Anger is common to humanity. When things don’t go our way, we tend to get angry. Occasionally we encounter explosive people who wear their feelings on their sleeve. Other people, however, are more tempered. They might seethe with anger inside, but they hide it well. Both are equally destructive.     

Genesis 4:1-11 records the first murder in human history but it wouldn’t be the last. It started because Cain was “very angry” with his brother and took matters into his own hands.  

What Jesus Taught About Anger

The passage I want to focus on is Matthew 5:21-22. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” 

There had to be many shocked people in the crowd after Jesus said that. Is Jesus equating murder with anger? Yes. If you look at the wording– “in danger of the judgment.” Another way to translate this is “liable to the court or counsel.” In both cases we see judgment. There will be a court, a judge, and a verdict–guilty as charged.

You can conceal murder, but it is harder than hiding anger. You may have experienced it before where someone is foaming with anger against you and you had no clue they were so angry with you. But if your heart is filled with anger, then eventually it will show itself. You can cover your sin and make the outer man look good for a time, but not forever. Jesus says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The words we speak proceed from the heart and one day will give account for every careless word. 

A Matter of the Heart

Christianity is said to be a religion of the heart. Whereas most other world religions emphasize works and good deeds, Christianity emphasizes the heart. “The heart is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). If we are talking about the heart, then we must talk about anger. We live in a fallen world where sin abounds and oftentimes things don’t go our way. Anger is an outlet for us; a way of dealing with things. 

Sometimes anger is justified. Think of Jesus in the temple overturning the tables of the money-changers. He said, “How dare you turn my Father’s House into a marketplace!” Righteous anger is an appropriate response to evil. The Bible says, “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). There is a time and a place for anger, but in your anger do not sin. While righteous anger has a place, most of what we read in Scripture is ungodly anger.   

No one forces us to be angry; we choose to get angry. We find ourselves in situations where someone sins against us. and we can’t control it. We can, however, control our response. Every time we get angry, we do it of our own accord. 

James 1:19-20 reminds us that when we respond to people who sinned against us, we need to be slow to speak and slow to get angry. If you are a Christian, you will be mistreated, abused, and reviled at times (1 Peter 2:18-23). So how should we respond? Peter tells us to follow the example of Christ. Endure sorrows while suffering unjustly. Entrust yourself to God the Father who judges justly.

We live in a fallen world with many unjust judges, but we as Christians know the living God will right everything. We don’t have to defend ourselves or seek revenge. We are servants of the Most High God. He knows exactly what happened or is happening. Let him have the last word. 

The Direction of Anger

Anger is directed in 3 ways. First, it can be directed towards ourselves. When something doesn’t go our way or we fail at something, we can get angry and the target of our anger is ourselves. Many people struggle to forgive themselves. 

Second, anger can be directed at God. People think that God should have dealt them a better hand. 

Lastly, we get angry at other people. This is the biggest direction of our anger. Often if we step back and look at the bigger picture, we would see that our anger is unjustified. In the moment we can’t see that and respond in anger toward another person.

Dealing with Anger

So……how do we handle our anger? For this I will rely on the help of Jerry Bridges and his book Respectable Sins. 

Recognize and acknowledge – the worst thing you can do is deny your anger or justify it. You will never gain victory if you don’t take responsibility. 

Ask the question – why? Was it because of pride, selfishness (not getting your own way), or idolatry? Often when we take inventory of our pride, we will see that it is unjustified. We need to ask – why am I angry? 

Repent – turn away from your sin and anger. If you want a true picture of repentance, read Psalm 51. 

Seek forgiveness – Ephesians 4:26 – do not let the sun go down in your anger. If you have lashed out in anger against someone, then seek reconciliation. Repent and ask for their forgiveness. Do whatever you can to restore the relationship. 

Hand it over to God – 1 Peter 2:23 – entrust yourself to the one who judges justly. 

We must take sin seriously because God does. We are guilty before a holy and righteous God. Can anyone deny that they have ever been angry with their brother or sister or neighbor or co-worker or friend? Maybe now you are harboring bitterness in your heart. 

We are all liable to judgment. What are we to do? Run to Jesus. He is the only One who lived a righteous life. He is the only One who lived the kind of life that God required. The only One who fulfilled the law of God. His sacrifice paid the full penalty for our sin. Look at him in faith! 

And instead of getting angry with one another, forgive one another. Jesus forgave us, now we can forgive one another. Praise God!