Sermon on the Mount: Anger

Sermon on the Mount – Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Matthew 5:21–26 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. 25 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. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

1. Introduction – Last week we were introduced to the section of the SM where Jesus teaches about the Law.

a. We learned that Jesus didn’t come abolish the Law and Prophets – the OT – he came to fill the full.

i. He came to bring them to their highest possible fulfillment.

1. We also learned last time about the kind of righteousness Jesus’ followers are to have.

a. It is to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. – the religious elites of Jesus’ day.

i. Now…on the surface this seems radical.

ii. But the righteousness of Christians exceeds the religious leaders because it isn’t dependent on our strength or our ability to keep rules.

1. Our righteousness comes from being declared righteous before God.

a. Not by seeking to keep an external set of rules…

i. But our righteousness comes from the Holy Spirit working in us…giving us the desire and strength to obey God…when we would be helpless to do so on our own.

b. And in order to show his followers the kind of righteousness they are to have – Jesus takes 6 examples…

i. Where it looked like the Pharisees were just nailing it…and he says, “This is how my followers are to live.”

1. This morning we are going to look at Jesus’ teaching about anger.

a. Again, what we have to keep in mind is that Jesus isn’t trying to reinterpret the OT…

i. He isn’t dismissing it or seeking to correct it.

2. Jesus is correcting a misinterpretation that was popular in the teaching of his day.

a. Yes, each of these 6 laws are found in the OT – but the religious leaders of Jesus’ day reinterpreted them to make them suit their standards.

c. Jesus starts with the commandment about murder…the sixth commandment.

i. But as you will see, Jesus takes this far beyond the actual, purposeful taking of life.

1. Hear God’s Word…Matthew 5:21-26.

a. Here’s who this passage breaks down…and how we will study it today.

ii. First, Jesus explains what was being taught in his day…that’s v.21.

1. Secondly…in v.22 – we have Jesus’ own authoritative teaching on this particular law.

a. And in vv.23-26, we have 2 examples that Jesus gives to drive his point home.

2. What was taught – so let’s begin our journey through this passage by first looking at what was taught in Jesus’ day and why it was in need of correction.

a. Jesus starts out, “You have heard it was said ‘You shall not murder.’” Let’s stop there…

i. Jesus isn’t going to say that all of sudden murder is acceptable.

1. It’s never acceptable to purposefully and with premeditation take a life.

a. Murder, in any civilized society, is unacceptable, illegal and punishable.

i. However, there is a more nuanced understanding of this command.

2. But the nuances of this law…the spiritual aspect of this command was being lost in Jesus day.

b. So, what was Jesus correcting? What was being taught in his day?

i. Well, remember that the religious leaders of Jesus day were concerned with outward righteousness.

1. With keeping the laws so they could check it off their list…

a. So what happened with this law is this…if they didn’t literally, physically and purposefully take someone’s life…

i. Then they thought they were good…they considered this commandment kept, they checked it off their list and they moved on.

ii. But what was happening was the letter of the law was being followed…but the spirit or the intent of the law was being ignored.

1. The intent of the law was to promote healthy relationships between citizens.

a. But if the law is simply reduced to and understood as not killing anyone…

i. Then relationships in society can deteriorate…

1. And you can say and do all kinds of nasty things to each other.

2. But as long as you don’t kill each other – you can say you kept the 6th commandment.

a. As we’ll see in just a bit…Jesus sets out to show his followers that the commandment against murder is about more than just the actual taking of a life.

c. But there’s another misinterpretation of the law that was taking place in Jesus’ day.

i. It was in regards to judgment and punishment for breaking the law.

1. What Jesus sought was to do was reinstitute the fear of God’s judgment.

a. The Pharisees stressed judgment from the Sanhedrin – which was kinda like the nation Jewish court…

i. Obviously, murderers should be tried according to the laws of the land…

1. And obviously that involves a court of law.

2. But when the spiritual aspect of the law is ignored…the divine judgment from that law is also ignored.

d. In his interpretation of this law – Jesus seeks to bring back the balance of judgment.

i. Yes, there are civil judgments that need to be doled out for offenses against fellow human beings.

