Check the Roots
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:21-22
When people think of sin, murder usually makes the list. It is one of the most universally recognized wrongs, and even those with no faith background tend to agree on that one. But Jesus didn’t stop at the surface. He went deeper, pointing not just to the act of murder but to the heart posture behind it.
Jesus raised the standard. He said that harboring anger toward someone puts us in the same danger as if we had taken action. That’s a strong word. And it shows us something important. The Kingdom of God is not about checking external boxes. It is about transformed hearts.
In the same way that a healthy tree produces healthy fruit, a changed heart should lead to changed actions. But if the root is rotting, eventually the fruit will be too. Anger, bitterness, grudges, and hate might seem hidden, but over time they leak out into how we talk, treat people, and carry ourselves.
Jesus is not after behavior modification. He is after heart renovation. He wants to heal the wounds that keep feeding our anger. He wants to confront the pride or pain that poisons our relationships. And He calls us to stop pretending we’re good just because we haven’t acted on the rage we feel inside.
Check your roots today. Ask God to show you where anger still has a seat in your heart. Don’t minimize it. Don’t justify it. Let Him dig it out and replace it with love, humility, and grace. That’s the kind of righteousness He’s looking for. Not performance. Not polish. Just real change from the inside out.
When people think of sin, murder usually makes the list. It is one of the most universally recognized wrongs, and even those with no faith background tend to agree on that one. But Jesus didn’t stop at the surface. He went deeper, pointing not just to the act of murder but to the heart posture behind it.
Jesus raised the standard. He said that harboring anger toward someone puts us in the same danger as if we had taken action. That’s a strong word. And it shows us something important. The Kingdom of God is not about checking external boxes. It is about transformed hearts.
In the same way that a healthy tree produces healthy fruit, a changed heart should lead to changed actions. But if the root is rotting, eventually the fruit will be too. Anger, bitterness, grudges, and hate might seem hidden, but over time they leak out into how we talk, treat people, and carry ourselves.
Jesus is not after behavior modification. He is after heart renovation. He wants to heal the wounds that keep feeding our anger. He wants to confront the pride or pain that poisons our relationships. And He calls us to stop pretending we’re good just because we haven’t acted on the rage we feel inside.
Check your roots today. Ask God to show you where anger still has a seat in your heart. Don’t minimize it. Don’t justify it. Let Him dig it out and replace it with love, humility, and grace. That’s the kind of righteousness He’s looking for. Not performance. Not polish. Just real change from the inside out.
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