Jesus taught that just because your anger may not lead to murder does not mean that your thoughts are unclassified as sin. Unaddressed anger must be confronted in our lives.
- External actions reveal internal attitudes.
- Each of us is known by what makes us angry and how we handle it.
Address Anger (21-22)
- Murder is a symptom; anger is the sickness.
- Insulting others is attempting to empty them of their worth.
- Judging another’s spiritual condition is actually an indication of our own.
Pursue Reconciliation (23-24)
- You cannot fully worship your Father if you permit unresolved conflict with your brothers and sisters.
- If you are aware of the separation, do what you can to pursue reconciliation.
Settle Up (25-26)
- Do whatever is necessary to diffuse relational conflict.
- Drama will always escalate until someone gets intentional about disrupting the pattern.
- If thoughts could kill, every single one of us would be on death row.
- The undeserving grace of Jesus should motivate us to reconcile with those for which He died.