The Heart of Anger憤怒之心

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire. So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:21–24 CNVT

「你們聽過有這樣吩咐古人的話：『不可殺人，殺人的必被判罪。』「可是我告訴你們，凡是向弟兄發怒的，都要被判罪。誰若罵弟兄：『你這蠢貨！』，就要被公議會判罪；誰若罵：『你這白痴！』，就罪該送入烈火的地獄。」所以你在祭壇上獻供物的時候，如果在那裡想起你的弟兄對你不滿，就當在壇前放下供物，先去與弟兄和好，然後才來獻你的供物。

INTRO: Typhoon or fire breaking and destroying things. This is what sinful anger does. It leaves a wake of destruction to everything in its path. Some of you grew up in homes like this, some of you still live in homes like this. What Jesus is going to tell us is that sinful anger leads to WHAT?

We have been walking through Jesus’ words over the last few weeks and this week is no different, to hear and receive what Jesus is saying is going to require a lot of humility.

In verse 21 Jesus begins and says

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.” 「你們聽過有這樣吩咐古人的話：『不可殺人，殺人的必被判罪。』

Jesus is restating for these people the sixth commandment. Murder is wrong. This is a no brainer for most people. Most of the world, Christian or not, still believe that it is wrong to take another persons life. And if that’s all the law was. Hey just don’t kill anyone. A lot of us would begin to think we are doing pretty well. We are good people! I’ve had several conversations with people who don’t believe in Jesus, and this is a common thing they say, “listen, I haven’t killed anyone”. I am a good person. But watch what Jesus does here.

Verse 22 “ But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.”「可是我告訴你們，凡是向弟兄發怒的，都要被判罪。誰若罵弟兄：『你這蠢貨！』，就要被公議會判罪；誰若罵：『你這白痴！』，就罪該送入烈火的地獄。」

Ouch. What is Jesus doing here? When people used the phrase “you have heard it said” that phrase can mean “this is how you have interpreted this” OR “this is how you have understood”. Therefore when Jesus says “But I tell you” He is not opposing the law, but rather He is bringing correction to the common understanding and interpretation that people had. Illustration? For example, right now, so many people think they are experts on everything. People put a YouTube video up on a subject and they talk like they are an expert. But what I enjoy seeing is when these people actually encounter someone who really is an expert, and the true expert brings clarity and understanding. Jesus is an expert of the law. HE said it last week that He alone fulfills the law, so He alone can bring us the true meaning, the heart behind the law. This is just what He does. So far, murder wrong. Yes. But, Jesus says, “everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults His brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says “You fool!’ Will be subject to hellfire.” While most everyone would agree that murder is wrong. OUR WORLD RUNS ON ANGER! Think about it, everyone is offended at something, people are constantly LOOKING for reasons to be offended. And church people are no different. So

Jesus is showing where the law actually points. You see it would have been easy for Pharisees to walk around and tell people how righteous they were because they had not committed murder. And Church family how easy is it for us to simply point to our actions, point to our behavior, and check a box and say “I’m good”. But Jesus says to you, listen here, you and I do not need to be saved from sinful actions only, but sinful hearts. Like we said last week as humans we are not good at obedience. We are good at making excuses, finding loopholes, shortcuts around obeying God’s law and submitting to God’s reign. But here Jesus says we aren’t falling anyone. That deep in our hearts under the surface of the water is this dangerous thing called sin: sinful anger, that begins to rise to the surface and destroy all that is in its wake.

The word Jesus uses here for anger is a word that refers to rage, wrath, and it has a picture of uncontrollable rage. Think of the hulk. Sinful anger just takes over. Jesus says that this sinful anger not only comes out in our actions, but it comes out in our speech. If anyone “insults” or says “you fool!” You will be liable to the judgment of hell. Stop and think about this church family. How many of us have been loose with our tongue? How many of us are guilty of insulting and cutting people down with our speech because of sinful anger? And we fool ourselves by thinking that “Well at least I didn’t hit them, or I didn’t physically harm them” but Jesus says don’t you see, murder and these insults both find their root in the same sin “anger”. I would guess that everyone listening to this message is guilty. These words “raca” and “fool” are not the same. “Raca” means “Stupid idiot! Dummy! Moron!” “Fool” expresses contempt for someone’s heart and character. If “raca” insults the brains, “fool” insults the heart. Together, they imply that someone is worthless, good for nothing. Jesus says this type of sinful anger is an offense against God. Men, I want to speak to you for a moment. Many times we believe that anger will give us power over our kids or our spouse, power over people we work with. We believe that if we say it like we really mean it, then they will listen and it will get the point across. Jesus says that type of anger deserve the punishment of hell.

