ST NICOLAS, NEWBURY

HOME GROUP QUESTIONS

WEEK BEGINNING 20 FEBRUARY 2005

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: MURDER

For home groups that would like them, here are some questions based on the talk at Sunday's 6:30 pm service. There's no need to answer them all - just tackle the ones you have time for. You don't need to stick to the areas mentioned here - feel free to discuss any other issues that arise for you.

1. The sixth commandment focuses on murder, ie unlawful killing. Do you think it could ever be right to take the life of another human being? Why?

2. Most of us probably feel that we're unlikely to have much trouble with this command. But how does it look in the light of Matthew 5:21-22?

3. Why does Jesus suggest that anger is as bad as murder?

4. Genesis 4:5-8 shows the relationship between anger and murder. Have you ever been so angry with someone that you've wished they were dead?

5. What makes you angry? Why?

6. One of the Jungle Doctor fables is about a man in Africa who finds a leopard cub and decides to bring it back home as a pet. The tribe's chief isn't keen and wants to send it away. But the children persuade him to let them keep it. And so it stays. It becomes house-trained. It eats nothing but porridge. It has the kindest eyes in the jungle. It is just like a domestic pussy-cat. It grows up with them. They get used to it padding around the place. The months go by and it gets bigger and bigger. And then, one day, it strikes. Small leopards become big leopards, and big leopards kill. How might this story apply to the relationship between anger and murder?

7. Under what circumstances is anger justified? What do we mean by 'righteous anger'?

8. In a helpful book called 'Anger: what to do about it', Richard P Walters draws a distinction between rage, resentment and indignation. Here's how he puts it:

Rage seeks to do wrong, resentment seeks to hide wrong, indignation seeks to correct wrongs.
Rage and resentment seek to destroy people, indignation seeks to destroy evil.
Rage and resentment seek vengeance, indignation seeks justice.
Rage is guided by selfishness, resentment is guided by cowardice, indignation is guided by mercy.
Rage defends itself, resentment defends the status quo, indignation defends the other person.
Rage and resentment are forbidden by the Bible, indignation is required.

What do you think?

9. What do you make of this statement: 'among Christians there is a fear of rage, a surplus of resentment and a shortage of indignation'? How does it apply to you? What ought you to be less angry about? And what ought you to be more angry about?

10. Have a look at Ephesians 4:26, James 1:19-20, Galatians 5:22 and Matthew 5:23-24. How do these passages help with the issue of anger management?

11. What would you say to someone who asked for your advice about how to control their temper?

David Stone
20 February 2005