The Problem with Anger

Continuing our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22

I’m sure we would all agree that, in most cases, to kill a human life is wrong. Jesus reminded us of that in these verses, referring to the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. After quoting the sixth commandment (“You shall not murder”), He then listed 3 examples where emotions and speech will also be held accountable: anger with a brother or sister, an insult to a brother or sister, and an offensive remark to someone.

God is not just interested in our outward actions but how we treat each other with our words and what lies within our hearts.

Sometimes anger is justified (for example, when we see somebody being bullied, or when we hear of regions of the world that suffer without food or clean water), but “anyone who is angry” refers to unrighteous anger in this case, the sort that comes out of hatred or self-importance.[1] This is the sort of anger that festers in the pool of hurt pride, the kind that is expressed unchecked when we forget to have mercy or compassion.

To say “Raca” to a brother or sister is the same as insulting somebody’s intelligence. It is the same as calling a person a moron or stupid, with deliberate intention to belittle them. Even if we do this in jest a humble person will check his motives and be sure that the person on the receiving end truly receives it in good humour.

In Jesus’ third example, to say “you fool” goes deeper than “Raca”. It assaults a person’s character, like accusing someone of being corrupt. In a world where verbal barbs are traded without restraint on social media or in the public arena, how might we as children of a new Kingdom demonstrate a different reality? How might we as followers of Jesus encourage an alternative narrative where our words heal and restore rather than hurt and divide?

The verses that follow will begin to address that, we will examine these in next week’s devotion. In the meantime, The Bible has much to say in other places about how God wants us to treat people, especially when emotions are running high. Here’s just one example from the Apostle Paul: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6

[1] See 1 John 3: 15