Anger

Happy Sunday! We are in our third week of study on the seven deadly sins. Today we will look at the sin of anger. As we begin, let's look at a day in the life of two of Jesus's disciples, James and John. They're brothers, and their father was a man named Zebedee.

Yet Jesus doesn't call them sons of Zebedee; he calls them sons of thunder. And after we look at the story from Luke chapter 9, I think you'll know why Jesus called them sons of thunder. I begin at verse 51 of Luke 9. There we are told, "When the days Drew near for him to be taken up to the Cross, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem."

"As he sent Messengers ahead of him, on their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Jesus." We're told, "They did not receive him because his face was set for Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it," remember, sons of thunder, "when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, 'Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?' But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another Village."

Can you relate with James and John? Have you ever wished that you could call fire down from heaven? If we could, and thank God we can't, but if we could, this planet would be scorched from end to end, wouldn't it? Now, James and John would probably argue, I suppose, that they had righteous anger, but Jesus rebuked them. We're not told if he used words or if he just gave them the look.

Anger is really the only deadly sin that we try to justify. A man comes home and finds his wife with another man, and anger kicks in, and he does something horrible, and we call it a crime of passion and try to excuse it. A rapist walks free from a courtroom because of a technicality, and the victim's mother shoots him in the hallway of the courthouse, and we smile. Anger makes great pilots and movies that we can identify with, but Jesus shows us another way.

Some have an angry religion that causes damage wherever it goes, and they forget the Jesus who loved and forgave and said, while he was being killed, "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." Listen to what Jesus said in The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapter 5. Jesus said, "You've heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder,' and 'Whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.'" But Jesus said, "I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you'll be liable to judgment."

Here Jesus puts anger really in the same category as murder. We have to guard our hearts. Mark Twain said this, he said, "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." That is the truth. Some people have ruined their lives being angry.

Examples of this abound. Our society largely adheres to the words, not to the words of Jesus, but to the motto, "Don't get mad, get even." After a 10 year old boy had been pushed in the mud by a nasty classmate on the playground, he was told that it was unnecessary to get even because God punishes evildoers. He thought about it for a moment, and he responded, "Okay, I'll give God 24 hours."

We can be like that, sadly. There are stories on the news almost every day of road rage incidents, people shooting one another because of getting cut off in traffic. There are Sons and Daughters of Thunder all around us. In the Book of James we find some solid counsel. I read from chapter one.

There we are told, "You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for your anger does not produce God's righteousness." Our anger will never produce God's righteousness. And Romans 12, we're told not to repay evil for evil. We're told that Vengeance belongs to God. We're told in Romans 12:21, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

So when we are wronged, we must do right. When we are cursed, we are told to bless. When we are hated, we are to love. That's what the book says. We may not like it, but we must realize that this is exactly what God has done with us.

When we think that we have reason to be angry, Jesus reminds us that God, who has every right to be angry with us, is willing to forgive us and will continue to love us. James and John were never able to call down from heaven, that I know of. They did, however, learn to share the love of Jesus with all the world. Years after wanting to zap that Samaritan Village, John wrote these words in first John chapter 4.

He wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and loves God. Whoever does not love God does not love, does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed Among Us in this way: God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. And this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins."

John goes on, and he says, "Beloved, since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another." That is true. We have no excuse. John changed. We do too.

In April of 1958, a 26 year old Korean graduate student was studying political science at the University of Pennsylvania. He went out to mail a letter. Before he could get back to his apartment, he was attacked by a gang of teenagers. They robbed him, and they killed him.

The victim was a strong Christian from a strong Christian family. He was in stark contrast to the gang members who attacked him. In the news after their arrest, they seemed to appear arrogant and unconcerned, almost like animals. The widowed mother of the victim lived in Korea. Members of her church took up an offering so she could come to the United States for the trial.

She had every right to be angry, but she was not. When the young men who murdered her son were found guilty, she got on her knees and begged the judge to spare their lives. What she did brought the first human response from the murderers. They began to weep and to express remorse, finally, for the crime. The policemen were crying, and everyone in the courtroom was in tears.

Philadelphia in 1958 witnessed something that only the love of God can accomplish. The key to dealing with anger is found in our relationship with Jesus. We need to let our love overflow over anything.

Pray with me. Father God, help us to be people of love. We have choices about being angry with others, being angry with ourselves maybe, or being angry with you. Help us choose to love others. Help us choose to love ourselves, because we love you, Father. Thank you for the gift of this day. In Jesus name, amen.

God bless. Thanks for joining me.