Matthew 5:21-26
"Under the laws of Moses the rule was, `If you murder, you must die.' But I have added to that rule, and tell you that if you are only angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgement! If you call your friend an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and suddenly remember that a friend has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar and go and apologize and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and he drags you into court and you are thrown into a debtor's cell, for you will stay there until you have paid the last penny."
(Does a step come to mind???????????????)
Notes:
5:21,22 What Jesus said, "But I have added to that rule," he was not doing away with the law of adding his own beliefs. Rather, he was giving a fuller understanding of why God made that law in the first place. For example, when Moses said, "Don't murder." Jesus said, "Don't even become angry enough to murder, for then you have already committed murder in your heart." The Pharisees read this law, and not having murdered, felt very righteous. Yet they were angry enough with Jesus that they would soon plot his murder, thought they would not do the dirty work themselves. We miss the true intent of God's Word when we read his rules for living without trying to understand why he made them. Are there ways you keep God's rules but miss his true intent?
5:21,22 Killing is a terrible sin, but anger is a great sin too because it also violates God's command to love. Anger in this case refers to a seething, brooding bitterness against someone. It is a dangerous emotion which always threatens to leap out of control, leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and other destructive results. There is spiritual damage as well. Anger keeps us from developing a spirit pleasing to God. Have you ever been proud that you didn't strike out and say what was really on your mind? Self-control is good, but Christ wants us to practice thought-control as well. Jesus said we will be held accountable even for our attitudes.
5:23,24 Broken relationships can hinder our relationships with God. If we have a problem or grievance with a friend , we should resolve the problem as soon as possible. We are hypocrites if we claim to have a right relationship with God while we have wrong relationships with others. Our relationship with others reflect our relationship with God (1 John 4:20).
IS IT RIGHT TO GET ANGRY?
Numbers 25:6_Life Application Bible, The Living Bible:
But one of the Israeli men insolently brought a Midianite girl into the camp, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as they were weeping as the door of the Tabernacle. When Phinehas (son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest) saw this, he jumped up, grabbed a spear, and rushed after the man into his tent, where he had taken the girl. He thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into her stomach. So the plague was stopped, but only after 24,000 people had already died. Then the Lord said to Moses, Phinehas (son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest) has turned away my anger for he was angry with my anger, and would not tolerate the worship of any God but me. So I have stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended.
Note:
It is clear from Phinehas' story that some anger is proper and
justified. But how can we know when our anger is appropriate and when it should be restrained? Ask these questions when you become angry: 1) Why am I angry? 2) Whose rights are being violated (mine or anther's)? 3) Is the truth (a principle of God) being violated? If only your rights are at stake, it may be wiser to keep angry feelings under control. But if the truth is at stake, anger is often justified, although violence and retaliation are usually the wrong way to express it (Phinehas' case was unique). If we are becoming more and more like God, we should be angered by sin.