Anger=Murder

(click on pic to listen to sermon) In June of 2012, Carl Ericsson, a 73-year-old South Dakota man, was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to the murder of a former high school classmate. Friends and family members were shocked that the once-successful insurance salesman seemed to snap. Ericsson had been married to his wife for over 44 years.

But after the murder, Ericsson’s secret finally came out. For over 50 years he had simmered with a belated grudge: He was still mad about a classmate who had once pulled a jock strap over his head during a high school locker room prank. Norman Johnson, the classmate and murder victim, was a star athlete on the track team. Ericsson was a student sports manager. According to Ericsson’s confession, on one occasion Johnson put a jock strap on Ericsson’s head, humiliating him and planting the seed of resentment that would continue to grow for over half a century. Apparently, throughout their lives, Norman Johnson continued to outshine Ericsson. Prior to his murder, Johnson had competed in college football, earned a degree, and then taught and coached at his alma mater for more than three decades.

After holding the grudge for over 50 years, Carl Ericsson rang Johnson’s doorbell and shot him dead. Ericsson told a judge, “I guess it was from something that happened over 50 years ago. It was apparently in my subconscious.” During his sentencing, Ericsson turned to Johnson’s widow and apologized, saying, “I just wish I could turn the calendar back.”

Our scriptures:

Exodus 20    ¹³ You must not murder.

Matthew 5     “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’  But I say, if you are even angry with someone,you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Probably none of us have physically murdered in anyone. But all of us are capable of murdering someone. Jesus takes a little deeper. He says, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! That is a scary thought. We might not physically murder someone but when you get angry at someone you are spiritually destroying them.

When you are angry:

• You say things you don’t mean.
• You do things that you regret later.
• You act in ways that make you look foolish.

Not only are you destroying the other person by downgrading their humanity – you are destroying the opportunity to exercise your faith. In other words, if anger controls you – that person never gets to see Christ in you.

Anger is a killer

• It can kill relationships
• It can kill a person faith.
• It can kill you.

The scripture also say in Ephesians 4:26 – And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

In other words, deal with it on the same day. Don’t let it grow. Don’t let is destroy others. Don’t let it destroy your relationships.

I don’t know about you but I don’t like to be around angry people.  They are just not fun people to be around. They are constantly critical, overbearingly vocal, never satisfied, and they are not happy until they make everyone angry at them.

Whenever I am angry,  especially when someone does my wife or kids wrong, I asked them if they want me to say anything to the people, usually adults. I don’t want to embarrass them. I did pretty well this last week. When I was knocking on doors, I ran into 4 atheists at the same house. They took my invitation to the block party. I explained to them what was going on. They snickered at me and/or laughed at me. One of them said, “you know, I AM an atheist. I said that’s okay. Which I responded, “Do atheists like to have fun?” and I walked away There were a whole lot more things I wanted to say but did not let anger control me.

Jesus goes on a little further to say, “If you call someone an idiot you are in danger of being brought before the court.” Idiot was term of reproach used among the Jews in the time of Christ.  The term was used to put somebody in their place. Telling somebody they are wrong. It was also  a way of destroying another person on the inside. Think of the worst put down you can think of today and it has the same effect as the word idiot to a fellow Jew or gentile.  I am sure most of us remember  the movie, “Forrest Gump” . Most people would have called him and idiot until you got to know Him. Idiot is such a degrading term. I think it is worse than using the Lord’s name in vain. In 2014, Idiot is not the only degrading term. That old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones But names will never hurt me.” We have all learned that is a lie.

I am not talking about political correctness. I am talking about using degrading terms to verbally destroy another person. Saying hateful things in hateful ways with the intention of making  yourself feel superior to them.

Jesus is telling us to stop destroying other people with degrading terms. When Jesus was standing in front of the religious leaders the night before his crucifixion,  He was called every  name in the book.  I am sure some used even the word idiot. They were degrading him, they were verbally destroying him in an attempt to kill his human spirit, destroy his hope,  and defeat him. What were his words of response. “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is teaching us  not to use certain words to make us feel superior. If you do you have a spiritual problem.  When we say things like, “boy I am sure glad I am not like them”. You are destroying them. Maybe not physically. You are destroying any opportunity to influence them in Kingdom things.

Still, Jesus goes even a little further….

If you curse someone, you are in dangers of the fires of hell.

The word for curse is “moros”. This is  where we get our word for moron. If you think of them as a fool,  you are in danger of the fires of hell. Once again that is a scary thought. You don’t have to say the words to curse someone. You just have to have the attitude that they are the greater fool than you.

Many people thought Jesus was a moron. In fact, the atheist  I met last week thought I was moron. I could tell because they were snickering at me while I shared. As Christ followers, we have no rights to curse anyone.

This is impossible to do!

• It’s impossible not get angry at others when they wrong us.
• It’s impossible not call out people who are idiots.
• It’s impossible not call other morons who are really morons.

You are absolutely right. It’s impossible for you to do. Carl Ericson held a grudge for 50 years. It ate at him so much that he went over to this guys house, the guy  opened the door, and Carl shot him in the head. We can’t control anger – it controls us.

This is why Jesus makes this a big deal.  Jesus is saying that it is just not about physically murdering someone. That is bad. It is such a big deal to Jesus that he tells us in Ephesians that we must deal with it the same day. Otherwise it will grow into a grudge. Which will grow into saying, doing, and acting out stupid things.

How do you make this personal?

If someone hurts you – forgive them. Forgiveness is an act of the will. You make a conscious decision to forgive them. For Christ followers this is mandatory if you want the other person to find Christ someday.

If someone says bad things about you – well – you keep your mouth shut about them. Our mouths get us in a lot of trouble. When someone says something bad about us it’s hard not to say something bad about them. Our human nature wants to and it feels good for a moment. But only for a moment. If you follow Jesus example  he didn’t say anything at all. Just remember, They are the ones who looked like the fool – not Him.

If someone laughs at you because they see you as a fool – well – you walk away and you pray for them. Pray this: “God they don’t know what they are saying.” These people are not really worth your time of day. Jesus told his disciples, if they don’t accept you in their town, shake the dust of your sandals and leave Don’t say anything good about them and leave them.  Abraham Lincoln said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

Jesus tells us that you don’t have to physically murder someone to destroy them.  We must be kind, forgiving, and look to the interest of others. When you do that, you might not get what you want, but it is not about getting what you want  it is about letting the light of Christ shine through  you.

This all begins with a relationship with Christ. Interested?