21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But 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. … 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
There’s so much to consider today.
Our readings give us the Ten Commandments – and we could never meditate on them enough.
Our Epistle has us considering the gift of the new life and certainty and comfort God gives us in Baptism – and it would be easier to find a beginning than an end.
Plus, I’ve missed you. It’s good to be back with you receiving Christ’s gifts with you.
Today, though, perhaps it’s good to consider this one amazingly comforting statement:
Because of Christ, God is not angry with you.
In this statement, we can begin to consider how we should live as God would have us to and then also our failure to do so as we should – as the Ten Commandment would have us.
God is not angry at me – though He really should be.
In this statement, we can begin to consider the gift of baptism.
God is not angry at me – because I am clothed with Christ, my sin is covered, I’m God’s child, washed and clean and holy.
And in this statement, we can begin to consider our own anger.
God is not angry with me – so what should I do about my anger.
Consider your anger – like
when someone isn’t listening to you (I’ve told you that before, are you listening to me?),
or when someone is disagreeing with you and your heart and body begins to get tight, clouds start to form in your mind so that you can’t think of anything else except what that person is doing and saying,
or as someone is talking you’re thinking, “You’re an idiot – a fool even. You clearly aren’t as smart or as right as.”
or when you decide to share the reasons you’re mad with someone else, “I don’t mean to insult them. I just need to vent.”
Or if you’re trapping someone, “I’ll give them a chance, but if that they cross that line right there, if they ignore me one more time, if they talk about that one more time, you’re gonna pull the trap and boy, they’re going to get it!”
Consider this advice from Proverbs and let us let God use it to lead us back from the death of sin to the newness of life with God:
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)
A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. (15:18)
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. (19:11)
And also, consider these warning from Jesus.
21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But 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. … 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
To be liable means to be answerable to, to be responsible and judged for the breaking of the law.
So, again consider this amazing statement: God is not angry with you.
Because our Jesus, who says that our anger is liable to judgment and insults are liable to the council and thinking someone is a fool is liable to the hell of fire – our Jesus who warns us that we will have to answer for our anger and the violence we have on the inside and the violence that we express on the outside in thoughts, words, and deeds is the one who is the answer.
He who is our judge, was judged for us.
The council of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – He who we are answerable to, has given the answer in giving up the Son of God to our anger and the crowds anger who yelled “Crucify! Crucify!” –
so that you might have this soft answer.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!
He who warns against the hell of fire, experienced the fiery wrath of justice we deserve.
Heaven is for you.
The cool and refreshing and renewing waters of baptism are for you.
Heaven will be for you and heaven and newness and refreshment and washing is for you here, right now, right here in this church as God is coming to you with this Word from His heavenly council.
Your judgment is not only, “not guilty,” but you are judged righteous, and holy, and blameless.
There is not angry contention for you in heaven, for Jesus blood and death has quieted it.
God is not only not mad at you, but pleased with you.
Jesus calls you brother – a reconciled brother.
Jesus has paid for you down the last penny, so you are not enslaved to anger or bitterness or resentment or thinking you have to be the judge and jury and answer –
you walk in the newness of life, having been set free in the baptism in which you died and rose with Christ – For the one who has died has been set free from sin.
So you walk in that newness of life.
And as you are walking you are continually interacting with people that you called not to be angry with, or to think they’re fools, or to set traps for,
but instead give soft answer to, and begin to quiet contention, and when wise, to genuinely overlook an offense.
God is not mad at you.
There is so much to consider in that truth!
Jesus is God’s Son with whom He is well pleased and you are united with Jesus in baptism.
So consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus, forgiving as you have been forgiven, seeking reconciliation with your brother who has something against you and the brother you have something against.
Consider your anger, especially when anger is fresh, for it is also wise to not let the sun go down on it.