Matthew 5: 21-26

            Add these to the more familiar list - road rage, sports rage, domestic rage. I've had a few incidents of 'sermon rage', but, thankfully, not many. With that growing list of rage categories, you would think that there's something for everybody to choose from; more than that, you would think that there just might be an anger management problem in our society. In fact, last year there was a hit called Anger Management, where Jack Nicholson plays an anger management specialist. In our society today, we could use a few more of those.

            This morning's New Testament lesson talks about anger. You may recall that last Sunday's scripture dealt with Jesus' teaching about the Old Testament law, and how he said that he would not lessen that law by even the tiniest iota. Instead, he set a standard that was way beyond any law written on paper; his standard was the law of  the heart, and the desire to please God in attitude as well as action.

            Today he begins to describe what that means by looking at six specific laws - and our upcoming scripture lessons and sermons over the next few weeks are going to look at these six teachings. But before we get into that, we need to read between the lines and notice what Jesus is saying about himself here. He begins with these words that seem so casual: "You have heard that it was said to the people of old, 'You shall not kill...'" Now, where was that said? In some dusty old book, or in some nice collection of Hallmark-like folk wisdom? No. That's one of the Ten Commandment. God said it. This is sacred law that is at the very heart of God's commandments by which all of society is called to live. Those are not casual words at all.

            So, imagine standing there and listening to Jesus as he says, "You have heard that it was said to the people of old, 'You shall not kill...' But I say to you..." Wait a minute. Is this rabbi Jesus, who grew up in the little hick-town of Nazareth, suggesting that he, on his own authority, is going to change one of the Ten Commandments? Does he have the audacity to put himself on the same level with Moses? And, even beyond that, on the same level with God?

            In fact, that was exactly what Jesus did. He spoke with the authority of God. And there were many who were scandalized by this - some of them made sure that he was crucified because of it. But for those who call themselves Christian, these teachings have the full authority of the Son of God, and thus of God himself.

            Some Christians today are militant about posting the Ten Commandments in public places - and that may or may not be a helpful thing to do. But here's the thing , -- if you want to do that, you should at least be aware of the way Jesus went beyond the commandments to a whole different way of looking at it. The Ten Commandments are somewhat comforting. Sure, they're challenging - but they are attainable. Thou shalt not kill - I can follow that. Thou shalt not commit adultery - I would want to follow that. Thou shalt not steal- that's good advice. Posting the Ten Commandments is an effort by people who would choose to live that way anyway to enlist more people to follow those values - and that's all well and good.

            But as we post them, we need to remember that Jesus took them to a whole new level. Thou shalt not kill? Okay, but if you are angry with your brother or sister, that is the same as killing. What!? Thou shalt not commit adultery? Okay, but if you look at another person with desire, you have committed adultery in your heart. Here's another one: the law says, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." I say forget that, said Jesus. Turn the other cheek. What is Jesus saying, especially to our society where anger is encouraged, lust and revenge or encouraged? He is saying that for Christians it's not just about following rules - it's about striving to have the very heart of God within us - it's about becoming new people.

            I can't help but think of the man who said to the preacher, "I was a-with you through your whole sermon, preacher. But then you stopped a-preach in' and commenced to meddlin'" Jesus is meddlin' here. Most likely everybody in that crowd, and perhaps most everybody in this crowd, can pat him or herself on the back and say, "I've followed that commandment; I've never killed anybody." But never

even been angry at anybody? How can anybody fulfill that?

            Certainly Jesus is not talking about anything that is humanly possible. And certainly some interpretation is necessary here, because Jesus got angry at times; the prophets before him could get extremely angry - we call that righteous anger, and it is one of the great motivators in our world. Sometimes important things don't get done - necessary changes don't take place - until people get good and mad about it, and demand their rights, or demand justice for the downtrodden, or demand responsiveness on the part of our government, or on the part of whoever's in charge. All those are good reasons to harness anger and make it into a powerful force. I don't believe that that is the kind of anger Jesus is talking about.

            I think Jesus is talking about the stubborn grudges that eat us up inside, and hurt the people around us. Mark Twain said that 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. And we have the health problems to prove it. Some doctors believe that anger is a greater physical threat to the heart than smoking, family history, lack of exercise or improper diet. One out of every ten persons surveyed say that anger is the greatest temptation they have to deal with. And a little girl advised her best friend: When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair. On the one hand that's cute; but on the other hand it's a reminder that anger has collateral damage. Innocent people get hurt.

            But that's not all- your soul is collateral damage when anger runs free. Here's how Jesus said it: "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." In other words, if your relationships are marked by unresolved hostility, unreconciled issues, leftover baggage - then you can't really commune with God until you sort that out. It's interesting the way Jesus words this. You can approach God; you can bring your gift at the altar. And it's there that you'll remember your argument with your brother. Lots of times human beings will let us get away with being angry, or guilty. In fact, human beings are just as apt to want to fan the flames of conflict. "You don't need to apologize to him; he had it coming." But God won't let us get away with it. God points out our unrighteous anger, usually by holding up the perfect teaching and example of Jesus. And God sends us away from the altar to take care of business with the ones we've wronged, or the ones we hold in anger.

            Many people wonder why they are walking through a spiritual desert, and feel empty inside. They feel like they have drifted away from God. Many times, anger is the boat on which we drift. And Jesus understood that, and challenged us to strive for something better. And as he did, he must have known that we wouldn't be able to do it on our own. Some people have not been able to get over anger over something that was done to them decades ago. And in our day to day lives we all have buttons that can be pushed to send us right over the edge. We can't help that. I think Jesus understands that. And certainly part of what he's trying to do is to humble us. It's very humbling to realize how helpless even the strongest person can be against those feelings that arise inside.

            But I think Jesus wants to do more than humble us - I think he wants to offer us the resources of God. Everything about the New Testament convinces me that Jesus doesn't want to judge us -he wants to offer us a recipe for deeper life. His heart breaks over the things that keep us from fully being in communion with God, and realizing our fullest joy. And he offers us the strength of God to remove those obstacles.

            Certainly one of the ingredients in God's recipe might be called mercy. When someone has done us wrong, or just rubs us the wrong way - we can lash out in anger, call them a fool, hold a grudge, try to do them harm. But that's simply pouring acid into our own hearts. It is deadly. It is just as deadly as if we had killed the person, and a part of ourselves. For every minute of anger, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

            So how do you overcome that? You can call Jack Nicholson, like Adam Sandler did in the movie. But anger management might be accomplished other ways. For example, what would happen if tomorrow morning you prayed something like this: God, I'm going to drive to work now. And I already know that some other driver is going to do something outrageous. Help me be cool about it. Don't let that acid come in. And I already know who is going to push my buttons at work today. Instead of getting mad and letting it ruin my day, help me to understand that that person is your child, and to see something good I didn't see before, or maybe to understand a little more where they are coming from.

            Can something that simple really help? It can, if the right attitude is behind it. If there is a sincere desire to see people as God sees them, then your prayer is already being answered. It's about a new heart. And a new heart is not humanly possible; but God can give it to you - that's why we pray.

            But this teaching from Jesus isn't just about the day to day irritations. I believe it is also about the deep wounds - the things that can happen in families that leave scars. The hurts that we carry around for years, and can hardly bear to bring them up. The things people discuss in counseling sessions, and to only their closest friends. I believe Jesus wants to set us free from those things - they are acid inside our souls. And I believe prayer can help - not in some magical way, that makes things just disappear. But in a deep, healing way that sets us free over time. With time, and with perseverance, and with the grace of God - we can be healed.