Sermon 12th August 2018: Year B: 12th Sunday after Pentecost:Text Ephesians 4:25-5:2 - Using our anger

Sermon 12^th August 2018:

12^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 – using our anger

Once again, in Melbourne, the news and media has been dominated by violence and anger.

I’m sure other states have similar incidents.

On the weekend a young footballer is punched behind the scenes by an opposition player who became frustrated with the close attention being paid to him and just let loose with a punch to his face.

It caused a broken jaw, loose teeth and a season ending injury.

Also on the news was the story of a man walking down the street in Mornington innocently minding his own business when 3 men walking towards him sees one of them punch him for no reason while they all walk off laughing.

Anger seems to dominate in society at present resulting in domestic violence, road rage, “one punch” attacks and many other examples where anger leads to other people getting hurt.

Even in the church anger can be something that causes vibrant “successful” churches to see splits that can cause members to leave.

Anger goes right back to the beginning of creation where Cain does not know how to contain his anger against his brother Abel and as a result murders him.

God tried to warn Cain about his anger but sadly his anger got the better of him:

Genesis 4 says:

The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. ⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

And that seems to be the scenario we all face.

Even the most humble and gentle Christian can explode with rage when the wrong buttons are pushed.

We’ve all faced those times:

We’ve been cut off in traffic and yell some angry words – we’re in a hurry and seem to get ever red light – you bang your steering wheel in anger;

Or you see that parking spot ahead and someone cuts in and takes it from you.

You clench your fists and grind your teeth and sometimes you just explode with anger.

Sadly we can also see that in relationships.

All relationships face times where we become frustrated and begin yelling at each other.

It might have been something that happened at work or on the drive home and we bottle it up and then the slightest thing becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back and we take it out on the ones we love most.

Anger is a human emotion that we cannot avoid, so like God’s advice to Cain, we must learn to master our anger otherwise our anger will master us and lead us to hurt other, particularly those we love most.

Jesus too expressed anger but it was a righteous anger which he was able to control.

As a result Jesus used his anger to correct error and bring healing.

In Mark 3:5-6 when Jesus wanted to heal on the Sabbath it says:

Jesus looked around at the Pharisees in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Notice the difference in dealing with anger:

Jesus uses his anger to heal while the Pharisees use their anger to plot to kill Jesus.

Does your anger sometimes get the better of you?

St Paul today gives very good advice on dealing with anger:

He says: Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.

Notice that Paul does not condemn anger.

Anger is a human emotion and sometimes suppressing our anger can be just as harmful.

But he advises to deal with your anger immediately;

Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Sleeping on the couch or walking off in a huff doesn’t solve anger but can lead to further and even permanent harm in a relationship.

Speak with one another.

Use God’s gift of confession and forgiveness to reconcile just as God reconciled himself to us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8)

You don’t have to wait till someone is right or wrong to forgive as God exampled in forgiving us while we were yet sinners.

Paul also highlights that our anger is what the devil uses to create further havoc.

He says – do not make room for the devil, or in other versions “do not give the devil a foothold”.

That’s where Cain went wrong - instead of mastering his anger he allowed the devil to use his anger to kill his own flesh and blood – his brother Abel.

The devil will provoke you – “you’re right – why should you apologise” or “you’re not going to let them get away with that, are you?”

The devil’s aim is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10) and he will use our anger to do so.

But Jesus has shown us a better way.

When his attackers finally got their way against him and nailed him to the cross he does not seek his Father to avenge his death but cries out “"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34).

Likewise Jesus calls on us to seek ways of reconciling even against those who intend to harm us;

There is the parable of the Good Samaritan which saw a Samaritan stop to help an Israelite who had been hurt even though Israelites despised Samaritans.

And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says to his listeners “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Yes it is hard to curb our anger at times but it is our anger that can cause so much hurt to others.

When we allow our anger to direct our actions it can make us feel vindicated for a moment but it may cause a lifetime of regret in the harm we’ve caused to another person, particularly someone we love.

But anger can also cause a lifetime of regret for ourselves as we see examples of “one punch can kill” with futures ruined through jail and the knowledge that we’ve take another person’s life.

The devil will look for that foothold into our lives to cause his havoc so we are to be alert when anger takes hold and not let the sun go down until we have dealt with our anger through confession and forgiveness.

St Peter warns that the devil never rests in finding ways to do his work – He says: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

In our anger we may react and feel we have been vindicated but it will not last as our anger will resurface.

But when we allow the love of God to master over us we have that peace of God that surpasses understand to rule over us.

Let us seek ways to use our anger to bring healing and in our anger not sin.

Let us not allow the sun go down on our anger and to allow the love of God flow to others that they may come to know the love of God and give thanks to him.