The Myth of Righteous Anger

“A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. ‘There's nothing wrong with losing my temper,’ she said. ‘I blow up, and then it's all over.’

“‘So does a shotgun,’ Sunday replied, ‘and look at the damage it leaves behind!’”

In John 2:13-17 we read about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple.  He makes a whip of cords, overturns tables, and drives people and animals off of the temple grounds.  This passage is rightly often used as an example of righteous anger, but anger is not the point of Christ’s actions nor is it the lesson meant for the disciple of Christ.  In fact, if this passage teaches anything about anger it points to the fact that rarely is our anger righteous.  More often our anger leaves damage behind similar to the firing of a shotgun.

What makes anger righteous for the disciple of Jesus Christ?  Is it even possible for us to have righteous anger?  What is the reason for Christ’s reaction in the temple?

Join us this week at ElmCreek Community Church as we strive to answer these questions and more in our study of the Gospel of John.  May we be prayerfully prepared to encounter His Word for His glory.

Striving to know Christ and make Him known,

Mark