All right, we're stepping into what I think could be a powerful and provocative series leading up to Easter as, as we focus on one of Jesus most gripping phrases. He says, you've heard it said, but I say to you. Jesus says, you've heard it said, do not murder. You've heard it said, do not commit adultery. You've heard it said, an eye for an eye. You've heard it said, love your neighbor, but hate your enemy. But I say to you, you heard it said, but I say to you, and you see by this point, Jesus isn't just some guy with interesting ideas. He's become a movement. People are talking about him. Some say he's a prophet, some say he's a messiah, some say he's dangerous, some just want to see what he'll do next because every time Jesus shows up things happen. There's a massive crowd following his every move and this this crowd isn't made up of the the typical religious folks. It's the people who have been told they, they don't belong. It's outsiders, people who've been forgotten. It's, it's fishermen, fishermen and farmers, tax collectors, tradesmen, women, children, the sick and the poor. And with every eye focused on him and every heart receptive, Jesus steps up onto a mountainside and goes on to deliver what is his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. End 1 You've heard it said, but I say to you, and so take a moment and settle in. Imagine yourself there on that hillside, surrounded by a massive crowd. Feel the ground beneath you, hear the whispers of anticipation. Notice the religious leader standing back, uneasy. And then Jesus begins to speak and everything goes quiet. He shares words that that gently turn everything upside down. Right. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Everyone leans in closer and then Jesus his tone changes. He takes on an authority that the surprises even shocks some for Matthew 5, 21 to 22. You've heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, anyone who is even angry with a brother or sister is subject to judgment. His words, they were not subtle or cautious and they end up pointed at everyone, especially at the religious leaders who typically do most of the talking, right? You've heard it said, or in other words, you've heard them say, but I say to you, friends, it's no coincidence that this phrase and our series is going to culminate in the events of Easter. Right? The weekend in which Jesus upset the religious establishment enough that they sought to silence him for good. And so as we dive into this series, expect a little friction. Expect to be challenged. This isn't about me being in a bad mood, I promise. It's about who Jesus is and was. Someone who calls us beyond complacency. Someone who challenges our assumptions, someone who brings us into a deeper and, and sometimes uncomfortable truth. So I invite you to join me in opening your hearts to what Jesus might have to say, even if it pushes us a little harder than we expect, because I've come to learn that's, that's just part of following Jesus. And so we begin with, you've heard it said. Do not murder. I think it's fair to say no one came in this morning really needing a refresher course on that one, right? But to be safe, if that commandment does feel immediately relevant, right, if you woke up actively contemplating murder, if you could just raise your hand, it might help me positively ID you in a lineup down the road. For the rest of us, this feels like one of the easier commandments. We hear, do not murder. We got that, right? We're good. But Jesus doesn't let us off that easy. Jesus takes murder, the one commandment most of us can tauntfully say we've kept, and he pulls it closer to home because anger, that's familiar, right? That's everyday stuff. You've heard it said, do not murder, but I say to you, do not even be angry with a brother or sister. I wonder if you ever had one of those moments where someone cuts you off in traffic and not just like a normal cutoff, like a swerve in front of you last minute, no blinkers, like they were personally sent to ruin your morning. You end up ripping the wheel tight. You're having a full on conversation with them, except for they can't hear you. If you're like me, you might even speed up a little bit to look at them, right? To confirm that yes, in fact, they are the kind of person that would do such a thing. And here's the wild part. An hour later, you're still irritated. You might be at work drinking your coffee, but deep inside, you are litigating that moment in the courtroom of your mind. And then you drive home. And you're still replaying the conversation, but you've had all day to think about it. So now you're winning, right? You've come up with better comebacks, sharper responses. You get so worked up by the time you get home, you just have to tell someone about it. Yeah, and if we're honest, we're not looking for perspective, we're looking for confirmation, right? We need to hear someone say, wow, yeah, you were totally right. What an idiot. Who does that? And then you hear those words and finally you can rest. Huh? The jury's in. You were right. They were wrong. Justice has been served. Anyone? Anyone else? Way too detailed for me to never have experienced that, right? But here's the thing, nothing actually happened, right? Our anger didn't accomplish anything. And we could spend the rest of the morning talking about the toxic and unproductive nature of anger. But I wonder, I wonder if anyone wants to push back on this Jesus teaching a little. Right? You've heard it said do not murder, but I say to you, do not even be angry with a brother or sister. Now, I doubt anyone wants to push back on the do not murder. But what about? What about anger? Does anybody want to make a case for justified anger? Maybe even holy anger? In the face of injustice, is anger okay? Are there situations in the world that even demand from us anger? Jesus flipped a table or two. Shouldn't I be able to experience some form of Right, righteous indignation, some form of holy rage. Maybe you have felt angry watching the news at times. Something inside you says, man, this just isn't right. People shouldn't be treated that way. Or maybe someone