1. But in God’s kingdom, there is also an offense to God, for not respecting his most prized creation.

a. And whenever someone breaks a divine law…they are in danger of divine judgment.

e. So that is what Jesus is seeking to correct – an only literal and physical interpretation of the law prohibiting murder…

i. And an only human understanding of the judgment and consequences.

3. Jesus’ Interpretation – And in v.22 – we come to the authoritative words of Jesus, “But I say to you…”

a. His authority isn’t based on what other people have taught…

i. But based solely in his power as the Son of God.

1. And notice what Jesus does…he takes the commandment about murder…

a. And he expands it to included the feelings and emotions behind murder…

i. Anger, contempt, name calling, character assassination.

ii. Take the Pharisees for example…they thought they had perfectly kept the 6th commandment because they had never taken a life.

1. But the Pharisees looked down on every other member of society because they didn’t uphold the laws as well as they did.

a. They were angered by peoples’ ritual uncleanness.

i. There was enmity between them and rest of society. So, could they check it off their list?

1. Had they perfectly kept this commandment?

iii. According to Jesus, the commandment against murder spreads far beyond the physical act.

1. Keeping this law also requires keeping feelings in check and not acting out in anger, with insults, with character murder.

a. All of those acts are subject to judgment as well…divine judgment.

b. Let’s talk about what Jesus means by anger here.

i. There are some ancient manuscripts of the SM that have an added phrase.

1. And that added phrase, while most likely not original, can really help clear up what Jesus means.

a. The added phrase is, “Without a cause…”

i. Everyone who is anger with his brother…without a cause.”

ii. You see, Jesus is prohibiting anger…he isn’t saying, “Don’t be angry…ever…”

1. He is saying, ‘Don’t be needlessly anger.” Or as Paul wrote in Ephesians, ‘You in anger, do not sin.”

a. When something is done against us…anger is a natural reaction…most often anger is involuntary.

i. But it is right there…at the birth of anger that Jesus command kicks in: What will we do with it?

1. Will we prolong our anger and cave to it and act of out spiteful anger?

b. Anger happens…and everything depends on what we do with the ‘happening…and what we do with it as soon as possible.

iii. Jesus is speaking about the decision to be angry and the decision to stay angry. “Don’t be angry for anger’s sake.”

1. Jesus is talking about the prolonged, carried around kind of anger.

a. This isn’t a prohibition on anger…Jesus got angry.

i. He cleared the temple because God’s house was being misused.

1. It’s not about not being angry…but directing our anger where it needs to be.

2. Not at a person, but at a sin.

c. But Jesus’ expansion of this law also includes character assassination.

i. While it’s not committing an actual act of murder…

1. Talking bad about someone, spreading lies about someone…attacking their character…will kill a person’s reputation in a community.

a. And Jesus says when we do this, we are also subject to judgment…divine judgment.

ii. Jesus says when we participate in slander and gossip…

1. When we willing contribute to insults…

a. When we seek to ruin someone’s reputation in a community or organization, we are guilty of breaking the 6th commandment about murder.

d. And Jesus also includes name calling.

i. Whoever says, “You fool…” some translations say, “Raca.”

1. Now again, Jesus did call people fools…but he wasn’t insulting their intelligence…

a. He was showing them how they misunderstood his message and ministry.

ii. Name-calling…the playground saying isn’t true.

1. Yes, sticks and stones may break bones…but the wounds caused by those things heal a lot faster than hurtful words.

a. Names do hurt…those words stick with us.

i. And even as I say this…many of you are probably recalling some ugly words and hurtful words that we said to you or about you.

2. Jesus is telling is followers that name calling…insulting someone’s character or their intelligence…using harsh words for the sake of hurting…

a. Those words have no business coming from the lips of his people.

e. Remember…we are talking about a righteousness that surpasses the kind of righteousness exhibited by the religious leaders.

i. They held a strictly literal interpretation of the commandment…

1. But they were angry, contemptable and insulted the rest of the society.

a. So, Jesus is showing his followers 2 things.

i. The religious leaders weren’t as righteous as they claimed to be…

1. And he also showed them how their righteousness was to play out.

ii. Yes, not taking a life….but also not carrying around anger, not ruining someone’s character…and not calling each other insulting names.

