◎Rafael Franco（Carey Theological College 大學生宿舍主任）
Text - Matthew 5:21–26
How challenging is it for you to navigate conflicts? Is it hard to control how you react when something doesn’t work as intended? How much anger do you carry without even noticing? As I prepared this article, I felt compelled to pay close attention to my thoughts and emotions, realizing that there was an underlying anger within me that had gone unnoticed.
When we consider anger today, we often think of significant societal issues like hate speech, war, terrorism, and violence. However, it's often challenging to recognize how anger operates within us in our daily lives. Few confront its roots, but only Jesus can truly address humanity’s anger.
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reaffirms the law and utilizes his authority as the Messiah to elucidate its full significance. He, as the embodiment of God's image, the Christ, presents how the people of the Kingdom are expected to conduct themselves.
He begins with affirmative statements (The Beatitudes) and now introduces Antitheses (negative declarations) marked by the words “do not”. There’s a prevalent aversion to the idea of Jesus dictating “do not,” perhaps rooted on the belief that restrictions on behavior are bad. However, we’ll see that restrictions are essential for human flourishing. Jesus reveals that the Law is about becoming who God intended us to be. He outlines how we should behave concerning anger, adultery, justice, and more. Today, our focus is on anger.
In Jesus affirmation, anger is the seed of violence. Anger is likened to murder - You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. The most startling statement in this passage is Jesus equating anger with murder—both subject to judgment. If you commit murder, you face judgment; if you unjustly get angry with someone, you face judgment; if you insult someone, you face judgment.
For Jesus, anger is comparable to murder because it serves as the seed from which violent behaviors sprout. It is the external manifestation of an internal condition. What's astonishing is that anger, being an emotion, is something we can feel but not necessarily control and it is important for us to be able to change what is wrong. Yet, when this seed of anger takes the heart and blossoms, it can lead to uncontrollable, destructive behaviors.
Examples of Anger:
• Verbal Outbursts
• Physical Aggression
• Passive-Aggressive Behavior
• Silent Treatment
• Clenched Jaw or Fists
• Ruminating Thoughts
• Withdrawal
• Sarcasm and Cynicism
• Passive Resistance
• Intense Irritability
To address the external expression of anger, Jesus calls for internal transformation.
He desires his followers to have hearts aligned with their actions—an inside-out transformation. He not only wants obedience to the Law but also hearts aligned with goodness. In Jesus view, to be perfect means to be mature, to have hearts in harmony with virtuous behavior. Failure to live up to this standard invites judgment because anger erects barriers in relationships.
Jesus wants to break down these barriers, and to win over anger he urges us to reconcile. There’s a clear call to prioritize reconciliation over devotion. Jesus promotes reconciliation as an act of worship. As the apostle Paul says:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:17–19)
But how? There's a way: Ask for Forgiveness; Rebuild Trust; Find out what happened; and Search for solutions. It is pressing to learn that fixing broken relationships takes precedence over devotion. Our calling is clear:
“Do not” be driven by anger - Settle disputes quickly with your adversary.
When it comes to anger, it dominates us, making us feel powerless over our actions. But the good news is that Jesus reigns over every aspect of the universe, and if we submit to him, he will transform our inner lives, replacing anger with a peace that surpasses understanding.
The prevalence of anger in our world may make this calling seem distant, but every step toward peace is significant. Perhaps this message is for you to reconcile with someone. Maybe you need to reach out and mend a broken relationship. Or perhaps you need to forgive yourself and release the anger that's holding you back from experiencing the peace of God. My prayer is that the peace of God may come to your life as you work with Him to be part of the reconciliation He intends for us.
