interpersonal dynamics, which can resonate powerfully with a teen audience.