TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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. Matthew 5:21-22a
Read: Matthew 5:21-22
Listen: Matthew 5
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Jesus’s listeners likely nodded their heads in agreement when he said murderers would be subject to judgment. The command to not murder is the sixth of the Ten Commandments God gave his people (Exodus 20:13). Most people in the crowd had probably never broken this familiar command. Imagine their shock when Jesus equates anger to the same judgment as murder. Rather than feeling self-righteous, the group recognizes they’re all guilty. Jesus presses beyond outward behavior to the spirit behind it.
We often feel the most self-righteous when somebody does something to us. We are at risk of deep anger when a sibling steals the inheritance, a friend woos away our boyfriend or a co-worker cheats his way to a promotion. Human tendency nurses the hurt, holds the person accountable and simmers and sulks in pain. To let them off the feels wrong. Jesus shows how holding contempt and vilifying a person is equal to murder. We kill the relationship, maybe their reputation and reckon them unworthy of connection. We erase them from our lives and move along feeling justified.
Jesus cares deeply about the condition of our hearts. He knows the “fruit” of murder begins with the “root” of simmering contempt just as the fruit of kingdom behavior begins with the root of a kingdom heart. Jesus meets us in our hurt because he did what we never could. He suffered these wounds without caving to the human tendency of sinful anger and contempt. He can grow a kingdom heart in us too.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Spend time talking to God about where you hold anger toward someone. Ask God to help you release control to him and see the person as he sees them. “God, I confess I hold this deep anger and cannot let it go on my own. Please give me your strength and courage to release this hurt to you. Help me see the person who wounded me as you see them. Amen.”
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Acts 23.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
