Anger: A Root Cause

Anger is the root cause of all.

20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’[b] 22 [c]But I say to you, whoever is angry[d] with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23 Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.-Matthew5:20-26

Souls are purified and cleansed in purgatory before they are admitted in Heaven. Some people are 'rehabilitated' in prisons, asylums or medical facilities 'until they have paid the last penny' that is, until they have paid the consequences of their actions. But, as I reflected, it seems Jesus is somewhat saying we need not go into that by: 1) Agreeing to settle with an opponent, 2) Forgiving and/or asking for forgiveness, 3) Remaining silent in tense situations - that is, to refrain from cursing, condemning or uttering painful words, 4) Meekness and, 5) Freeing oneself from the root cause of it all - ANGER. Anger and jealousy drove Cain to kill Abel. Jacob fled to Laban out of fear of Esau's anger. Anger drove so many to commit murder, to 'kill' somebody by destroying their credibility as persons, to 'kill' somebody by condemning them or judging them, and so forth. As Lent continues, Jesus is inviting us to free ourselves from Anger, and to grow more in Love and Forgiveness.

Image courtesy: Bartolomeo Manfredi (Cain kills Abel) 

It's Complicated

A holy perplexity!

14 King Herod[a] heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias[c] harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore [many things] to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.-Mark6:14-29

There are three personages that seem to have experienced perplexity. Upon hearing John say, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife," Herod was perplexed by this and the other words of the Baptist. Perhaps a little more and Herod would have returned Herodias back to his brother. We can say Herod was capable of changing if he chose to. Meanwhile, Herodias heard John's words alright that her union with Herod is so wrong. Clearly the woman was embarassed! But instead of pondering on John's words that her relationship with Herod was wrong, she plotted evil things against a man who only exposed a wrong act. So much anger and so much hatred, leading her to participate in a murder of a holy man. Then, there was the daughter Salome. Didn't she cringe with fear that she will be asking the murder of a man? Perplexity indeed! When faced with perplexity, one could have changed for the better, one changed for the worse, and one lost the will to stand up for what is right. The gospel is inviting us to be open to God's guidance when faced with life's difficulties and perplexities. Some things appear to be good, but underneath is evil. Some things seem evil, but underneath is good. What to do? Let God show you the way!

Image courtesy: Krieg Barrie (Narrow Door)