Too great a burden

There is no denying it; we live in an age of anger.  So many situations today are causes or effects of anger—partisan politics, religious hatred or envy, inequality, Russian interference in US elections, school shootings, antifa, road rage, hypocrisy.  Wouldn’t it be great if all of us could, as Jesus commands us, to let go of our anger and be reconciled with each other?  We need to be peacemakers—on the personal as well as the global level.  We must release our rage or our need to win at any cost and embrace compromise, forgiveness, and mercy. 

Jesus names one of the initial ways that anger kills: To shout "raqa" at someone is to call them a nitwit or imbecile.  It destroys their self-esteem.  It belittles them.  It is abuse; nothing less (Matthew 5:20-26). 

Jesus warns that calling someone a fool is even worse.  No longer an "imbecile," the person under attack is "worthless".  His listeners understood that this word was filled with contempt.  To hate someone so much as to see no value in them (for example, seeing unwanted pregnancies as burdens to get rid of rather than as precious humans) is to condemn oneself to Gehenna.  We must think of others with love, even if we vehemently disagree with what they stand for, and even if they don’t or won’t reciprocate our love. 

The way to God–the way to follow the supreme commandment of loving God—is through one another and the second greatest commandment.  In some respects, it’s easier to love God, who isn’t trampling our petunias or invading our nation, than it is to love our neighbor.  It seems simpler and less messy to approach His altar than it is to have a meal or negotiate a peace treaty with those who have offended us or whom we’ve offended.  But Jesus is adamant.  We must settle with our opponents before going to God.  His allusions to the scribes and Pharisees, who were very big on the letter of the law and correct behavior, remind us that the spirit of the law is even more important.  Our actions should be infused with a sense of love; our hearts should not be hardened.  We must always aim for reconciliation because love of God and love of neighbor are inextricable.

The word reconcile means “to bring together again.”  We would be a much happier world if we looked for opportunities to forgo anger, mend wounds, and get back together with those at odds with us.