James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Is the exercise of anger always a sin? Is there ever a time when a person can justifiably be angry?
The emotion of anger is a little known and seldom understood gift from God. Yes, you read that correctly; anger is a gift from God. Under the right circumstances, and for the correct reason, anger should be expressed and is justifiable.
Under most situations, we use our anger incorrectly and at the wrong moments of life. It is an area of struggle for every one of us. Under most circumstances, we should follow James’ admonishment to be quick to listen to people, slow to speak ourselves, and even more slow to express anger.
In most cases we get angry because we did not get something that we think we should have, or we get something that we think we don’t deserve. The key here is that the anger is caused by a self-centered motive.
A line takes too long and we are forced to stand and wait. A person in a car cuts into our lane, forcing us to slam on the brakes. A boss or fellow worker says or does something to us that hurts us or embarrasses us. A relationship ends between us and someone we love, or between other people that we love and care about.
If you carefully notice what makes you angry the next time that it happens, you will discover that it is all about you and what you got or didn’t get.
In just about every one of these situations, the anger would be incorrect.
John records a time when Jesus became very angry over something that was happening in the Temple at Jerusalem.
John 2:13-17 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
The area of the court where the money changers were converting the currency of foreigners into the temple currency, was reserved by God for the Gentiles to come into the temple at Jerusalem and worship God.
This area had become so congested with business people who were not only taking unfair advantage of those who came to worship, by charging exceptionally high exchange rates to convert their money, but were also taking up so much space in the court of the Gentiles that there was no room to just come and worship God.
As Jesus saw people being deprived of a meaningful opportunity to worship God, He became very angry. He picked up a whip and physically removed all of those who were conducting their business inside the court of the Gentiles.
What was the center of Jesus’ anger? Others and God.
What is most often the object of our anger? Ourselves and what we want.
There is a term called “Righteous Indignation” that describes a time when a person becomes extremely angry because someone else is being hurt or taken advantage of.
This is one of the rare occasions when anger is justified. When someone else is being harmed by an individual or certain rule or practice.
Another correct use of anger would be when you see or hear of a family member being hurt or taken advantage of. All the correct usages of anger have one thing in common:
It affects other people and not me.
Jesus has the power to speak into existence the entire Universe. We know from the Bible that this is exactly what He did in Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 1.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Colossians 1:16 For by Jesus all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
On the night that Jesus was arrested and set to be crucified the next afternoon, Judas brought guards to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. Notice what happens when Jesus asks the soldiers “Whom are you seeking”?
John 18:3-6 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Just so that men who came with great power to arrest Jesus, understood who they were dealing with, when Jesus answers and says: “I am He”, all the soldiers fell backwards under the power that was in Jesus.
Jesus could have simply spoke a word and assigned all these men to the hottest place in hell. Instead He gently uses His great power to just make them fall backwards to understand that they were not arresting Jesus. He was letting them arrest Him.
Great power under control. Even though Jesus could destroy all of us in an instant, He instead chooses to use His mighty power to save us. In laying down His life, Jesus showed us the correct usage of power and anger when we have it within ourselves to us it.
As we walk with Jesus today, may we remember that there will be a situation where we will have the opportunity to get very angry. Instead we should choose to control our power and anger and use it instead in a way that will bring blessing to the very ones who took advantage of us or hurt us.
Why would we do such a thing?
Matthew 5:44-45 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
When you chose to love and do good for the very ones who have hurt and taken advantage of you, by your behavior, you have become exactly like your Father who is in heaven. Even the wicked and those who never take the time to thank God for anything, He continuously pours out His love, mercy, grace and even takes care of all of the needs of those who hate him.
When we choose to not use our anger when we could, we become the Sons and Daughters of the Most High God, who blesses the just and the unjust.
Rob Robinson
