Anger is an emotion or a passion that is part of our life as human beings. Jesus speaks out strongly against giving this emotion free reign in our lives however. He wants us to see that if anger goes unchecked, it will inevitably lead to murder. We can certainly distinguish between our thoughts and our actions, but the starting place of all human action is reason. When reason takes its cues from anger, the resulting action is a violent rectification. We must learn to distinguish between what needs to be corrected because it is unjust or untrue, and what we would simply like to change because it goes against our own ideas or perspectives.
We have to learn to see anger and frustration within us as that small cloud Elijah saw and knew the rains were coming. Once the storm is upon us, it is too late to try to flee. We can learn to see the storm brewing in others, and the storm brewing in ourselves – we must, in fact, learn to see the signs of the approaching storm well before it arrives. When Jesus directs us against anger, this is what he would have us do. Anger is not a sign of how right we are, but of how precarious our interior disposition is. When we are angry, we ought not look to what justifies our anger, but rather to what might make it unjustified. Anger collects like a storm cloud that grows to the point of bursting. If we can truly find nothing unjustified about our anger, then and only then is it the moment to act with humility and meekness for correction.
EPHREM THE SYRIAN:
“And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel.” He does not go to Jerusalem in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, even though he knows the commandment of the law, which prevents the Jews from sacrificing outside the place that God had appointed as holy for them. He goes up to top of the Carmel in order to ask for rain, even though he knows that Solomon had mentioned the rain in his prayer for the people and the Lord had promised him that he would have given rain to those who prayed to him inside the temple of Jerusalem. Therefore Elijah prayed, so that they might see the miracle, because many of them still had not realized that the famine that overwhelmed them had been sent by the Lord through Elijah, who had prayed to him. In order that the word might confirm that Elijah had bound the heavens and now opened them, it was necessary that the people saw the prophet kneeling down in prayer, in the act of causing the rain to come down through his prayer.1
And at the seventh time a cloud bringing rain appeared, so that they might know that God had released [them] from the bondage of the famine into the abundance of his mercy in the fourth year, even though he had originally fixed the term to the seventh.2
AUGUSTINE:
When Elijah told his servant, “Go and look seven times,” he signified the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit that was to be given to the church. When he declared that he saw a little cloud rising out of the sea, it prefigured the body of Christ, which was to be born in the sea of this world. Therefore, lest anyone doubt, he said that the cloud had the foot of a person who said, “Who do people say the Son of man is?” After three years and six months, rain came down from heaven at the prayer of Elijah, because at the coming of our Lord and Savior the rain of the word of God happily watered the whole world during the three years and six months in which he deigned to preach. Just as at the coming of Elijah all the priests of the idols were killed and destroyed, so at the advent of the true Elijah, our Lord Jesus Christ, the wicked observances of the pagans were destroyed.3
EPHREM THE SYRIAN:
See the humility of Elijah, and admire his wisdom before the pride, insanity and foolishness of Ahab. I certainly call mad and senseless one who, after seeing the wind, the water, the fire and the weather subjected to the power of Elijah, and hearing the entire people proclaim his power similar to that of God, did not recognize the excellence of his dignity, did not admire his action or honor his person, but in the excess of his pride, let him march before him, as a servant precedes one who is superior to him many times over. Indeed, the king should have let the prophet climb up and sit with him on his chariot.4
CHROMATIUS:
The scribes and Pharisees therefore stressed the appearance of righteousness, not that they might please God but that they might seek the fame of human glory and acquire earthly gain and material comforts. Hence the Lord urges us to give priority to the works of heavenly righteousness and the merits of faith over that detestable righteousness of human praise.5
ANONYMOUS:
On this, note that to be least in the kingdom is the same as not entering the kingdom. For to be someone in the kingdom is not the same as to reign with Christ but only to be among Christ’s people. It is as though he said, He who does not keep the law though he teaches it will indeed be among the Christians, but he will be the least Christian, or with the least of the Christians. But he who enters the kingdom will share in the kingdom with Christ, as is said elsewhere about the good servant: “Enter into the joy of your master”; that is to say, rejoice together with your Lord. Hence that person who does not enter the kingdom of heaven will certainly not possess the glory of the kingdom of heaven with Christ, though he will be in the kingdom, that is, counted among those over whom Christ the king of heaven reigns.6
CHRYSOSTOM:
