Daily Devotional For Tuesday, September 17, 2024
It’s Terrific Tuesday and we are continuing to look at Matthew 5:21-26, where Jesus says this:
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ (22) But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (23) Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, (24) leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. (25) Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. (26) Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent” (NASB).
Over the next few days we are going to break this down. So, let’s start where we left off yesterday – verse 22 — “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell” (NASB).
We know from other Bible passages that God is not against us becoming angry because He Himself gets angry. Anger is not a sin; it is what we do with it that makes it a sin. Experts will tell you that anger is the one emotion that brings a person the closest to committing murder. Anger leads to hatred, which leads to murder—in the heart if not in the act. Anger and hatred are so deadly that they can even turn to destroy the person who harbors them.
The Bible says this in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (NASB). There is such a thing as “righteous anger.” There are times as Christians we should be angry– angry at abuse, angry at sin, angry at abortions that occur, angry at racism just to name a few. Jesus is not advocating peace and harmony at any cost. How do I know that? Twice Jesus lost His temper at the Temple, turning over money-changer tables and driving those people out. Jesus got angry when His disciples tried to keep children from Him. There is righteous anger. There are things going on in our schools where our innocent children are being exposed to those things that are wrong and sinful, sinful things in our communities, institutions, businesses which we should vocally speak out against.
In this passage, Jesus is not talking about anger from these things. Instead, He is talking about selfish anger. In this case, it is anger against a brother. The Greek New Testament word translated as “anger” is [ὀργίζω, orgizo]. Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“This type of anger has to do with brooding, simmering anger that is nurtured and not allowed to die. It is seen in the holding of a grudge, in the smoldering bitterness that refuses to forgive. It is the anger that cherishes resentment and does not want reconciliation. The writer of Hebrews identifies its depth and intensity as a “root of bitterness” (Heb. 12:15)” – Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 294).
Jesus says this type of anger is murder. This is why Jesus says this in Matthew 5:22a, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court . . . “ (NASB). To be guilty before the civil court in Jesus’ day meant you would have been guilty of murder and deserving of the death penalty. Anger merits execution, because the fruit of anger is murder. It’s this selfish anger that Jesus condemns here – anger that simmers, smolders, grows and refuses to forgive and forget. An anger that holds grudges, and that seeks ways to get even. This is an anger of the heart that is also guilty of murder. The Bible condemns this type of anger in other verses:
- James 1:19-20, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, (20) For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (NASB).
- Colossians 3:8, “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” (NASB).
- Ecclesiastes 7:9, "Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools" (NASB).
- Proverbs 22:24, "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man" (ESV).
Even pagans felt this kind of anger was wrong. “Cicero said that when anger entered into the scene, ‘nothing could be done rightly and nothing sensibly’. In a vivid phrase, Seneca called anger ‘a brief insanity” (Source: William Barclay, The New Daily Bible Study Series, “Matthew,” Vol. 1, p. 160). The danger of this type of anger Jesus condemns is not that it only leads to murder in one’s heart, but pride of one’s own self-righteousness. We think and justify our anger against another believer as if we are their judge, jury and executioner. Tomorrow, we will look at this very same kind of anger that leads to name-calling either openly or in our heart.
Questions To Consider
- Are there any people, especially believers, that you hold a grudge against? When their names come up or you see them, love is not your first thought. Jesus says, “You are guilty of murder.” What will you do with this truth and why?
- What are the situations or conditions where you have righteous anger that does not lead to sin? You can have righteous anger, but it can quickly become unrighteous. How? Has this ever happened to you? What did you do?
- Scripture shows us the times Jesus got angry. Had you been there, what do you think you would have been thinking, doing and reacting? Why?
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 14:29, “If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are” (GNT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, to be honest before You, I must confess there are people I resent and hold a grudge against. I do not forgive them nor forget their offenses. Please forgive me of murder towards them. Please give me love for them as You love them. I love You Jesus and one of the proofs is that I will forgive, forget and do good to them. I ask You help me with this. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly