Matt 5:20-26 NAB
Jesus said to His disciples: “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” ”
Reflection
The Pharisees equated righteousness with the outward action of following the demands of the law. Jesus showed this practice to be flawed by pointing out the importance of the underlying condition of one’s heart instead of just following the law. The law trivialized anger but put a judgment on murder but Jesus warned that anger would be subjected to the same judgment as it was the motive behind murder. The word ‘Raqa’, an Aramaic word for “imbecile,” if uttered was a serious offence in the Jewish law. But Jesus warned that a simple word like “you fool’ could be subjected to the same judgment as well. Sin didn’t happen overnight but grew from a seed in one’s heart until it corrupted the whole body. Therefore, Jesus warned of the serious danger of forbidden anger and taught His disciples to resolve problem by seeking forgiveness and reconciliation peacefully.
Corporate Leadership
As teachers of the Law, the Pharisees had to show that they abided by the Laws they taught. However, Jesus was more concerned if they followed the Law in their hearts. Appearing not to have sinned in front of their disciples did not mean that they did not sin. In fact, the Pharisees could be harbouring anger against others without showing. Anger in the heart would lead to more sinister consequences. Likewise, a good leader knows that there will always be friction at work. When he senses that there is unspoken anger, allow that anger to be expressed through dialogue. Once unkind words are spoken, it can never be taken back. If anger can be diffused through conversation, colleagues can forgive each other easily. Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott, a life coach and motivational speaker, wrote, “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” – XW
Family Leadership
The fast paced society of today put a lot of stress and undue pressure on the individuals. In such a condition, it doesn’t take much to trigger one to full-blown anger like many incidents of road rage, domestic violence and child abuse. Anger doesn’t happen overnight, it starts as a seed and grow out of control. Jesus warns of the danger of anger and the wise parents should take note of this warning be it in themselves or their children. Should parents have problems handling anger in themselves or their children, they should resolve this quickly with anger management techniques or seek professional counselling. Otherwise, their unresolved anger triggers off aggressiveness, withdrawal or inflicts trauma in children. In times like this, the family should come together to discuss and tackle the problem together with forgiveness and reconciliation. – XW
