Anger and Promises to God Facts for 3-8 Year Olds

(Matthew 5:21-26)

After being filled up by the beatitudes, the disciples are given “commands.”
Jesus says that “anyone who gets angry with his brother is subject to judgment.”
Jesus tells us not to be angry.
There are three levels of anger. The first one is holding a grudge—being mad at someone because of something that’s happened, and not letting go of that mad feeling.
The next level of anger is name-calling.
Finally, the third level of anger explodes at someone—shouting at them super meanly, in all sorts of bad ways.
There are consequences to each of these forms of anger. The angrier we act, the worse it is for us.
Yet, Jesus shows a way out—a way to repair, to do a do-over, to make things right.
Sometimes, we do get angry and then act out from anger.
First of all, if we are on our way to worship God, and we realize that we’re angry with someone, we turn around and go find that person and make things right.
Jesus is saying that if we really want to serve and love God, we have to serve and love others.
Jesus then says, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary.” An adversary is like an enemy, the person you’re angry at or who is angry at you.
So that means we need to find a way to fix things.
If we don’t figure out how to solve the problem, our situation could get worse. We might face some major consequences.
The longer we choose to stay angry, the worse things gets.
So we want to solve problems and make things right with people as quickly as possible.

Matthew 5:33-37 (Promises to God)

Jesus also talks about oaths. An oath is like a promise.
Jesus says, “It has been said, ‘Don’t break your oaths,’ but I say, ‘Don’t make any oaths.’”
The point here is about what we say, how we talk.
Jesus wants every single word to be the truth. He doesn’t want us to lie or to say what we don’t mean.
If no one ever lied, there would, of course, never be a need for an oath.
If people only have to tell the truth under oath (and make a formal promise), then they will probably lie at other times.
Jesus says, “Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King….”
People didn’t ever want to use the name of God lightly, in vain. So they came up with all sorts of things they could say without ever using the name of God.
But Jesus points out that heaven and earth are God’s, in God’s control.
“And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.”
People who swear by their own heads are really full of themselves—they’re bragging.
Rather, “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No.’”
Keep your words simple and truthful.
Now there are times when we do need to take an oath—to make a promise and keep it.
The disciple must be absolutely open and honest.
“Yes means yes,” and “no means no.” You don’t have to explain or comment or defend or impress.
Jesus is really wanting us to be clear and truthful when we speak.