The words of Jesus
What Did Jesus Say About Anger?
Jesus went beneath the act of murder to the anger that feeds it, taking the heart seriously. He calls us not to nurse contempt but to seek reconciliation quickly.
“whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:22, King James Version
Contempt in the heart is where violence begins.
“if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:23, King James Version
Worship and a broken relationship do not sit easily together.
“first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:24, King James Version
Making peace comes before religious ritual.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:9, King James Version
Those who make peace look like their Father.
What Jesus is really saying
Jesus is not against all anger, but He is against the contempt that curdles into hatred and lets us dismiss another person as worthless. He takes it so seriously that He tells us to interrupt even worship to go and make peace. The heart, not just the hands, must be clean.
Who these words reveal Him to be
He goes beneath the act to the heart, judging even hidden contempt, because He is the Lord who sees within. Yet the same Jesus forgave His enemies from the cross and calls peacemakers the children of God. He is not only the righteous Judge of the angry heart but the Savior who takes away its poison. In Him the God who searches the heart is also the God who heals it.
Come to Him
If anger has hardened something inside you, Jesus can soften it. He forgave His own enemies from the cross, and He can give you the grace to lay down your anger and be a peacemaker.
His words were always meant to lead you to Himself. You can begin with Jesus here, ask someone to pray with you, or read His words in the Bible.