Dangerous Anger

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 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. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

-Matthew 5:21-24 (King James Version)

Yesterday, we talked about love. We talked about how we must prove and demonstrate our love. Today, I want us to focus in on a lack of love. 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:21, "Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment." Most, if not all, of you reading this has never killed someone. But, have you killed a relationship with someone? How many relationships are killed each day because of a lack of proven love? In verse 22, Jesus says, "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." You can't be angry and show love all at the same time, and if you try, you'll be in danger of the judgment and hell. 

Then, in verses 23-24, Jesus gives some valuable teaching. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." When we bring our offerings to God, we must not have anything in the way. Anger brings with it a control of your mind. Think about that. When you're angry with someone, or angry at a particular situation, it consumes your thinking. When we're angry with someone, our focus is taken off of God. That is why Jesus says to become reconciled with that person, then come back and offer your gift. 

Who do you need to be reconciled with today? Has anger killed a relationship? Think About It.