you love got hurt, wronged. And anger arises in you because something precious, something real, was trampled on, or maybe you're online, I don't know why we do that anymore, but maybe you're online scrolling and you see injustice, hypocrisy, and something lights. Up in you. Outrage that tells you something important has been violated. Justice, truth, dignity. I certainly talk to a lot of people who are angry right now. Just angry at all of it. And so am I supposed to be angry right now? And, and if I'm not angry, does that make me somehow less engaged? What do you think? Is there ever a, a moral imperative for anger? Now, you don't have to answer that. You don't have to answer that. But I know that many people would like the answer to be yes. Many people would, would love to feel justified in their angry, in their anger. Right, because when we're angry, we know exactly where we stand. We are on the side of justice, right? We are on the side of truth. We are right. Someone else is wrong. And in a world where so much feels uncertain, that kind of certainty can be intoxicating. But here's the hard truth that I believe is in line with Jesus teaching. As humans. Anger may be hard to avoid. There are things in this world that are gonna infuriate us, right? Injustice, exploitation, systems that crushed the vulnerable. And yet anger is not the answer. Anger is not the way forward. Anger, even when sparked by genuine injustice, often works against us rather than for us. Neuroscience research has shown that the anger impairs our ability to make rational, thoughtful decisions. When we're angry, the prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain that's responsible for, for reasoning, problem solving, longterm planning, well, it becomes less active. And the amygdala, the, the emotional command center, it begins to take over. While anger may make us feel alive and engaged, studies indicate that it actually narrows our perception of reality, making us more certain of our beliefs even when they're incorrect. This certainty effect that causes us to ignore nuance. To reject alternative viewpoints, to, to resist changing our mind, which can hinder any sort of meaningful dialogue or, or real problem solving. Anger, it also diminishes our ability to listen. When we're angry, our brain, it filters out opposing views as a self protective measure. Reinforcing an us versus them mentality, which is why a conversation rooted in anger often feels more like a cycle of frustration than any sort of productive exchange. And so, while yes, injustice should stir something in us, often anger creates an illusion of action. without any real progress. And that's where we need to ask ourselves the question. If I am angry, what is my anger producing in me? Now, trigger warning. I'm going to push a little bit harder here. To anyone who's still trying to make a case for justified, holy anger, I want to offer a little test. You can perform on your anger. Some criteria you can use to measure the, the holiness content of your rage. You want to know whether your anger is holy, or whether it is simply self serving. You don't look at how strong it is, you look at what it leads you to do. And so if your anger about injustice isn't accompanied by an equal energy towards building a more just world, it's not holy anger. It's just a performance. Yeah, if you're always venting about the world's problems, but never investing in the solutions, you really aren't that bothered by it. You might just want to come across as the kind of person who's bothered by it. And I know that's hard, a little harsh. But if a loved one was in harm's way, I guarantee you that we would do more than just post something to Facebook. Right? We would move mountains. We would sell off our stuff. We do whatever we could think of to help them. If our goal in the world is truly clear minded, purposeful action for the common good, anger may be hard to avoid, but it is neither ideal nor beneficial as a driving force. The best work for justice, the most effective, enduring, transforming work does not come from sustained anger. It comes from a deep, unwavering commitment to love, to truth, to reconciliation. Yes, anger sells. Yes, anger mobilizes. If you want people to click, you make them angry. If you want people to engage, you make them angry. You want people to vote? Make them angry. You want people to stay addicted to the feed? All you got to do is make them angry. We live in a world where, where anger is currency. Anger is everywhere because it works and it works because it feels good. But I believe Jesus is calling us to something higher. Something greater because anger will betray you. Anger will convince you that people who should be your partners are actually your enemies. Anger will make you feel certain when, when what we really need is nuanced wisdom. Anger will make you feel like you're moving forward when really you're just spinning your wheels in a cycle of frustration. Yes, there are things in this world that are infuriating. There is pain and suffering, right, and evil. But what if instead of letting anger harden us, we, we ask God to soften us, to give us clarity so we can act wisely. To give us compassion. So we don't just become what we're fighting against to give us courage. So, so we don't just react, but we actually build something better. Because if we're serious about justice, right? There's real lasting world changing justice. Then we can't afford to let anger be our fuel. It burns hot, but it burns out. It's love. So I'll wrap it up saying this. Your anger is not enough. Your outrage is not the work. Seek a God of love and compassion and mercy to shape your heart because the world doesn't need more people yelling about justice. The world needs people who show up at food pantries, who, who mentor kids after school, who serve meals at shelters, who, who volunteer at community centers, who build bridges instead of barriers, who, who tell our children that it's okay not to be okay. Friends, that is the work. That is following Jesus. You've heard it said, do not murder, but I say to you, do not even be angry with a brother or sister. Amen.