When Is Anger All Right?
When Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem in the week before the crucifixion, He made a scourge, drove the traders and the livestock out of the temple, poured out the money of the money changers, and overthrew the tables (John 2:15). His unexpected actions reminded His followers of Psalm 69:9, “The zeal (jealousy) of your house has consumed me.”
Jesus’ actions suggest that He was furious. If He could get angry, it’s permissible for me to get angry. Right?
Well, let’s look more closely at Jesus’ anger.
Anger is generally a reaction rather than response of action. We get angry because somebody offended or hurt us, we’re frustrated, our expectations aren’t met, or whatever, but we normally get mad in response to something that doesn’t go our way.
It makes sense that God would become angry over having His house used in a way which dishonors Him.
However, Jesus only did what He saw His Father told Him (John 5:30), so we know that His demonstration in the temple was a not a reaction to the scene that greeted Him.
People’s response to Jesus’ “anger” can help us understand the nature of His anger. When we’re around someone who has an angry outburst, our natural reaction is to fight back or to get out of the way. To fight or to run.
Note how those around Jesus responded:
- The disciples were reminded of a verse from Psalms about zeal for God’s house (John 2:17).
- The Jewish leaders asked for a sign to show what authority He had for doing it (John 2:18).
- The blind and lame came to Him for healing (Matt. 21:14).
- He taught in the temple the rest of the day and the chief priests and Scribes saw the “wonderful things He did.”
- The children cried “Hosanna to the Son of David” making the chief priests and Scribes indignant (Matt 21:15).
No one reacted negatively to the “angry” outburst. It’s reasonable that the leaders in the temple questioned His authority to make such a move in their turf. What doesn’t make sense is that, after witnessing such an angry outburst, they then allowed Him to heal and teach in the temple and that people came to him to be taught and healed from their diseases.
Could it be that rather than reacting in anger, Jesus was acting under authority? Was he pro-active (taking the initiative to intervene), rather than re-active (acting in opposition)? Could it be that Jesus was taking dominion–which was rightfully His as the Son of God?
If Jesus had cleansed the temple in reactive anger, would the priests have allowed Him to teach in the temple the rest of the day? Would the blind and lame come to Him for healing, or the children cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David?”
The chief priests did eventually become indignant, but according to Matthew 21:15, it was because of the praise He received. They were jealous.
When anger is directed by God and builds relationships instead of tearing them down, we can assume it is righteous and keep using Jesus’ example as justification to get angry.
When people back off or fight back, we need to deal with it before the sun goes down.
Adapted from a lesson in Uprooting Anger: Destroying the Monster Within.
When someone in your presence gets angry, but the anger is not directed at you, does it normally draw you to them? Make you want to run? Make you want to fight back? Or something different?
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