A Sermon on Anger

TEXT: Matthew 5:20-26
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

In the Name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Imagine what it would be like to have a relative who is a serial killer. Imagine the disgrace it would bring on your family. Imagine how horrible it would be.

But now suppose one has a relative who is a church-going Missouri Synod churchman. He is faithful in his giving, regular in the Divine Service, and has even served on various church boards. But there is a problem… He is easily angered. He is quick to give a harsh word. He is known to harbor grudges (unwilling to forgive.) But because he is active in the church and a good-giver, most people overlook his “short fuse.”

Jesus doesn’t overlook this “short fuse.” “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

The Lord’s words don’t seem fair. We have our own morality that says that serial killers, abortionists, and cold calculated murderers are more liable, more guilty, and more sinful than someone who gets angry. But what about someone who is generally a pleasant, loving person, but on occasion looses his/her cool. I mean someone who has a really good reason to get mad. Surely, the Lord would have a different standard for them?

No, there is only one standard. Jesus says, “Everyone.” No one is exempt. That includes you and it includes me. It includes every time you and I get mad at the umpire, my children, my parents, my brother or sister, my teacher, my pastor, my parishioner… anyone. When it comes to the 5th commandment, you and I who get angry are as wicked as Osama bin Laden or Charles Manson or Adolf Hitler “Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says “you fool will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Jesus says it’s not enough to simply stay away from killing someone. No, your lips must be clean too. And not only your lips, but also your heart. You see, if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven then your righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. IN other words, you must live a perfect life in thought, word, and deed. Never sinning. No, not even once. “And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.” (Athanasian Creed)

The Pharisees taught the people that if they simply went through the motions of offering their sacrifices on the altar that God would forgive them. It didn’t matter what the sin was or who was sinned against. Show up at the altar, kill the animal, and “Poof!” everything was all better.
But they were wrong. The Old Testament sacrificial system was meant to be a means of grace. It was for sinners who knew and felt their sins. It was for murderers who in light of God’s Law acknowledged their sins and came running to the infinite mercy of God. It was for those who sinned in thought, word and deed by things they had done and things they had left undone… and they knew it. It was meant to liberate those who were captive to sin… But the Pharisees abused the system. Instead of the sacrificial system being a means of grace they had turned it into a law. They Pharisees taught that sacrifices were something that sinners did to earn God’s favor rather than something God did for sinners.

But sinners can’t earn God’s favor. It’s impossible. Sinners have no righteousness. Sinners must be saved. Sinners need a righteousness that is given to them.

That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus Christ has the righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is not a murderer. Jesus never offered a sacrifice at the altar while harboring a sin against his neighbor. Jesus never insulted his brother, or was angry with him, or called anyone “You fool!” He was perfectly righteous… that is, He never erred in thought, word or deed.

The perfect righteousness of Jesus becomes your perfect righteousness in Baptism. In Baptism, “your old self was crucified with Jesus in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Baptism is the seal of righteousness. (Rom. 4:11). In other words, whoever is baptized has the promise and sure confidence that Jesus is their righteousness. In Baptism you really and truly are among “those who have done good and will enter eternal life…”

It is just as St. Paul said, “3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

What does this indicate? “It indicated that the old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

Jesus has died for your sin of anger. Jesus has baptized you. Daily drown your Old Adam through confession and hear Jesus forgive you.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit.