Cain: a story of anger
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought
an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also
brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD
had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He
had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you
angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your
countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the
door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about
when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
killed him.
Genesis 4:3-8
Anger produces unrighteousness, which produces hell
Jesus said, "You have heard that the ancients were
told, ‘You shall not commit murder ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be
liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who acts in anger against
his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother,
'You idiot,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You
fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are
presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has
something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first
be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
Matthew 5:21-24
Love, not hate
For this is the message which you have heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil
one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his
deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world
hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love
the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his
brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding
in him. We know love by this, that He
laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
I John 3:11-16
Anger is based on our desires
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?
Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You desire and
do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you
fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not
receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your
desires.
James 4:1-3
Jesus was angry
Jesus entered again into a synagogue; and a man was
there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal
him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the
withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And He said to them,
"Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or
to kill?" But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger,
grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your
hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
Mark 3:1-5
Be angry, not sinning
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down
on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Let no unwholesome
word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification
according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who
hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day
of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be
put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven
you.
Ephesians 4:26-30
Self-indulgence leads to uncontrollable anger
The
whole of the Law is summarized in the one commandment: You must love your
neighbor as yourself. If you go snapping at one another and tearing one another
to pieces, take care: you will be eaten up by one another. Instead, I tell you,
be guided by the Spirit, and you will no longer yield to self-indulgence. The
desires of self-indulgence are always in opposition to the Spirit, and the desires
of the Spirit are in opposition to self-indulgence: they are opposites, one
against the other; that is how you are prevented from doing the things that you
want to. But when you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. When
self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: sexual vice, impurity, and
sensuality, the worship of false gods and sorcery; antagonisms and rivalry,
jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, factions and malice,
drunkenness, orgies and all such things. And about these, I tell you now as I
have told you in the past, that people who behave in these ways will not
inherit the kingdom of God. On the other hand the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control;
no law can touch such things as these. All who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified self with all its passions and its desires. Since we are living by
the Spirit, let our behavior be guided by the Spirit and let us not be
conceited or provocative and envious of one another.
Galatians 5:14-22
Slow to anger
Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow
to anger; for the anger of man does not
achieve the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20
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