Matthew 5:21-26 Anger Management
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 30, 2019, Matthew 5:21-26
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 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. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come 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. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus is saying that when we read the Old Testament, we need to look deeper than surface obedience. Jesus says that the ten commandments are more than outward obedience. He says that even the emotions that motivate murder are sin because they break our connection to God. Anger, contempt/insult, and strong condemning words are a kind of murder, or at least motivations that frequently lead to murder. Jesus gives us a higher standard of law-keeping than we feel comfortable with. It is impossible for me to keep the law in this way, but Jesus always kept the law to this standard.
The second part is about other people accusing us for our misdeeds. If we are going before God for forgiveness and realize that there is another who needs to forgive us because we have mistreated him or her, we need to go to that person first. If we have an accuser because we have done something wrong, we need to make things right with the accuser. Jesus is saying that hurting others is more than simply having God’s forgiveness. We need to make amends with the others also. Guzik’s commentary says “We can’t think that our service towards the Lord justifies bad relationships with others. We should do what Paul commanded in Rom_12:18 : If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
MHCC says “All rash anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are all made of one blood. “Raca,” is a scornful word, and comes from pride: “Thou fool,” is a spiteful word, and comes from hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills secretly and slowly. Christ told them that how light soever they made of these sins, they would certainly be called into judgment for them. We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances. And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and self-examination.” Even righteous anger can be dangerous if we hold on to it and relish it. Anger in and of itself is just an emotion.
(Revelation of God) God experiences anger. In fact, His anger destroys. Our anger also destroys. The difference is that our anger is a conduit through which our sinful natures work. When our anger is unmixed with love and mercy, it is sinful. God’s anger is always an integral part of His love and mercy. Our anger provokes us to hatred. God’s anger is full of sorrow that we will not let Him save us. His anger is out of love for those we hurt, and it hurts Him that we will not turn to Him to be saved. I do not know if we can understand that kind of anger because ours is so mixed up with our sinful natures that it provokes all kinds of hatefulness to flow from us or to churn around inside of us.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus had just said that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. Now, He gives an example of true righteousness as opposed to Pharisaical righteousness. Here He is still speaking within the framework of the blessings. What does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to be merciful and a peacemaker and pure in heart. This application of the command shows a practical way that these traits are carried out with relationship to the law.
(Application and Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to watch out for anger and depression because they can become conduits for Satan to work through me. However, I do not know how to get rid of these negative emotions when they keep hammering at me. I pray that You will give me the solution and take these sinful motivations out of me. I don’t want to be negative and angry and frustrated with others, but I cannot stop it by myself. I need You in order to stop the anger.