But I Tell You: Anger
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
We are going to do a series in a series.
Its a “But I Tell You”
Six times Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said.… But I tell you” (5:21–22, 27–28, 31–32, 33–34, 38–39, 43–44). These words make it clear that Jesus was presenting (a) what the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were saying to the people and, by contrast, (b) what God’s true intent of the Law was.
Professional golfer Tommy Bolt died in 2008 at the age of 92. Because of his memorable displays of temper, many called him Thunder Bolt. He gave advice to others on how to display their displeasure properly on a golf course. One of his favorites was, “Always throw the club ahead of you so you can pick it up on your way.” Another well-intentioned warning was for the angry golfer: “Never break your driver and putter in the same round.” Many believe Bolt’s temper tantrums delayed his entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He defended his excesses by pleading that he never threw a club that didn’t deserve it. He also pleaded that they haven’t yet made as many golf clubs as people have accused him of throwing.
How would you like that to be your legacy?
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
“You have heard that is was said” This statement reflected a age where people couldn’t read. Most of Jesus audience where depended on what they heard.
This was how the Pharisees had such a dominance and control over the people. Because they could read and intellectually they had one up on the people.
So the people where reliant on what the relgious leaders of the day where saying.
This was the covenant God gave Noah after the flood. And it extended to every living creature.
God promised never to destroy the earth with a flood again. There was a promise that the earth would never experience a catastrophic flood. The sign of this covenant was a rainbow. Which God established as a perpetual reminder across all generations. It represented God’s binding commitment to sustain creation and extend mercy to humanity despite human sinfulness.
God established the agreement with Noah, his descendants, and all living creatures.
God committed to maintaining the regular order of seasons and days, which created a stable environment for human civilization to flourish.
God also reaffirmed human dignity as bearers of God’s image
Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.”
Because of the Flood’s destruction of life people might begin to think that God holds life cheaply and assume that taking life is a small matter.
But really by God taking the lives of people He was restoring dignity not taking it away.
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Before the flood there was nothing but corruption. It was corruption and anarchy violence on the earth.
The word corrupt means it was destroyed. So what God decided to destroy was already self-destroyed.
So God wasn’t destroying man but because of the ark He was trying to save man.
Thats why murder and capital punishment is different. One is an attack against the innocent the other is judgement of the guilty.
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Jesus does not relax the provision the law of murder. But He deepens it.
The law went much further then what was perviously understood.
Jesus goes into the root cause of murder which is anger.
Some earlier manuscripts do not have “without a cause” Simply put it says whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgement.
“But, as for myself, I am saying to you that everyone who is provoked to anger against his brother shall be subject to the judgment.” Kenneth Wuest
This anger isn’t a angry for nothing maybe its a angry thats provoked.
“That person intended to offend you. They intended to insult you and hurt your pride.”
Even that kind of anger will be in danger of the judgement.
Usually anger does more hurt then the thing that made him angry.
No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.
John Chrysostom
You have rightoues indignation and then you have ungodly anger.
We should be angry over sin that offends God, harms others, or harms the person that is sinning.
But the difficulty with rightoues indignation is our motives often gets mixed with it.
We can have selective outrage towards sin.
This person sin we are fire up and angry about it.
My personal sin we are grieved and say His mercy endures forever.
Righteous indignation operates as a healthy response to evil, representing an agitation against what violates God’s standards rather than a personal grievance against the wrongdoer.2 The challenge lies in distinguishing your true motivation: Are you distressed because a sin offends God and harms people, or because you’ve been personally affected? When the latter applies—such as feeling embarrassed by your child’s misbehavior—it’s safer to refrain from anger altogether.1
The manner of expression also separates these emotions. Righteous indignation manifests in measured, calculated ways that avoid inflicting physical or emotional damage, emerging from rational deliberation and divine approval through prayer.2 By contrast, anger typically drives people toward destroying their perceived enemy and savoring the victory, with no willingness to suffer for the wrongdoer’s restoration.2
Anger becomes sinful when directed at the wrong target (God, the innocent, or objects), motivated by the wrong cause (personal offense or pride), or leading to destructive behavior.
Conversely, you can recognize righteous indignation when your anger aligns with what angers God himself, expressed justly in response to sin.
The litmus test: if your outrage results in drawing others into a loving, restorative relationship with God, it qualifies as righteous indignation.
