Gracious Jesus 3 – Kingdom Lifestyle Part 1 Sample

Anger and Hurt

Straight off the back of the announcement of “fulfilling the law”, Christ’s first example is anger vs. murder (the fifth commandment). He then goes on to explain the true meaning of the fifth commandment.

Anger is a natural passion; there are cases in which it is lawful and laudable; but it is then sinful, when we are angry without cause. The word in Greek is “eike”, which signifies, “sine causâ”, “sine effectu”, “et sine modo” - without cause, without any good effect or without moderation; the anger is then sinful.

Traditional Perspective

Traditionally, the act (murder, adultery, etc.) is considered the sin, not the thought, feeling or words. The act is to be condemned and liable to capital punishment (Exodus 20:13).

People who perform the act, for example, murder, are socially blacklisted and spiritually marred.

Traditional Punishments

The Jews had three capital punishments, each worse than the other:

• beheading, which was inflicted by the judgment
• stoning, by the council or chief Sanhedrim
• burning in the valley of the son of Hinnom, which was used only in extraordinary cases

Christ’s Perspective

Jesus condemns ‘anger’, ‘pride’ and ‘hatred’, and they can be placed at three separate levels corresponding to the Jewish levels.

• Anger: Christ declared that the thought, feeling or words (anger) is as sinful as the act (murder)
• Pride: “Raca” meaning “you empty fellow;” is a scornful word, and comes from pride
• Hatred: “You fool”, is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred.

This shows us that we are not in a position to judge anyone as we are sinners too.

Reconciliation

If you are the hurt party, do not wait another minute, but forgive, preferably in person.

If you have caused hurt, do not wait another day, but seek forgiveness from God and the people you hurt. Don’t wait for anger or bitterness to set in.

We are all guilty. Only Christ can absolve us of our sins. Without reconciling with others, we cannot reconcile to God.

2 Cor 5:10 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

Implications Today

Though anger and murder are spiritually, sins, socially and legally, murder has greater consequences.

Are we taking conscious steps to deal with hatred, anger and pride in our lives? Have we forgiven all who have hurt us and asked forgiveness from those we have hurt? Do we constantly bring our thoughts and attitudes before the Lord for His cleansing?