Jesus is changing his approach now that every aspect of a true believer’s conduct must be characterized by a righteousness that surpasses mere appearance. Note the pattern in these verses. Jesus gave six examples that contrasted pharisaical “righteousness” with true, “surpassing” righteousness. Lessons On Anger Matthew 5:21-22  1. Words Can Kill The command, Do not murder, comes straight from the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:13). Jesus is not speaking of a justified anger at those who are wicked and cruel. Instead, he is condemning the act of judging another out of anger and with the desire to harm or kill another person. Jesus illustrates his point that not just murder but also anger is sinful in two additional, parallel ways. First, he considers those who accost their fellow believers with the epithet “Raca” (a quasi-swear word in Aramaic). The expression probably meant something like empty-headed. So, too, those who call someone a “fool” commit a sin. The command “Do not murder” seems easy enough to keep. But if groundless anger, rancorous talk, and epithets like “idiot” and “worthless” are murder, then murderers abound. Beyond that, disciples must make peace with angry brothers and with adversaries. How often do we just carelessly say things? This amplified this issue; this couple would joke with me, but when I joked back, they took offense. Jesus warns that the words we speak can bring life and death to a person, and not only to them, but they can also bring judgment upon ourselves. Matthew 5:23-24  2. Reconciliation Is Vital Jesus’ listeners urgently need to escape this judgment by dealing decisively with sin. Jesus drives home his point with two dramatic illustrations. First, he envisages a worshiper called to place interpersonal reconciliation above the correct ritual. It also suggests that we ought not to bring up our grievances with others that they do not yet know about but that we deal with situations in which others remain upset with us. How many churches would or should be temporarily emptied if these commands were taken seriously? To make peace, it is necessary to do hard things: confess sins, admit mistakes, silence self-justifying talk, and learn to turn away wrath. We must do our part to reach reconciliation, even if reconciliation is not possible. God has given us the responsibility to do our part and not wait on the other person. Matthew 5:25-26  3. Unresolved Anger Can Lead To Destruction Anger can affect a person’s relationship with God. For this reason, Jesus urged that all offenses be corrected quickly and person-to-person whenever possible. The longer a person waits to fix an offense, the weightier the consequences can become. Jesus again urges haste (v. 25). Settle matters with the offended adversary while still “with him on the way” to court, not on “the road to life.” In the ancient world, debtors were jailed till the debts were paid. Unresolved conflict is a cancer that will destroy God's ability to bless us. God wants to bless us, but if we do not swallow our pride and make amends, His hand will not be entirely on us. What are our transformational moments? How mindful are you with your words? Is there someone you need to seek out for reconciliation today?  Do you need to lay the results at the feet of the Lord?