Anger Part 2
Righteous Anger
Scripture: Romans 1:18; 2:5; Ephesians 5:6; Mark 3:1-5
This is part two of my series on Anger. In my message last week, I shared with you the harmful effects that anger, especially repressed anger, can have on us mentally and physically. We have been told that anger is a good thing if channeled correctly. For example, anger can make you more competitive in sports or make you try harder in school in some situations. However, what I want you to remember from last week is whether our anger is righteous (justified) or not, if it is not dealt with, the end impact on us personally is the same. Our body and mind cannot differentiate between righteous and unrighteous anger so we must always be ready to deal with it quickly.
This morning we will take a closer look at righteous anger (those things that would anger God and should anger us.) As we examine this type of anger I hope that you will see that our anger does not always line up with God’s even though we think our anger is righteous (justified.) As you think about God’s anger, remember that God’s character limits Him so that He can only act within His own character. This means that God can only do that which is holy, just, and right. When we accept this fact we must also accept that this means that whatever God does is right. Now, because anger and jealousy are frequently attributed to God in the Bible, we must agree that not all anger and jealousy are evil. Human anger may often be sinful, both in origin and expression, but divine anger is an always righteous anger. Human jealousy is most often a vice, rather than a virtue, but when God is jealous it is a righteous jealousy. As children of God, if we are trying to imitate Him there will be times when we should be angry. So let’s look at a few examples that speak directly to the core of what really angers God.
What Angers God the Father
Romans 1:18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
Romans 2:5: “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
Ephesians 5:6: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
These verses clearly show that God’s anger is stirred when the actions of men goes against His will and His word, especially as it relates to how we treat one another. As I said earlier, while God is a very loving and forgiving God He still must act according to His character. Therefore, if He has made it possible for man to make his own decisions then God must honor those decisions even if that means that man will suffer His wrath. The things that anger God are those things that go against His expressed word. When we choose of our own free will to violate His word, especially when we know what His word says, that angers God. When we mistreat others, as “children of God’, that angers God. When we want things our way in our selfishness and refuse to walk in love and forgiveness that angers God! These things anger our God because He above all else is a loving, compassionate God. This same mentality exists within Jesus. Consider the following Scriptures:
What Angered Jesus
Mark 3:1-5: “He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Get up and come forward!’ And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.”
Jesus was entering the synagogue and He saw a man whose hand was withered. The religious leaders knew that Jesus had a tendency to healing the sick and were watching to see if He would heal this man on the Sabbath day. I believe they were hoping that He would heal him so that they would have legal grounds to accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath (and subsequently the Law of Moses.) After Jesus called the man to Him He asked the Jewish religious leaders if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. When they refused to answer Him, Jesus became angry. What angered Him was that those religious leaders, who were supposedly representing His Father to the people, would rather see the crippled man remain crippled versus being healed on the Sabbath day. Jesus’ question to them about doing good on the Sabbath placed them in a bind because if they affirmed with a “yes” then they could not accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath. Likewise they knew that if they said “no” then that would put them at odds with the people who would have chosen for someone to be healed regardless of what day it was. Because it was a no win situation for them, they chose to keep their mouths closed and not say a word. Jesus became angry because of the hardness of their hearts. Compassion ranks high with our Lord and Savior and these leaders who should have had plenty appeared to have had very little if any at all. Let’s look at another example.
John 2:14-17: “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”
In these verses Jesus entered the temple to find merchants and money changers doing business in the part of the temple reserved for the Gentiles. When He saw that His Father’s house was being used for business He became very angry and drove the businessmen from the temple. Jesus became angry because of the apathy of the people towards the place of God. When we read the New Testament we find that every time that Jesus became angry He became angry at people who supposedly knew better (leaders) versus the average person who was unlearned of the Scriptures. When Jesus interacted with the average person who was a sinner, He forgave and directed them to sin no more. He offered compassion. However, for the leaders who understood the Scriptures and misused them for their personal benefit, He condemned in very clear language as His anger burned within Him. There are many things that angers God but again, there is a commonality that binds them together: sin against Him and how we mistreat one another.
