“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22)
When I read scripture, it often points right at me but then there are times that others come to mind. I remember too well the passage that tells me to pull the plank out of my eye before I can remove the splinter from my brother’s eye. I do not look at scripture as Jesus threatening me or you to do it his way or we are going to Hell. The merciful and loving God that I love with all my heart, soul, mind and strength wants only what is best for me. So when I read a passage like the Gospel of Matthew today, I hear a merciful God calling me by name to remind me that I am made in his image and likeness.
To reflect more deeply on this, accepting that I am a sinner that screws up too often, my Lord is never angry with me. He calls me to repentance and allows me to receive His mercy. And for me to read every passage of scripture in this manner brings to me great peace of mind. Our God is an awesome God and I have no desire to ever offend him again by being angry with you or anyone in my life.
We may disagree on many things that we are passionate about. There is only one truth and that truth is Jesus Christ. I believe we are all in search of truth. There is no time for anger in our lives and Satan is doing his best to confuse us. The more time we spend with our Lord, the better understanding of truth, by his gift of grace, we will receive. Coming from me, a man who has been angry too often in his life, living each day in the love and peace of Christ is the only way to go, a little heaven on earth.
Seeking To Reflect Jesus 