Step 5: Say YES to Jesus' Perspective on Anger and Insults

Week 5: Say Yes To Jesus’ Perspective on Anger and Insults


Hey YES Peeps!


If you haven’t noticed, the weekly encouragement is coming from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. And I found out that The Bible Project is doing a year long study of the Sermon on the Mount and so far it’s awesome! Check it out and follow along.


Here’s this week’s YES encouragement…


Scripture

“You have 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 that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment…And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.


… First go and be reconciled to them; 

…Settle matters quickly with your adversary

Matthew 5:21-26: www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.5.21-26.NIV 


Brief Observation

You have not ever and never ever will meet a person who is disposable. Every person that you live with, study with, worship with, work with or work for is someone worth dying for. To murder someone, the way Cain murdered his brother Abel in Genesis 4, is to live according to the belief that that person’s life is not worth protecting or preserving. 


And Jesus was taking his disciples to another level of understanding…he wanted them to go “deeper” in their pursuit of God, to have a “wider” understanding of God’s love for humanity. He wanted his disciples to examine and address the murder in their hearts. To insult someone is to dehumanize that person, to speak of them as disposable. To cut them off from relationship is to treat them as unworthy of love.


Conflict is inevitable. Anger and insults can be a normal response, but if we say “YES” to Jesus, that means we are saying “YES” to his way of dealing with conflict. In addition to warning his disciples against insulting others, Jesus’ instruction was to “go and be reconciled” and “settle matters quickly.” The disciple of Jesus does not avoid conflict, but engages in conflict in a redemptive way in order that others may experience God’s love and grace. When you go to someone and say, “I am sorry…how can I fix this?” or “I forgive you” you are living proof that that person is not disposable, but worthy of love. (see how that’s a salty and lit way to live?!)


Prayer

Father, in a world that is quick to insult or cancel others, help me be quick to listen and comfort others. Jesus, when you were faced with insults on the cross you offered forgiveness. Spirit, help me live like my Savior and offer forgiveness instead of vengeance.


Daily scripture 

Monday: Matthew 5:21-26

Tuesday: Genesis 4:1-12

Wednesday: Ephesians 4:26-27

Thursday: Psalm 37:8, Psalm 86:15

Friday: James 1:19-21

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Step 7: Say YES to Jesus’ Perspective on Marriage and Singleness

Say YES to Jesus’ Perspective on Marriage and Singleness  Scripture ““It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.5.31-32.NIV Brief Observation Commitment is hard. And the life-long covenant of marriage may be the most difficult commitment to keep. It requires love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (all of which are provided by the Spirit to those who say “Yes” to Jesus…Galatians 5:22). And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenged his disciples to not give up on marriage as people in their culture were.  Later, in Matthew 19:4-9, Jesus explained that God set up marriage as a life-long spiritual and physical bond between man and woman and added this com
Read more

Step 1: Say YES to Jesus’ Kingdom

Welcome to the YES encouragement blog where we’ll explore what it means to say YES to Jesus in every aspect of life. This is an extension of the Mid-Atlantic Nazarene Youth Equipped to Serve Retreat. Let’s start at the very beginning… Say YES to Jesus’ Kingdom “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20 ‭‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.4.17-20.NIV   Brief Observation At the start of a new year, there’s no better place than to look at the start of Jesus’ ministry and the start of the new life of a disciple. Repentance is embracing the newness that is available in Jesus! To repent is to turn to Jesus as King and turn away from the kingdom of this world. It is to say “No” to what “wars against your soul” (1 Peter) and to say “Yes” to the One who won the war for your soul.  When Peter an
Read more