It can be right for us to get angry

IT CAN BE RIGHT FOR US TO BE ANGRY

Ex. 20:1-17; 1Cor. 1:22-25 & John 2:13-25

Some people have difficulty in reconciling the Jesus who said, “Learn from Me because I am meek and gentle of heart.” with the Jesus who drove the money changers from the temple with a whip, overturning their tables and scattering their money on the floor. 

This incident took place in the temple during the Passover when the temple area was always crowded with thousands of pilgrims from all over Israel.  They came to offer their sacrifices to the Lord.  The religious leaders allowed money changers and merchants to set up stalls in the court of the Gentiles so that pilgrims could buy the birds and animals for offering sacrifice.  Some pilgrims brought their own animals but some would have been rejected for being imperfect.  Obviously the merchants made excessive profits.  They took advantage of poor pilgrims.  They abused the Temple premises and made it impossible for them to worship God which was their main purpose of visiting the temple. 

The temple tax had to be paid in the local currency and, therefore, foreigners had to have their money changed.  They were often charged exorbitant exchange rates. 

Jesus was angry at the dishonest and greedy practices of the money changers and merchants, and He particularly disliked their presence on the temple grounds.  God’s temple was being misused by people who had turned it from a house of worship into a marketplace.

Now we have to make a distinction between uncontrolled rage and righteous indignation.  They are both called anger.  We must be very careful how we use the powerful emotion of anger.  It is right to be angry about injustice and sin; but it is wrong to be angry over trivial personal offences.

Jesus made a whip and chased out the money changers.  Does His example permit us to use violence against wrongdoers?  Certainly not.  Certain authorities like police are granted to use weapons and restrain people.  Not everyone has this authority.  Jesus had God’s authority to act in the way He did. 

Can we ever be justly angry?  Yes, only when we witness innocent people unjustly treated.  For example, when a bully at school ill-treats a fellow pupil; the deliberate killing of the unborn, a lack of care and cruelty shown to the aged or the handicapped; a dictator’s enslavement of the masses; when a ‘con’ man cheats your retired parents out of their life’s savings; when a drug peddler gets your son or daughter hooked on drugs or someone who is cruel to your spouse.   In these cases where people take unfair advantage of others, it is time for Christian people to get ‘mad’ for this presupposes that we care.  This is the kind of anger that Jesus experienced when He saw those poor pilgrims unfairly treated.    If you and I are not angry about some of the injustices occurring in our world today, that probably says more about our lack of love than anything else.  What we constantly need to do is to ask the Holy Spirit to give us a caring heart that will enable us to forget about ourselves and think about others.

There is another aspect to righteous anger.  It pertains to what people do to themselves.  It is what parents feel when they see their children wasting their opportunities and disregarding their capabilities or a dedicated teacher feels when a bright pupil wastes his or her time.  That kind of anger can be a positive force for good.  Probably no one works harder for good than the person who is angry for the right reasons.

Some anger can be directed at ourselves.  There are times when we need to get mad at ourselves and say, “I played the coward, and I know it.  I was lazy and did not pull my weight, and I know it.  I am hooked on pornography and make no effort to eradicate this filthy practice from my life.  That kind of behaviour is simply inexcusable, and I will no longer tolerate it in myself.”    We have to be honest with ourselves.  When we find those things in our lives that Jesus would not approve of, something should happen akin to cleansing the temple.  Doesn’t St. Paul say we “are the temples of the Holy Spirit?”  If dishonest money changers had no place in the temple in Jerusalem, neither does anything unacceptable to Christ belong in your life and mine.

Lord Jesus, may we all learn to follow your example, and make only a healthy use of our capacity for anger.

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