So he simply states the commandment, attempting to make only one point: to demonstrate that at the right time he had come to clarify this requirement. For by the words “it was said to those of ancient times” he pointed out the length of time since they had received this commandment. He did this to shame those hearers who were still reluctant to advance to the higher levels of his teachings. Jesus spoke much like a teacher to a lazy student: “Don’t you know how much time you have spent learning syllables?” He also covertly intimates this through his use of the expression “those of ancient times.” For the future, Jesus summons his hearers to a loftier order of instruction. It is as though he had said, “You have spent enough time on these lessons. It is now time to press on to lessons higher than these.”7
CHROMATIUS:
The law commands us not to murder. The gospel commands us not to get angry without reason, that we may remove every root of sin from our hearts, because anger can even lead to homicide.8
ANONYMOUS:
“Everyone who is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to judgment.” Therefore whoever gets angry with cause will not be liable. For if there is no anger, teaching will be of no use, nor will judgments be necessary, nor will criminal actions have to be held in restraint. Therefore just anger is the mother of discipline. Those who get angry with cause not only do not sin, but, unless they get angry, they do sin. Moreover, irrational patience sows the seeds of vice, nurtures negligence and encourages not only the wicked but also the good to do evil. Although a wicked person may be rebuked, he is not made to change his ways; but a good person, unless he is rebuked, will come to ruin because evil rather than good prevails in his body. Anger with cause is not anger but judgment.9
HILARY:
“Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” … Thus whatever the law has not condemned as to a person’s works, the faith of the Gospels castigates because of one’s readiness simply to use insulting words.10
AUGUSTINE:
Consider this analogy from the animals that we tame. A horse does not tame itself; a camel does not tame itself; an elephant does not tame itself; a snake does not tame itself; a lion does not tame itself. So too a man does not tame himself. In order to tame a horse, an ox, a camel, an elephant, a lion and a snake, a human being is required. Therefore God should be required in order for a human being to be tamed.11
THEODORE OF HERACLEA:
By this he describes one who assumes an air of superiority, exalts himself over his brothers in the faith. Such a one hates them and turns away from them or looks down upon them with disgust or, frequently, passes them by as not worthy of a single look. He derives this sense of superiority from advantages of either body or soul and, on this account, looks down on his brothers as inferior to him. Such a person, Jesus says, is not considered by me as immune from condemnation.12
CHRYSOSTOM:
Neither after removing nor before presenting the gift, but precisely while it lies before you, you are to run to your brother.13
JEROME:
As long as we are unable to make peace with our brother, I do not know whether we may offer our gifts to God.14
ANONYMOUS:
Do not counter with “He offended me; I didn’t offend him. He ought to square up with me, and not I with him.” If for the sake of your salvation the Lord orders you to make friends, though you are the one who has been more offended, you must apologize, that you may have double credit: first, because you have been offended and, second, because you were the first to apologize.15
CHRYSOSTOM:
Having mentioned first the judgment, then the council, then hell, and having spoken of his own sacrifice, Jesus then adds, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court.” That is, don’t be saying, “What if I am the injured party? What if I have been plundered and dragged before the tribunal?” Even this kind of circumstance fails to qualify as an excuse or occasion for refusing to be reconciled. Jesus commands us even in these circumstances not to be at enmity with others.16
Footnotes
- ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 18.42. Conti, M., & Pilara, G. (Eds.). (2008). 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (pp. 112–113). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 18.44. Conti, M., & Pilara, G. (Eds.). (2008). 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (p. 113). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- SERMON 124.5. Conti, M., & Pilara, G. (Eds.). (2008). 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (p. 113). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 18.46. Conti, M., & Pilara, G. (Eds.). (2008). 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (p. 114). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 20.3.1–2. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 99). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 99). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.5. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 101). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 21.1.1–2. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 101). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 102). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- ON MATTHEW 4.17. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 102). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- SERMON 55.2. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 102). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- FRAGMENT 27. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 103). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.9. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 104). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.23. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 104). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (pp. 104–105). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.10.Simonetti, M. (Ed.). (2001). Matthew 1–13 (p. 105). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.