26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

You ahve heard - the Jewish religous leaders only described the act of murder as worthy of judgement

Jesus takes it a step further

If you are angry with your brother, blood relative, close friend, co-worker you are friends with

Subject to leagal proceedings

BUT - I tell you, if you are angry with your brother

the first step to murder is an angry heart

soul level spontaneous response that is associated with the need to seek revenge or had out punishment

this level of anger, sometimes called the wrath of God when it is associated with God's judgement for sin

often leads us to say things.....

like calling someone empty headed, stupid - spoken in anger usually is a prideful way of announcing superiority over someone you think is dumber that you are....

And you could end up in front of the local court system -a group of 23 men assigned to handle court cases in a community

or say something even worse - call someone a moron - which is the actual word in the Greek, translated a fool - a word spoken when you wanted to say you have a healthy hatred of someone

you could end up experiencing the fires of hell - Jesus uses the word for the city dump, a place that he often refers to as a great illustration of what hell will be like, a place where there is a fire constantly burning, refuse constantly smoking, burning your nostrils, where the bodies of dead criminals were dumped.....to be burned, decay in the open, or be breakfast for the local rats.....

So exercise this anger - and you could end up in district court or in hell

With community – a reputation of peace in the larger social and legal community – reference to the Sanhedrin – the supreme court of Israel tasked with interpreting disputed points of the law – made up of high priest, chief priests, scribes and elders representing the two main groups of Israel at that time……


Niether one is a place I prefer....how about you?

James 1:19-21 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Something against you

A generic description of some kind of conflict going on...

Hinders worship

Blocks our ability to give in worship

apparently revealed to us sometimes when we are at the altar, or for us in the midst of giving in some way at church

Remedy is simple

Once you realize it, GO and make things right

Restore to a favorable relationship once again

Come back and finish your wroship in giving

According to Roman law, if a person had a quarrel that he could not settle privately, he had the right to order his adversary to accompany him to the praetor. If he refused, the prosecutor took someone present to witness by saying, “May I take you to witness?” If the person consented, he offered the tip of his ear, which the prosecutor touched; a form that was observed toward witnesses in some other legal ceremonies among the Romans. Then the plaintiff might drag the defendant to court by force in any way, even by the neck (see Matthew 5:25), but worthless persons such as thieves and robbers might be dragged before the judge without the formality of calling a witness. If on the way to the judge the difficulty was settled, no further legal steps were taken.
Jesus refers to this custom in the text. When the accused is thus legally seized by the accuser, he is urged to make up his quarrel while on the way to the judge, so that no further legal process should be necessary.


Deal with the consequences of your anger, quickly, without delay......

On the way.....

Before you get to court.....

Michigan supreme court

picture of the Michigan Supremem Court chamber....

You lose control fo the negotiations....

Once in court the risk factors increase


Could end up in prison

Could end up paying full penalty with no mercy

no bargaining opportunity

Beyond Anger page 7

Judgment vs. 21 – reference to legal proceedings, the council of 23 people set up in every town to deal with criminal matters, but an angry heart is also under the judgment of the Lord, so no criminal court can handle the attitudes of the heart

Discipline – go before church leaders – Sanhedrin vs.22

The fire of hell vs. 22 – the valley of Hinnom……the ravine south of Jerusalem that was the city dump, constantly burning, smoldering, the final resting place for the refuse of the community, a dumping ground for executed criminals, where things would would rot, be eaten by worms, snacked on by rats, torn apart and sold for scrap, and at best burned…...

This was Jesus visual example of what hell would be like……

(Illus. Richmond dump story)

Brokenness - Opposite of reconciliation vs. 24

Weariness - Things drag out vs. 25

Bondage vs. 25-26

Mobility – anger will limit the places you have access to – physically and emotionally – places you won’t go because that other person is there for example

Financially – pay the last penny

This whole point is emphasized in James 1:18-20

Disrupted worship - Worship – heart in turmoil over inter-personal conflict blocks effective worship

we can’t give to the Lord because we haven’t given to someone else the gift of forgiveness or grace

First of five teaching events that appear only in the gospel of Matthew

5-7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25

Parallel passage found in Luke 6:20-49

An application of the Christian character explained in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12

This morning’s section is the first of 6 topics in describing how we are to act towards others

Murder

Adultery

Divorce

Oaths

Getting even

Loving our enemies

Retrain your heart by memorizing some verses

Practice keeping your tongue still

Spend time with “peaceful” people

Begin a summer reading list:
Peacemaker
Book on anger

REPENT

The person refuses to talk, or does not respond………..

Control your tongue ("Bless those who curse you;" see also Eph. 4:29)

Seek godly advisors (identify with others and do not become isolated) who have mastered the art of controlling their anger

Colossians 3:8
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Ephesians 4:26
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Keep doing what is right (see 1 Pet. 2;12, 15; 3:15b-16)

Recognize your limits (instead of retaliating, stay within proper biblical channels)

Use the ultimate weapon: deliberate, focused love (see also John 3:16; Luke 6:27-31)

At the very least, these steps will protect you from being consumed by the acid of your own bitterness and resentment if others continue to oppose you. And in some cases, God may eventually use such actions to bring another person to repentance (see 1 Sam. 24:1-22).