The Danger Of Anger!
Matthew 5:20-26
Anger
in America
In his
2007 article "All the Rage," Andrew Santella observes that anger is a
prominent emotion in American life. Our politics is dominated by angry
rhetoric; cases of road rage are increasingly common. The shelves of local
bookstores are full of books explaining both the benefits and the dangers of anger.
In fact, many of the books are "Wrath Lit": published written rants
on various topics.
Peter
Wood, in his book A Bee in the Mouth, writes that a sure sign of America's
problem with anger is the tone of its politics. "For the first time in our
political history, declaring absolute hatred for one's opponent has become a
sign not of sad excess, but of good character."
As
prevalent as it is, anger is a bit mysterious; it can be either one's greatest
liability or one's greatest asset. Carol Tavris, author of Anger: The
Misunderstood Emotion, explains:
I have
seen people use anger, in the name of emotional liberation, to erode affection
and trust, diminish their spirits through bitterness and revenge, and tarnish
their dignity with years of spiteful hatred. And I watch with admiration those
who use anger to seek truth, challenge complacency, and change the injustices
of life.[1] It looks like the world is
seething with rage.
Recently, I was talking with a
Christian friend of mine who has been enduring tremendous pain and not
receiving the necessary medication on time. He was so vexed and paralyzed with
pain, and he told me, "I feel angry at the system; this pain is bringing
out the worst in me, and I want to kill somebody." I prayed for him and
calmed him down.
It
made me realize that, although anger has some benefits, it is far more
dangerous than we often think. Politicians manipulate people's anger to sway
votes. Some justify their anger by claiming it runs in our family. In our
series on Words From the Mountain, Jesus shifts his focus from general
pronouncements and their blessings to how Christians live a Kingdom Life.
He
warns us about factors that harm our relationships and prevent us from enjoying
a good quality of life. One of these is Anger. I titled this message: "The
Danger of Anger: Matthew 5:20-26." What does the Bible say about this
powerful emotion and its impact on human life?
I.
Beyond The Surface Living Of The Scribes and Pharisees
Matthew
5:20, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus
is not advocating that we must do more works to enter Heaven; on the contrary, entering
Heaven is more a matter of the heart.
The scribes and the Pharisees were more concerned
with the ceremonial practices than with the moral law. He used the analogy of a
dirty cup to expose their inner greed and self-indulgence (Matt 23:25-26). Jesus compared them to whitewashed tombs that looked
beautiful on the outside but were full of dead bones on the inside. Similarly,
the Pharisees looked righteous on the outside, but on the inside, they were
full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Jesus wanted his followers to go beyond surface-level
practices of the law, drawing their attention to matters of the heart. Jesus
said, Matthew 5:21-22, "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…Anyone who says You fool! Will be in danger of the fire of hell."
Jesus was referring to
the sixth commandment that says, "You shall not Murder." Ex 20:14. Then
he goes on to stress what causes someone to commit murder, or the root of
murder, which is anger! If someone is angry at a brother or sister in the
family without reason and remains angry, that amounts to committing murder. Let's
look at what the Bible says about anger.
II. Anger
and Its Biblical Significance.
What
is Anger? A simple definition: "Anger is a strong feeling of displeasure,
annoyance, or hostility that you experience when you feel wronged, hurt, or
blocked from a goal." It is a normal human emotion that ranges from mild
irritation to intense rage. Anger is a universal emotion. Including children
and saints, people everywhere all have the propensity for anger.
Anger
itself is not bad; in fact, it is necessary, as noted in the Harvard Journal,
"In certain situations, anger can be a helpful emotion. It might motivate
you to leave a toxic workplace or relationship, solve a perplexing problem,
fight for a righteous cause, or take other actions that hold at least the
potential of being rewarding and satisfying."[2] So, what is bad and
harmful?
Some
experts refer to it as extreme anger.[3] It happens when anger
becomes a consistent pattern and goes beyond normal levels. For example, if
someone knocks you down on a busy street, ignores you, and walks away without
apologizing, it's normal to feel upset, and some might even swear or yell. But
extreme anger happens when you get mad at others repeatedly for no real reason,
like misplacing your car keys, being cut off at the cashier line, being cut off
while driving, waiting at traffic lights, or being stuck in slow traffic. Then,
anger becomes a pattern.
Jesus
was referring to extreme anger when he said, "Anyone who is angry with a
brother or sister." When you become angry without reason and hold onto
that anger for a long time, extreme anger takes hold of you. In the Bible,
several people with terrible anger issues did regrettable things. Cain, out of rejection and anger, killed his
own brother Abel. Gen 4:4-6.
Moses
killed an Egyptian to bring justice to his fellow Hebrews. Ex 2:12. At the
waters of Meribah, out of pride in disobedience and seemingly in anger, Moses
struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it, which disqualified him from
entering the promised land. Num 20:10-11.
Embittered
King Saul, fueled by jealousy and anger, relentlessly pursued David to kill
him. I Samuel 18. 4. Prov 22:24–25, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered
person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their way and
get yourself ensnared.” Let's look at the negative impact of unbridled anger on
our health and personal relationships.
III. The
Danger of Anger
There is a lot of information warning us
about the dangers of uncontrolled anger. These dangers include communication
failures with loved ones and family, loss of trust, verbal, emotional, and
sometimes even physical violence. Long-term anger can also cause several mental
and physical health problems. Even more importantly, uncontrolled anger can
block our main relationship with God and damage our good reputation.
A Telugu proverb says, "Your Own anger
Is Your Greatest enemy." Unfortunately, many people are fighting with
an inner enemy, anger that is stronger than them, and becoming victims of its
destructive power. Are you or your loved one struggling with extreme anger? Here
are a few clues to help determine. When the following things happen in your
relationship:
Intense disagreements that escalate quickly. Ruminating
over the same issues repeatedly. Intimacy in your relationship has been
affected. Frequent or worsening conflict in a relationship. Screaming and
name-calling during arguments. Giving a partner the silent treatment when angry.
Seeking revenge or harming others as a result of anger. Becoming physically or
verbally aggressive when angry. Struggling to communicate or shutting down
completely. Etc." [4]
IV. Scriptural Antidote for Overcoming Anger
When you're feeling intense anger, you may need professional help to learn how to manage it. We cannot fight anger on our own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can learn to control and even overcome it. First, address the issue quickly. Eph 4:26-27, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Secondly, make every effort to get rid of the following: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Eph 4:31. Thirdly, ask the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in you, Gal 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
[1] Andrew Santella, "All The
Rage: Why everyone is angry and why we must calm down," UTNE magazine
(November/December 2007), p. 36
