Watch The Amazing Spider-Man 2* Scene 7 (Start time-50:53-End Time-59:49) (8:56 min.)
*(Clip not available with lesson. Watch The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to take advantage of this lesson.)
Discussion Questions
1. Who showed anger in this clip? (Max.) Max said, “I’ve got so much anger.” Why was he angry? (Initially, he was angry because of the way he had been treated, then became angrier because the police shot at him. He also said Spider-Man lied to him.) How did Max express his anger? (Through his words and actions.) Did Max’s anger lead to sin? (Yes.) What was the result of Max’s anger? (Max’s anger led to much destruction and pain for those who were in his path.)
2. Read Ephesians 4:26. Does all anger lead to sin? (No. We are encouraged in this verse to not let our anger lead to sin.) According to Ephesians, how should we deal with our anger? (We should resolve our anger issues before the day ends.) Read Genesis 4:1-8. Why was Cain angry in these verses? (Because God looked in favor upon Abel’s sacrifice and didn’t upon his own.) Did Cain’s anger lead to sin? (Yes.) What was the result of Cain’s anger? (He ended up killing Abel.) Read Ephesians 4:26-27. What happens when you “let the sun go down on your anger”? (The devil gains traction or a foothold in your life.)
3. Read John 2:13-16. Why was Jesus angry in these verses? (The people had turned His Father’s house into a marketplace.) Did Jesus’ anger lead to sin? (No.) What was the result of Jesus’ anger? (He cleared the temple and in the process showed others the proper use for God’s temple.) One difference in the anger Cain displayed and the anger Jesus displayed was that Jesus’ anger didn’t lead to sin. What was another difference between the anger shown by Cain and the anger shown by Jesus? (Jesus used his anger to accomplish something good.)
4. Read Exodus 32:19-24. Who became angry in these verses? (Moses.) Why was Moses angry in these verses? (He came back to find his people worshiping an idol.) Did Moses’ anger lead to sin? (No. In later verses many were punished by God for their idol worship.) Did anything good come out of the anger Moses displayed? (The idol was destroyed, and the people saw the seriousness of worshiping things other than God.)
5. The type of anger Moses and Jesus displayed is known as righteous anger. Righteous anger is an anger that is based on love for God and love for other people that leads to a change for good in people or a situation. Have you ever shown righteous anger in your life? (Answers will vary.) Explain. (Answers will vary.) Can you give any examples of righteous anger in our world today? (A person may see someone who has no food and become angry. That anger could lead to helping feed that person and others. Another example could be when people see God’s creation being abused. They become angry and are stirred into action to help save it.)
6. The type of anger Cain displayed is known as unrighteous anger. If righteous anger is based on love for God and others, on what is unrighteous or sinful anger based? (Unrighteous anger is an anger based on love for self, so you could say unrighteous anger is based on selfishness. Unrighteous anger always leads to sin.) Can you give some examples of unrighteous or sinful anger in your life or in the world today? (Answers will vary.)
7. Read Colossians 3:8. What advice do we find in these verses about anger in our lives? (We should do whatever we can to rid our lives of anger.) Read Colossians 3:12-13. What should we replace anger with in our lives? (We should show compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience instead of anger in our lives.) Do we find any advice about how we should treat those who have shown sinful anger toward us? (By forgiving them.) Read 1 John 1:9. What do you need to do if your anger leads you to sin? (Ask those we have wronged and God for forgiveness of our sins of anger.)
8. Do you have any unresolved anger in your life? (Answers will vary.) Is it anger you displayed toward others, or is it anger others have had toward you or both? (Answers will vary.) How can you resolve the anger you have shown to others? (By talking with them and asking them to forgive you.) How can you help resolve the anger others have shown to you? (By forgiving them.) Will you commit to clearing up these situations of anger in your life? (Answers will vary.)
Closing Thought
Are you following in the footsteps of Jesus by using your anger to help people or are you following in the footsteps of Cain by using your anger to sin against and hurt others? Anger should be used to help improve situations and the lives of others not to make situations worse or destroy the lives of others. As you live your life, let Jesus be your perfect example of how to control your anger and use it in ways that improve the world and are beneficial to others.
Closing Verses
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil” (Ps. 37:8).
“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:26-27).
“Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.’ Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Gen. 4:1-8).
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning My Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:13-16, Jesus Clears the Temple Courts).
“When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. He said to Aaron, ‘What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?’ ‘Do not be angry, my lord,’ Aaron answered. ‘You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, “Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” So I told them, “Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.” Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf'” (Ex. 32:19-24).
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:12-13).
