I’m not a doctor or a psychologist, but sometimes I still think that I’m one (malpractice alert!). I once knew a very angry man who died of a heart attack, and it didn’t surprise me. I believe—though I could very well be wrong—that his anger ate him up from the inside out and contributed to his death.
We often overlook what Jesus said about anger, but we shouldn’t. After all, Jesus knows more about the subject than anyone who has walked the face of the earth. Let’s see what He said and how we can apply it to our lives.
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’”
“But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).
Jesus addresses the core issue of violence and murder. He understands that anger and insults start inside a person before they ever act out in harmful ways.
I remember being asked to officiate a funeral for a young man involved in a bar fight. He thought he knew karate, but he met someone who really did. The man who killed him kicked him once in the head. The young man fell, sustained a head injury, and died soon after.
That fight started because of underestimation, likely drunkenness, and internal anger. Without that anger, drunkenness, and exchanging of insults, his death never would have happened.
Sometimes, I wonder how God feels about all the violence in the world today. For instance, the Rohingya people are facing severe persecution in Myanmar. I believe the world’s largest refugee camp is in Bangladesh, where the Rohingya have fled for safety.
How can someone harm an entire population? By becoming angry with them and thinking they are less than human.
Look around the world and see where innocent people are suffering the horrors of war. The enemy sees them as less than human, which makes their deaths acceptable in their own eyes.
Whether it’s someone in a bar fight or a nation dropping million-dollar munitions on another country, the underlying mindset is exactly the same. Insults, seeing others as less than human, and acting out of anger and revenge all stem from an internal state. This internal state leads to the kind of harm that results in premature death through violence.
Many people think they can avoid responsibility because they hold so much power. They believe they won’t be held accountable. However, Jesus highlights that the attitudes leading to such destruction will ultimately face God’s judgment. These attitudes and actions carry the risk of eternal punishment in hell.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Let’s think about where Jesus made His next statement on forgiveness and reconciliation. The setting shows us just how deeply Jesus believes in these principles.
“So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Jesus was teaching in Galilee, but His words imagine someone in Jerusalem at the temple. If they remembered a dispute with someone, they would have to make a journey of several days back home just to fix what was wrong. Then—and only then—could they travel back to the temple to present their offering to God.
I’ve never had to travel a great distance to ask for someone’s forgiveness before worshiping God. However, there have been times during prayer when God has stopped me and told me to make things right with a specific person.
One wonderful thing about seeking or giving forgiveness is the complete freedom that follows. By doing so, we not only free others, but we also free ourselves.
Jesus’ teachings hold great wisdom, and we should follow them even when it’s hard to do so.
Living in Hell
Rufus Moseley was a Pentecostal preacher from about 100 years ago. He had a saying that I think is incredibly important when we consider unforgiveness, insults, and excessive anger.
He said people are “living in hell on the way to hell.” Then, he flipped it around and said we don’t have to live that way: we can live in heaven on the way to heaven.
People who embrace anger and insults or who look down on others might just be living in a hell of their own making, on the way to a hell under God’s judgment.
Let’s make sure that we are living in heaven by following God’s will while we’re on our way to heaven.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 