Example of Man’s Anger
I have given you examples of things which angers God and Jesus which still hold true today. As I said earlier, the anger that God and Jesus demonstrates are what is referred to as righteous anger. They get angry over things that should make us angry. When you consider their anger, they got angry over issues relating to our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. It’s really that simple. They would not get mad over some of the stupid stuff that we tend to get mad over. Before I close this morning, I want to give you two examples from the Bible of men experiencing righteous anger. Turn to Numbers chapter sixteen.
“Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him. This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company; and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to-morrow: and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi: seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and seek ye the priesthood also? Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him? And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We will not come up: is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up. And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Jehovah, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them. And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow: and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each his censer.” (Numbers 16:1-17)
As Moses was leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt towards the Promised Land his authority was constantly being challenged. In this story leaders within the Israelites came against Moses and questioned his leadership, referencing if God truly had placed him over them. Moses became very angry. In verse fifteen it says, “And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Jehovah, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” Moses told God how he was feeling. Moses anger was a righteous anger. He had been dealing with their constant complaining since before they left Egypt and they had not stopped. In this situation, these men were on the verge of causing a rebellion. If you read the rest of the chapter, you will find that God made clear that Moses’ anger was a righteous anger because these men were also complaining against Him. In the end God opened up the ground and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and all of their possessions. After which He rained down fire on the remaining two hundred and fifty princes. Moses became very angry because these men spoke against God, Aaron and himself. They were trying to start a revolt and were so bold as to openly disrespect Moses publicly (they refused to come when he had sent for them (Vs. 12).) In his anger, Moses did not sin but went to God in prayer. God handled this situation openly as a teaching opportunity for anyone else thinking that they could come against His servant Moses. My point with this story is that Moses was justified because he was not angry over what the people were necessarily saying about him, but their coming against God and Aaron. While we know that he had a temper (which we will discuss more next week) in this incident his response to the situation was the right one. He went to God in prayer versus acting on his anger. Let’s look at one example from the New Testament.
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” (Galatians 2:11-14)
Why did Paul get angry with Peter and felt that he had to address this situation so quickly? When Peter came among the Gentile churches he fellowshipped with them which included eating with them. Historically Jews were not allowed to eat with Gentiles as the Gentiles were not circumcised. (This changed through Jesus.) Peter was eating with the Gentiles even though they were not circumcised (confirming what was told to him in Acts 10:9-16) when he was warned by the heavenly vision to call nothing common or unclean. However, in this situation when some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem came to visit, Peter withdrew from the Gentiles for fear of offending the Jewish visitors and not considering how his actions affected the Gentile Church. When Peter separated himself other Jews followed his lead and began separating themselves as well. While they had been eating with the Gentiles they were now attempting to appear that they had not been. Peter’s wavering caused others to waver and when Paul saw his behavior and its effects on the others he spoke up. Paul gave Peter a strong rebuke because Peter was behaving with great prejudice, both of the truth of the gospel and the peace of the church.
Paul’s anger was a righteous anger because Jesus would have likewise been angry with Peter’s actions as it went directly against His spoken word. Paul stood by his principles and would not allow the Gentile Christians to be discouraged and trampled upon by Peter’s actions. Peter had walked with Jesus so he of all people knew that through death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile was taken down, and the observance of the law of Moses was no longer in force. Because Peter’s offense was public, Paul addressed him openly so that those offended by Peter’s actions could understand that Peter was wrong. To clearly help Peter understand why his actions were so offensive, Paul asked Peter if he, who was a Jew, could himself sometimes not follow the ceremonial law and live after the manner of the Gentiles how could he make the Gentiles live like Jews? It was obvious that he did not look upon the observance of it as still being necessary, even for the Jews themselves and therefore that he could not impose it upon the Gentile Christians. Paul’s anger was truly righteous and his response to it was immediate.
Last week I shared with you that there are generally three responses to anger, anger-in, anger-out and anger control. Anger-in is turning anger inwards. Anger-out is expressing anger outwardly in ways that include physical assault on people or objects and hostile verbal assault. Anger control is dealing with anger in an appropriate manner. In each of the examples that I shared with you today, the anger was righteous and the response to it was the correct response. As you leave here this morning I want you to think about the anger you experienced this past week. Was your anger a righteous anger? Was your response to the anger a righteous response? If you did not get it totally right this past week, today is the new beginning of the rest of your life. You will have new opportunities to get it right this week.
Next week I will continue with an examination of unrighteous anger – the kind of anger that we are most familiar with.
God bless and keep you.
