May the mumbling commence!
Welcome to anger management Matthew 5.0! Yesterday, we thought a little about the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter five. Today, we finish with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount that Matthew records in chapter five through seven. Jesus’ sermon has great depth, so it is impossible to do it justice with just two days worth of reflection.
I won’t even attempt to cover all of it. Just note that all of the words of today’s Scripture passage were words spoken by Jesus. To symbolize this, I will have all the words in red because some Bibles put all of Jesus’ words in red letters.
So I choose to focus on a couple of different passages that deal with anger. Anger in and of itself is not evil. It is the way we process our anger that has the potential to become evil. Read a couple of verses from Matthew chapter five.
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Verses 23-24)
Worship is rendered futile if we have a relationship problem with one of our Christian brothers or sisters. Well, it is impossible to control how our Christian brothers and sisters act toward us. It is nearly impossible to relate well with all our Christian brothers and sisters all of the time. But we do have a measure of control over our own attitudes, thoughts, and actions. Jesus points us not to times where others may have offended us but he points us to times when we have offended other people.
“First, go and be reconciled.” That is what Jesus tells us to do. Talk about a large dose of humble pie! Only then can we rightly worship the Lord our God. The impetus is laid squarely upon me. I hold myself responsible for my own attitudes and thoughts and actions. That will help others deal with anger. When we go to be reconciled, it is difficult for the offended party to remain angry for long.
But, what about when we are offended or injured by someone else… what do we do? Read some more from the fifth chapter of Matthew:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Verses 38-42)
Jesus’ words are clear: do not resist evil. What does this look like? Suppose someone strikes your right cheek. In Semitic culture, one does everything with the right hand. If you are struck on the right cheek by the person’s right hand, which means the person assaulting you has backhanded you. To backhand someone is to demean them – treat them as a lesser person. By turning the other cheek, you are inviting the other person to treat you as an equal – to slap you openhanded. That is where meekness shows its power to restore relationships!
Suppose someone wants to sue you for your clothes. Give them your coat as well. They will be shamed by your generosity – you will be standing in your underwear! Meekness has the power to shame the power hungry.
Suppose someone (likely a Roman soldier) would ask you to carry his pack for a mile (which a Roman soldier was allowed to do). You would feel demeaned and used to be an instrument of your own mockery. Insist on going another mile. If a Roman soldier was caught having a person carry his pack for more than a mile, he would get in trouble. Talk about turning the tables – who has power over whom! Meekness has the ability to share power equally.
Suppose someone asks for a loan. Give to them freely without expecting repayment. Turn away from no one – despite poor credit scores and past experiences. Meekness shares the power of wealth.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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