James 3:8 CSB

but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:8 CNVT

可是沒有人能夠制伏舌頭；它是喋喋不休的惡物，充滿了致命的毒素。

1 John 3:15 CSB

Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

1 John 3:15 CNVT

凡恨弟兄的，就是殺人的。你們知道，殺人的在他裡面沒有永生。

Verse 23-24 “So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”所以你在祭壇上獻供物的時候，如果在那裡想起你的弟兄對你不滿，就當在壇前放下供物，先去與弟兄和好，然後才來獻你的供物。

Your anger is not only an offense towards God but sinful anger also shatters relationships. Just like a fire, just like a typhoon. The context here is worship. God is not concerned with your external behaviors alone, HE is concerned with the state of your heart. Church family the elders and our wives have rayed and been praying that city light would walk in this kind of love and holiness. First, Jesus says. The first thing you need to do is not come and worship, but go and seek reconciliation. Jesus says when we are worshipping and we remember that someone has something against YOU! Not that you remember you have something against someone else. We are more likely to remember when we have something against others than when we have done something to offend others.

How much is reconciliation our responsibility?和解是我們的責任嗎？

Jesus walks away from people Paul had some relationship stuff with Barnabas and Mark Romans says “as long as it depends on you”

Trust the Holy Spirit and His conviction. If you had gone and sought forgiveness. That is all you can do. Reconciliation takes two people. If you have sought forgiveness and tried to make it right, but the other person has not forgiven or allowed you to make things right then they are in a place where they need to deal with God. But if you know you’ve caused offense, and you’ve done nothing? Today, it is more important to be reconciled to a brother than to go to church, since worship is a sham if anyone hates his brother and fellow worshiper.

Keep a short list church family.

1 Corinthians 13:5 CSB

is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13:5 CNVT

不作失禮的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易動怒，不計較人的過犯；

Times I’ve had to do this. Many times. Repented. Asked for forgiveness.

GOOD NEWS

Close with, but please will listen to me a little bit longer. The law is a mirror: this is what Jesus is doing. He is holding up the mirror of the law. Why? So we might be rescued and given a greater righteousness. A righteousness that doesn’t come from us stuffing all of our anger down and just trying to control our behavior and constantly do damage control. Rich one of the elders here always reminds me that the Holy Spirit always convicts IN HOPE. That’s what Jesus is doing for us here. If we will allow Him and be honest before God, Jesus offers us something so much better.

Our Anger Reveals what We Love Most

Is all anger wrong? No. Jesus gets angry.

Jesus’ anger is a reflection of what He loves most. That is the glory of God.

Never overreacted, but never under-reacted either. We are the opposite.

Tim Keller says that uncorrupted anger is actually a form of love憤怒是愛的一種形式。. Anger is the response to something or someone that is threatening what we love or who we truly care about. THIS IS SUPER REVEALING. This is Jesus’ perfect anger. Zeal for His Father’s righteousness, His Father’s glory. Anger towards men’s callous hearts towards the poor and suffering. All legitimate reasons to be angry. But I would guess that doesn’t describe our anger does it?

Your anger is like a fire alarm that is revealing what you love. And in our world what we love the most? Ourselves.

When we love ourselves most, then we hate everyone or everything that threatens that.

Dads we love our comfort so we get angry at our kids when they threaten that. Mom’s we love our image, so we get angry when people threaten that. All of us love our free time and get angry when people threaten to take that away. Sinful anger reveals our idolatry.

Here is the good news.

The Gospel Is for Angry People. The Gospel is not for perfect people who never struggle with anger, Jesus came for angry, bitter, unforgiving people. Like you and like me.

Paul was a violent angry man.

Only Jesus can deliver us from our anger, but then when God looks at us HE sees us as if we have Jesus’ righteous anger and not our own…Something like that. Or a greater love.

That night, Aslan comes to Eustace and leads him to a large well "like a very big round bath with marble steps going down into it." Eustace describes the scene to Edmund after the fact. He says the water was so clear and he thought if he could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in his leg (from the gold bracelet he had put on when he was human). But Aslan told him he had to undress first. And doesn't God ask this of us? As Lewis wrote in Letters to Malcolm: "We must lay before him [God] what is in us; not what ought to be in us.” Eustace found that no matter how many layers of dragon skins he managed to peel off of himself, he was still a dragon. “Then the lion said - – ‘You will have to let me undress you.’ I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. “The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. “Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off ... And there was I as smooth and soft than I had been. C.S. Lewis ends the story this way: "It would be nice, and fairly nearly true, to say that “from that time forth Eustace was a different boy.” To be strictly accurate, he began to be a different boy. He had relapses. But The cure had begun."

Would you come to Jesus and let Him take this away from you. You can not do this yourself. You must come to Jesus and deal with your anger.