Bible Passage: Matthew 5:21-22
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.

A father was angry and was scolding his young son. The son, in all his innocence, turned and asked the father: “Are you murdering me?” Father: “Why? What do you mean by that?”

The son replied: “My Sunday School teacher was teaching us from Matthew 5. She said Jesus taught us that “anger is murder”! So, I was wondering: “Are you murdering me, Dad?”

Lesson? What our fallen world thinks and what Jesus thinks about anger – and all aspects of life – are polar opposites.

This is Jesus’ radical teaching recorded in Matthew 5-7, what we call the Sermon on the Mount.

The main message of Matthew 1-4 is: “Meet the King!” The first four chapters are an “Intro” to Jesus. Then, the thrust of Matthew 5-7 is “Meet the King’s Subjects”.

Jesus is not correcting the Old Testament. He is correcting the Pharisees’ flawed misunderstanding and flippant misapplication of it.

Most seriously, he was concerned about their fatal disobedience to God – displayed in their casual unlove of neighbor – in all areas of their personal and national lives which would warrant hell.

Thus, area by area, Jesus not only teaches them about the true meaning of each of the 10 Commandments but he also “radicalises” each law. Jesus’ main concern is what God desires from his kingdom people in this new Messianic Age ushered in by King Jesus.

Jesus highlights six examples of a true disciple’s redeemed attitude to God’s law which was completely contrary to the Pharisees’ nominal teaching on these (Matthew 5:21-34).

In this first example: “Do not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement”. Jews know this as the 6th commandment given by God through Moses. If a Jew committed this, he would appear before a court and be judged.

Jesus, on the other hand, radically declared that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement.

He is referring to not just the outward act of murder but the hidden or inner attitudes of spiteful, bitter and vindictive anger that calls a brother, “raca”. This was an Aramaic swear word meaning “you blockhead, you idiot”.

This is not just mere anger but contempt of any kind, “put downs” and character assassination of someone made in God’s image.

Anyone who has these hidden attitudes will be judged – not by the Sanhedrin – but by God. And, if found guilty, will face the punishment of hell.

Such façade-stripping and exposing teaching! We never thought we would be guilty of murder!

Have you never wished someone dead?

Sometimes in a moment of self righteousness and meltdown against others, have we not wished away our spouse, parent, child, friend, teacher, colleaque, boss or pastor. Or, worse still, wished them dead?

Our twisted logic is: “I will be happiest when THAT person is no longer in my face or, better still, out of my life … forever!”

Lesson? All vindictive and vengeful anger lies at the root of murder. The end we seek is no less than the removal of the person. Only then will we be satisfied and our scores settled.

Have we not been guilty of this? How can we get out of all our deeply-entrenched heart failures?

If we live long enough – be it as a tempetuous child, angsty teenager or angry man or woman – we should honestly confess there is no such thing as anger management.

Ultimately, we can’t deal with anger – or any sin – by suppression. We can only truly overcome anger – and all sins from our total depravity – by surrender. Surrender to Jesus. Why?

Jesus comes along – as God’s end time Messiah – to offer us the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ kingship is the start of God’s rightful rule over us and the end of our wrongful rule over ourselves.

Jesus declares that he has come not to abolish but to fulfil the Law. The theme of fulfilment is important in Matthew’s Gospel.

It firstly signals that Jesus alone brings to completion all that God demands and desires of his people – revealed in the Law and the Prophets – in his perfect life, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

It, then, signals that Jesus alone maxes out the good demands of God’s law upon us. In Ronald McDonald’s lingo, Jesus has come to “upsize God’s glory” in our lives when we live according to his Word.

With the coming of Jesus, we enter the new age of the Messiah where his people are endowed to embrace a life of Godliness or holiness on steroids.

ACTION for “Godly Conversations & Prayers” after our church Services:
Share ONE truth from Jesus’ teaching (in Matthew 5:17-48) on anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation and loving enemies which has challenged you. The point is to share your obedience, not your opinions!

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I humbly acknowledge I cannot deal with my anger and my sins by suppression. I acknowledge that I have become a rationaliser of sin, instead of a confessor of sin. I confess I may be a church goer or ministry doer but not a God pleaser. I surrender my life and, especially, my anger to you Lord Jesus. I am truly sorry for the times I “wished away” or “wished the demise” of my loved ones or friends. I trust in the new life that Jesus alone can offer. Hear my prayer O God. Amen.