The anger that brings one to murder a fellow human being is on the far end of that spectrum that has mild irritation at its opposite end. And although mild irritation is very unlikely to bring us to commit murder, unexamined irritation has the potential to eventually become blind and murderous rage. But even if it never does, mild irritation signals a lack of that total inner freedom and wholeness that is the hallmark of authentic sanctity—or as Jesus might have phrased it, that righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. Thus Jesus’ warnings against anger and calling one’s brother insulting names are not about scrupulosity, but about getting to the roots of our sins so that every last vestige of our enslavement is removed and we become his true sons and daughters. And so it’s not only about making peace with those who may have something against us, but also about making peace with ourselves. Until we do, making peace with others will never fully succeed.
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