Digging Deeper – Beware of Anger Taking Root

Most people read the sixth commandment, “You must not murder” (Exodus 20:13, NLT), and quickly conclude that they are doing pretty well. After all, most of us have never taken another person’s life. Yet Jesus takes this commandment much deeper than our actions and points directly to our hearts.

In Matthew 5, Jesus confronts the self-righteous thinking of the Pharisees. They believed they were righteous because they had avoided the outward act of murder. Jesus shows them—and us—that murder begins long before a weapon is ever picked up. Murder begins in the heart. Anger, bitterness, resentment, and contempt are the roots from which destructive actions grow.

Jesus teaches that God is concerned not only with what our hands do but also with what our hearts desire. A person can appear calm and respectable on the outside while carrying deep hostility on the inside. We may never physically harm someone, yet we can replay offenses in our minds, nurse old wounds, and secretly wish harm on those who have hurt us. Jesus says these attitudes matter because they reveal the true condition of our hearts.

The Apostle Paul echoes this truth in Ephesians 4:31–32 (NLT): “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God, through Christ, has forgiven you.” Notice that Paul doesn’t simply tell us to suppress anger. He tells us to remove it and replace it with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Why? Because bitterness grows if left untreated. Anger rarely stays contained. It spreads into our words, our attitudes, our relationships, and eventually into our spiritual lives.

A man carried a small notebook in his pocket. Every time someone offended him, he wrote down the person’s name along with what they had done. Years later, the notebook was full. The man remembered every offense, every slight, and every insult. He had become an expert at keeping a record of wrongs.

One day, a friend asked him, “How heavy is that notebook?”

The man laughed and said, “Almost nothing.”

His friend replied, “Then why does carrying it seem to weigh down your entire life?”

The notebook was small, but the bitterness it represented had become a crushing burden.

Many of us carry notebooks like that in our hearts. We replay conversations, remember hurts, and hold onto resentment. Yet Jesus invites us to lay those burdens down. The gospel reminds us that we have been forgiven far more than we will ever be asked to forgive. Because Christ has extended grace to us, we can extend grace to others.

Is there any anger, bitterness, or resentment taking root in your heart? Is there someone you need to forgive today?