Just Another Killing

So, when was the last time you murdered someone? That's a pretty blunt question isn't it? But I am not (for once) being sarcastic. When was the last time you murdered someone? “Well, I never have!” you may be thinking. “Stop this presumptuous nonsense!” But according to the bible it is not nonsense. See, in Jesus’ sermon on the mount He stated, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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.” (Matthew 5:21–22) “Oh is that all.” you may be thinking. “I thought you really meant killing someone!” But I am. See that is Jesus’ point: when you get mad, you are just as bad as a murderer in your heart. I think because we are not actually committing the act, we take this too lightly. But Jesus didn’t mean for this to be taken lightly. He meant to do exactly what it is doing to you right now…cut to your heart. Think of a horrible person that went to prison or was executed. Like Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, Jeffery Dahmer, the bike path rapist, Timothy McVeigh, the beltway sniper, Cain etc. Whenever you get mad, your heart is EXACTLY like theirs. Who would have thought you would ever be compared to such people?!

Yet this is the point Jesus is trying to make. We too often look to the outside, the actions alone. Where God looks at the heart. So let this sink in very clearly: when you get angry at someone your heart looks just as evil as someone like Marylin Manson! And why is this? It is because it is all the same emotions. It is all selfishness. We get angry when we do not get our way. It's just that some people yell, scream and slam things to get what they want. While others kill a person to get what they want. But it is still rooted in the same emotions. “Yeah but I didn’t actually kill someone! So it is not as bad as that.” you may be thinking. And while, yes, there is a bit of truth in that, it is because of that thinking that people don’t think being angry is all that bad. This is why Jesus had to teach this. People were thinking it was not a big deal to get mad and call people names as long as they didn’t physically hurt someone. But Jesus wants us to see the truth. And the truth is that it is just as bad. Even if you think you are justified in your anger. John Chrysostom said, “No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.”

We need to see our anger at this level of volatility if we are going to be serious about curbing it. It reminds me of that scene in Lion King where Simba learns the truth about his dad’s death and how it wasn’t him but his uncle that was responsible. Simba jumps on Scar and yells “MURDERER!” When we come to the truth about ourselves when we get mad…murderer! Edward Welch on this passage said, “You see where [Jesus] is going. Jesus has just enlarged the boundary of murder so that it includes all kinds of anger. In order to do this, he links them at the level of the heart, where they share the same lineage of selfish desire. We want something-peace, money, respect-and we aren't getting it. The only difference is in our choice of weapons. Some use guns, others use words.” Ever call someone an “idiot”, “jerk”? Maybe something a little stronger? Even angry name calling falls into this. “Jesus is putting casual name calling within those same murderous boundaries.” Welch And if you think that is a little far-fetched, Proverbs reminds us that, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts…” (Proverbs 12:18a)

I'll ask again: when was the last time you murdered someone? Using the standards laid out by Jesus, it is probably more recent than you realize. So, realize the true condition of your heart when you get angry. It is a lot more ugly than you realize. Know that anger doesn’t resolve anything. This has nothing to do with being right or wrong. This has everything to do with your emotions and how you handle being right in a situation. As Neil T Anderson said, “When you resort to shouting in conflict, you are reacting in the flesh. You have lost control of the only person you can control: yourself.” And just to make sure no one is avoiding the indictment here, anger has many faces. Just because you may not yell, scream, stomp or throw things, doesn’t mean you are not angry. Anger doesn’t always equal loud. Anger can rear its ugly head in many ways; grumbling, gossip, cold shoulder, complaining, indifference, controlling, irritable, sarcasm (that one hurts), defensive, criticizing, jealously, eye rolling, envy, avoidance or giving someone the “silent treatment”, annoyed, entitlement and more are all forms of the same angry murderous heart.

So, take up your cross. Die to yourself. Kill the anger within you by the power of God’s Spirit. Resist the temptation (which is not beyond what you can bear) to give into those angry emotions next time you are crossed. Because every angry harsh word is like another killing. You are stabbing that person(s) with your words. Jesus means it to be that dire. And because our anger is that dreadful, we need to be more serious about addressing it. “Do not say, "I cannot help having a bad temper." Friend, you must help it. Pray to God to help you overcome it at once, for either you must kill it, or it will kill you. You cannot carry a bad temper into heaven.” Charles Spurgeon