Be Angry And Sin Not
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
There are hundreds of preserved statements from our Savior, that he spoke during his earthly ministry, that God kept for us to digest, discuss, and develop our faith in.
Some of the passages are motivational, some of them are thought provoking, while others can leave us questioning what is meant.
Of that last category I often have questioned what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:21-22.
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.
So this evening I want to consider this passage in light of Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:26-27 which read…
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
Because, in reality, these two passages are parallel passages.
Murder Is Sin
Murder Is Sin
No Sane Person Denies This
No Sane Person Denies This
They Jews were not wrong in their book of traditions for writing and believing that “if someone commits murder they will be liable to God’s judgment.
13 You shall not murder.
6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood
Summary
Summary
So, to be clear Jesus is not condemning their take or even their stance on the sinfulness of murder and the fact that, if one commits murder they will be judged or found guilty of murder.
So, why does Jesus then say…
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.
Jesus is doing that which he was often known for doing, when teaching his disciples and the common man of that day.
What Jesus is striving to do is get his disciples and those listening to him to dive deeper into the cause of one murdering another.
That “cause” for murder is found to be two-fold in Matthew 5:22.
So then…
What Is The Cause?
What Is The Cause?
Being Angry With One’s Brother
Being Angry With One’s Brother
How can being angry with someone lead to murder?
After all, everyone here has found themselves angry with their spouse, child, parents, siblings, coworkers, friends, etc.…
The answer to this is simple in all reality.
When we have been angry with someone we didn’t stay angry with them.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger
We listened to the word sound words of God and kept murder from taking place.
But as you and I also know, the bible is filled with illustrations of individuals murdering people and every time we find a common thread, anger.
Cain was angry with God and Abel and killed him.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Moses, while living in Egypt, got angry at the Egyptian taskmaster and the way he treated his fellow brethren and murdered that man because of it.
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Absalom, the son of David, found out that his half-brother Amnon had raped his sister Tamar. For two years his anger simmered in rage and eventually this led Absalom to murder Amnon.
23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.
Paul held in anger the coats of the Jews that stoned Stephen for preaching God’s word.
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
1 And Saul approved of his execution.…
The reality is anyone not capable of letting their anger towards another go is not only a candidate to take one’s life, but is likely to do so.
There is no question why so much violence and seeking to murder others is taking such a hold in our country at this time.
Anger is an emotion we all are created with, and when used properly, in the context, it is good.
Those seeking to live a godly life in Christ will be angry at sin and what it does to their fellow man.
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil…
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
We are to be angry and “sin not” which means we are to be angry and hate every false way, every sin, and what it does to us and those we love, our neighbors.
However, anger is not an emotion we can continually control which is why we must put it away and not continually dwell on it.
Because if we cannot put away the sin we have towards sin, it will fester into a hatred for the one we are fixated on as sinning, to which the apostle John writes…
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
This, of course, is only the first of the two-fold cause for murder.
Anger is the first cause, but the other is…
Considering One’s Brother A Fool
Considering One’s Brother A Fool
Again notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22.
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.
Now I must admit, this is the part that used to give me pause and question what is being considered by Jesus here.
How can calling someone fool be sinful if we find God calling people fools throughout the scriptures?
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
We, God’s faithful children, are to even judge or determine if one is a fool or not.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
The answer to this question lies in the understanding of what Jesus means by “fool” here.
Remember, the context of the passage which is “that which leads to murder.”
If a person is already so angry that it is leading him to consider murder, what will push that person over the edge?
Would it not be to consider the person “foolish to the point of being unworthy of living?”
This is the thrust of Jesus underlining cause for murder.
When someone gets so angry they are willing to consider murder, and then find reason for that murder by considering that person worthless, you find murder taking place.
However, every human is made in the image of God and certainly not worthless.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
Summary
Summary
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Conclusion
Conclusion
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Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
