None of us would think about murdering someone else. We are appalled with the very idea. Yet, where does murder begin? Anger without cause! That's right, anger in the heart is where murder starts. Now, how many of us are in danger of committing murder?

In this article we will examine Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about anger. It is important to know that in this section of the Sermon (Mt. 5:21-48), Jesus contrasts what the traditions of the "old timers" taught with what God truly meant. Each section begins with a statement, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time..." (Mt. 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43), followed by Jesus' assessment, "But I say unto you..." (Mt. 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44). Jesus is not "correcting" Moses, but simply reinforcing what God taught through Moses. Their traditions had blinded them to the truth.

Is Unjust Anger Justified?
Jesus said, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill [murder, NKJ]; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment" (Mt. 5:21). On the surface, this seems like the truth. After all, Moses did write, "Thou shalt not kill [murder, NKJ]" (Ex. 20:13). Murder is intentionally taking innocent human life. Under the Law, it was punishable by death (cf. Gen. 6:9; Ex. 21:12-14; Num. 35:16-34). The "judgment" to which Jesus refers may be a human court of law or to the last day (cf. Mt. 5:27), but in either case, the murderer is held accountable.

However, based upon Jesus' response to this saying, tradition taught that as long as one did not "pull the trigger," he was justified in whatever treatment he saw fit toward his brother, no matter how harsh. As Jesus continued, He showed that unjustified anger is wrong, for it is the seed of murder!

Murder Begins With Anger
Jesus answered what they meant by "Thou shalt not kill [murder, NKJ]" by saying, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (Mt. 5:22). Truth says that murder begins with an attitude of anger, or hatred. "Brother" probably here refers to one's fellow man (cf. Lev. 19:17-18), but how tragic it is when spiritual brothers are angry at each other! This person's anger is "without a cause," which means that there is no just reason why he is angry at him. This anger expresses itself in spiteful name calling. "Raca" is a term of abuse, likely derived from an Aramaic expression that meant "empty headed" (Max Zerwick, Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament, pg. 11). "Thou fool" must be kept in this context of unjust anger. It is not inherently sinful to call someone a "fool"—Jesus did (Lk. 12:20)—but when anger is behind it, we must not do it! Of course, in our culture, we may use other words (i.e., stupid, jerk, etc.), but the same principle applies-we must not use these terms as expressions of anger. Those who use words of derision motivated by anger are in serious danger. The "council [court, NKJ; Sanhedrin, NIV]" refers to the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. "Hell fire" (literally, "the Gehenna of fire") is the place of eternal punishment (Mt. 5:29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33). The point is that we will be held accountable even for our words (cf. Mt. 12:36), and if we do not curb our anger, the consequences will get worse, even to the point of "hell fire"! Being angry at our brother is serious, and we must repent!

Anger Renders Worship Unacceptable
Since harboring anger and resentment is incompatible with God, one who harbors such anger cannot worship God acceptably. Jesus said, "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Mt. 5:23-24). The two-fold equation for worshiping God acceptably is that we worship Him "in spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24). "In truth" refers to doing the specific actions authorized by His word (cf. Col. 3:17). "In spirit" refers to having the proper attitude. The proper act of worship must correspond with the right attitude and life (Isa. 1:11-15; Amos 5:21-24; Mic. 6:6-8 cf. Mt 6:14-15). It is impossible for us to have the right attitude in worship if we are harboring anger and resentment toward our brother. In the example Jesus gave, there was something more urgent-to be done "first"-than completing an offering; namely, being "reconciled to thy brother." Obedience to God is more important than outward "sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22-23; Hos. 6:6). We cannot obey God when we harbor anger and resentment toward our brother.

We Must Seek Harmony
Jesus concluded this section on anger by urging, "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing" (Mt. 5:25-26). We must not delay in establishing friendly relationships. An "adversary" is an opponent in a lawsuit (cf. Lk. 12:58; 18:3; 1 Pet. 5:8). "Quickly" shows the importance of haste, and "while in the way" shows where the friendship is to be established, because once the consequence of anger gets to the courts, it is too late.

Anger, in and of itself, is not sin (cf. Eph. 4:26). However, some anger is sin. What makes us angry? Are we angry at our brother? Why? Is it because we think he has offended us? If so, why not go to him (Mt. 18:15-17)? However, if we are angry at him without just cause, how can we expect to worship and please the Lord? We must let go of any anger and resentment we may be holding against our brother, be reconciled to him, and pursue peace and harmony.