4. What to do – And to finish this section off – Jesus gives his followers 2 examples of how to deal with anger and hurt.

a. We really only have time to look in depth at the first one.

i. Notice that Jesus doesn’t give us breathing exercises or stretches or some kind of self-talk in order to redirect our anger…

1. Jesus’ focus in these 2 examples is on one thing and one thing only…reconciliation.

a. His focus isn’t helping us cope with our anger…or harnessing that anger into some distracting technique.

i. No – Jesus’ solution to anger is to make the situation right…is solution is to reconcile.

1. To decide NOT to be angry and instead seek forgiveness.

b. Look at Jesus’ first example.

i. If you are offering your gift at the altar…if you are worshipping God in the splendor of his holiness…

1. Remember, Jesus’ audience was in Galilee…and his example takes them all the way to Jerusalem…to the temple…to the altar…to worship.

ii. So if you’ve made the trek to Jerusalem to worship…but…and I want you to notice the wording here…

1. If you remember your brother has something against you…

a. Notice it’s NOT – you have something against your brother…

i. No, its’s the opposite of what we would expect.

2. You remember your brother has something against you…you are the offender…not the offended…

a. Leave your offering, even though you made the journey to Jerusalem…

i. Don’t offer your gift, make the relationship right first…and then offer your sacrifice.

c. Again, I’ll use the Pharisees as an example.

i. They meticulously kept every minute detail of the law…but the whole time they were judging other citizens.

1. They were balancing one thing with another…thinking that this good act will make up for that evil act.

a. And aren’t we the same way? Thinking that our worship will cover up the insults we spewed?

i. Thinking our worship will cover up the gossip we shared, or the character assassination we participated in.

1. Jesus tells us, good acts don’t cover up bad ones.

2. In fact, so urgent is the matter of reconciliation – that Jesus says we are to STOP our worship and make things right before we continue.

d. Even if you are in church – and the music is going and you’ve got hands raised and you are singing your guts out.

i. Or if you are praying and you’re listening to a sermon…

1. And the Holy Spirit convicts you of an unkind word you spoke to a fellow Christian…or an unkind deed you did towards of fellow believer…

a. So urgent is the matter of reconciliation that Jesus tells us to stop whatever act of worship we are in…and we are seek reconciliation with that brother or sister.

ii. Reconciliation is THAT important God. Jesus basically says, “God can wait.”

1. You cannot be right with God…offering proper worship to him, until you have put yourself right with your brother or sister.

a. Try as we may…an act of worship doesn’t cover our wrongdoing.

e. There’s actually a biblical example of this. King Saul tried to do this.

i. God commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites…people, animals, crops…everything.

1. But Saul didn’t…he kept some animals alive…and thinking that all was good…Saul began offering those animals as sacrifices in praise to God.

a. But as the smoke cleared, the prophet Samuel showed up and asks what was going on.

ii. Saul responded that he was carrying out God’s commands…he was offering sacrifices in worship.

1. But Samuel just lambasts King Saul…and Samuel famously says that what God wants more than anything else is Obedience. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

a. I can totally relate to Saul. I even sorta feel bad for Saul.

iii. You see, we sometimes do not do what God tells us to…and yet, somehow, we feel like even though we willfully disobey him…our worship will cover it.

1. Sure, I insult people…but I’m in church every Sunday. Sure, I harbour a grudge, but at least I tithe.

a. We get this mixed up – thinking that God delights more in sacrifice than obedience.

f. God desire obedience above sacrifice.

i. Leave your gift…leave your worship…your singing, your praying, your listening to God’s Word…Leave it…God can wait.

1. Make it right, Remove the obstacle…bring reconciliation to your relationship…

a. Then come back and offer your worship to God.

5. Conclusion – How do we feeling at this point?

a. Having heard Jesus’ interpretation of the law…do we feel its demands? Who of us can say we haven’t broken this law? None of us.

i. But thank God his terms of reconciliation are easy.

1. He doesn’t require treks or pilgrimages or great feats of strength.

a. Just simply that we seek it out.

b. We are to seek reconciliation in broken human relationship, and we are to seek out and ask for reconciliation in our relationship with God.