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.
“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.
“When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage. So wails Billy Corgan, lead singer and guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins in what was once my favorite song. Simple as the words are, their message was none the less profound, for they have stuck with me all these years, much longer than my angst-ridden youth. And the words still ring true to many today. Music may have changed now, but the observation is still true. Many people, including those in recovery are trapped within deep feelings of anger and bitterness. It is directed at God, ourselves, or anyone we come in contact with. The anger can originate from anything- the pain of a broken home, life not going the way we planned, jealously over what others have or are, searching but never finding peace, feeling alone even around people, not being the center of attention.
Whatever the reason, anger eats away at us until it spills out. And there is nothing- short of giving it to God- that can contain it or the destruction it reaps. Debo arrived at the shelter after a short period of us having no one else, so it was just he and I one early morning. He sat at one end of the table, me at the other. Although he began the devotion cordially enough, his attitude quickly deteriorated. When the share time came, his face contorted in anger and his voice rose higher than necessary. He told me of his sad life, of gang banging, of being shot several times, of being profiled and locked away. Then he turned his rant onto Arms of Mercy, explaining that we had everyone fooled, that we tore him down with our words and actions. He called Major the devil and me, his demon.
I wanted to laugh or make a joking jab, but sadness filled me instead. Debo’s anger consumed him and caused him to shake. Pent-up tears spilled from his eyes before he swiped them away in agitation. My heart broke for him and I allowed him to continue until he finally let go. And at that moment, there was a flicker of peace.
Our lives are the same way. We can continue to be imprisoned by our anger and walk through our entire lives in misery. Whether that misery is lashing out at others or burying it within and blaming ourselves. But if we drop the burden at the feet of Jesus and allow him to help us let go and forgive, we can find that peace that we thought was so elusive. He that the Son sets free is free indeed!
Discussion questions:
1. Search yourself. Is anger and bitterness an issue you struggle with?
2. What are the causes and effects of your anger?
3. Why do you choose to hang on to your anger?
4. Anger and bitterness are like a strong tree with deep roots. The longer we hold onto things, the deeper the roots are and the tougher the tree is to pull up. What can you do today to begin to dig these roots up?
