John 2:12-17 mentions Jesus going into a temple and getting mad about what they were doing. As a result, he flipped over tables and chased out the flock of animals there. Jesus got mad at them for changing the temple into a market which I think is a reasonable explanation to get mad since he is God. So it’s safe to say there are ‘good’ reasons to get mad and with 'good', also comes ‘bad’. In any situation, is anger a good or bad thing? Where is the line drawn when we decide is something is a good or bad reason to be getting mad? Is there an appropriate response to getting angry? For example, if our younger sibling was saying that church is boring, should we flip tables or just forgive them for what they said [and then give them an asian lecture like a good o'l older sibling should?]
This very passage is the topic of our next MOBS (monthly bible study), so be on the lookout for that on Oct. 30 (Agape) and Nov. 6 (BASIC). We'll get into a lot more detail there.
Yes, there are good reasons to get mad and bad reasons to do as well. From this passage, we see that Jesus showed anger because people were more concerned about earning money than about worshipping God. So does this mean we can be angry? Yes. But when is okay to be angry?
Andrew Lester once wrote this concerning anger and Christian living:
Because God's love is heavily invested in the creation, that love becomes threatened when an aspect of the creation is being hurt or when God's desires for the creation are neglected. Thus we may conceptualize God's anger as a response to threats to those in whom God is invested, and for whom he desires abundant life.Lester is saying that it is right for a Christian to be angry when God is dishonoured or when his creation is hurt. In other words, we should be angry at the sin of people.
That being said, as you have indicated, there is a way to express that anger. Ephesians 4:15 reminds us to always speak the truth in love. Furthermore, Ephesians 4:26 tells us to "be angry but do not sin." Though there are things that make us very angry, we must remember to express that anger without sinning and in love. Practically, this means we cannot think we are better than those we are angry at. It also means examining our motives and asking whether Jesus would be angry if he encountered the same situation.
Our angry must be rooted in the love of Christ. In the case of your younger brother or sister who finds church boring, you have to first examine whether you truly have your younger sibling's well-being in mind. Is your angry rooted in self-righteousness or in love?
You must also examine how you plan to express your anger. This takes a great deal of patience, courage and wisdom. Sometimes telling a person the hard truth requires the bold, in-your-face approach. Other times, the approach must be gentle. For instance, if you were to "flip tables," I predict your sibling would not be interested in what you'd have to say. He would just get angry at you, and the tension would just elevate. Perhaps the softer approach is the wise move. Ask him why he finds church boring. Listen attentively. When the time is right and you have his/her attention, you can speak the truth in love and with courage. Tell him why worshipping God at church is important and exciting. Don't force it, but simply tell him your experience. If he doesn't listen, give it time. Pray for him, and ask God for an opportune time to speak to him. On the other hand, if he shows utter disrespect, perhaps it is appropriate to speak the truth in a more forceful tone. I believe you can still do this in love.
[Answered by Pastor HM]
