CITY FOLK:

A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Unless of course there are no lights.

You have heard it said do not murder. But a low bodycount isn't a great metric for your spiritual maturity.

Let's go deeper.


Discuss as a group the emotion that causes us to act contemptuously, dismissively and all around venomously, even as we pride ourselves for at least never giving in to homicide. 

God never commands emotions, so what was God getting at here?

Thaw

• What's something you feel God has been teaching you in recent weeks?

Leader note: this isn't specifically tied to the message on Sunday, but is a great question to ask often in general because it a) leads to good discussion about what God is doing and b) builds a value in the groups mind that they should be looking for what God is doing in their life, since the question comes up so often. Remember, questions reinforce values!

• What's something from Sunday's message that really stuck with you?
• What's the last thing that made you angry?

Read

• Matthew 5:17-26
• Thoughts?

Leader note: Some key parts of Jesus' teaching need some background. First, the phrase "angry with his brother without cause" didn't originally have the "without cause" part. This was later added as a way of trying to make sense of a seemingly unbearably strict teaching by Jesus. But that creates confusion about when it's okay to hold someone in contempt. It creates an argument about "just cause". Jesus is speaking to something deeper than a justified or unjustified anger.  Second, "Raca" is an Aramaic term that Matthew doesn't translate. He must assume his readers know the term. It seems to best translate to "empty head", but is also thought to be the guttural sound of clearing the throat before you spit, as in spit in the face of whom you are holding in contempt. Third, note that it's "brothers" in the first two cases, while it suddenly broadens to "you fool" being spoken to anyone. Jesus isn't just trying to mend family issues. He's lighting the shadows in this attitude as it is aimed at anyone. How often do we tear down people from afar, as they play a televised sport, speak politically in a press conference, or cut us off in traffic? We don't know them, yet we murder them with our angry hearts.

• What key words and thoughts stand out to you?
• Why would Jesus start with such an intense topic as anger, seeing how He'd just been clear that He was inviting people from different places in their faith and maturity to follow Him?

Read

• Mark 3:1-6
• Thoughts
• How would you describe what Jesus does with His anger?
• What can we learn from Him about the role anger can play?

Respond as a group to this quote:

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

Discuss

• What stops us from trying to understand where others are coming from, so that we don't simply dismiss them?
• How are anger and humility, anger and understanding, anger and wisdom often mutually exclusive?

Apply

"God, I am seeing and hearing this person as an obstacle, help me see and hear them as the object of your love" 

• How can this group help you with pausing, praying, forgiving and asking for forgiveness, so as to do the difficult work of destroying all the barriers that exist between you and others?
• What are we up against in this culture that operates contrary to Jesus' teaching on anger?
• What changes of thought and behavior need to happen immediately if we're to have a chance of growing into the kind of love and peace that Jesus is leading us into?

Meditation

• Spend 5-10 minutes reflecting on the following proverbs, thinking about how they will present to you specific opportunities to apply them in the next week. You may want to write your thoughts during this time.

“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” (Proverbs 14:29)

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” (Proverbs 29:11)

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 29:15)

“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” (Proverbs 29:18)