Sermon on the Mount: Anger
Matthew 5:21–26 NLT

“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.”
– Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT)

The Heart Behind the Action

When Jesus stood on the hillside and began His Sermon on the Mount, He wasn’t just redefining the law—He was revealing the heart of it. In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus moves beyond the outward action of murder to the inward emotion of anger. Why? Because the heart matters.

“You must not murder” was a command everyone could agree on. It's clear, it's external, it's severe. But Jesus wasn't satisfied with surface-level righteousness. He calls us deeper: into the motives, into the thoughts, into the moments no one else sees.

He’s showing us that anger—unchecked, unaddressed, and unresolved—can be just as damaging as the action it precedes. It may not make headlines like murder, but it slowly corrodes our souls and relationships.

Anger: More Than a Feeling

Jesus doesn’t say it’s wrong to feel angry. In fact, anger is a natural human emotion—Jesus Himself felt righteous anger. But the kind of anger He warns about here is the one that grows roots: the resentment, the bitterness, the contempt.

It's the kind that leads us to insult, belittle, or dismiss others.
Calling someone an “idiot” or cursing them may feel minor, but Jesus sees it as a reflection of a heart that's lost sight of love.

Why is it so serious? Because the person we’re angry with is also made in God’s image. And every act of contempt chips away at that sacred truth.

Reconciliation Over Religion

Jesus continues in verses 23–24:

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”

This is radical. He’s saying reconciliation is more important than religious rituals.

Before you lift your hands in worship, go make peace.
Before you offer your gift to God, offer forgiveness to your brother or sister.
Faith is not just vertical—it's horizontal. God cares just as much about how we treat people as He does about how we talk to Him.

Urgency in Reconciliation

Jesus finishes this section with urgency:

“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise... you may lose your case... and if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.”
(v. 25–26)

Delayed reconciliation carries consequences. It gives space for division to grow.
Jesus urges us to deal with conflict now—not later, not “someday.”

Why? Because unresolved anger doesn’t stay quiet. It festers. And if left alone, it eventually comes out—in our words, in our attitudes, and in our choices.

Takeaway: The Call to Peacemaking

Jesus’ teaching on anger calls us to a higher standard—not just to avoid violence, but to pursue peace. Not just to manage emotions, but to transform our hearts.

Is there someone you’ve been holding anger toward?
Is there a conversation you've been avoiding?
Is there reconciliation that needs to happen—today?

In the Kingdom Jesus is building, there’s no room for contempt.
Only grace.
Only love.
Only peace.

Let’s live like citizens of that Kingdom—starting with our hearts.