Mental Murder

Matthew 5:21-26

Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh –

Case Study #1

Making room for and speaking words of are morally equivalent to and result in increasing personal, , and spiritual consequences.

What is anger?

• anger –

• anger –
  • obvious – 
  • subtle – 
• The cumulative of anger –

Three examples:

1. Resentment ” –

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;” (22a)

judgment = 

* (local) consequences

2. Insults ” – 

“whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council;” (22b)

insults = 

council = 

* (regional) consequences

3. Disdain ” – 

“and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (22c)

fool =

“the hell of fire” –

* (existential) consequences

The critical of anger –

1. See the connection between and worship. (23, 24a)

2. Seek as soon as . (24b-26)

The urgency of reconciliation does not mean:

• that all can be immediately .

• that all are necessarily .

• that all is automatically .

• that all can be fully .

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32