Righteous Anger

Intensity, strength, ferocity, anger. passion.

Grace, gentleness, mercy, love.

Do they really go together?

Was Jesus really all of those?

I am still trying to decipher my feelings whenever I think of D.

Half of the time I think that Jesus would grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. The other half of the time I think that Jesus would grab him by the shoulders and let him see the grace in His eyes.

We get our images of Jesus from stories told in the Bible from those who witnessed these events. We like some stories more than other so we cling to those. We don’t like other stories so we interpret them in the way that suits us best.

But the truth is that the Jesus who forgave His accusers and welcomed the little children was also the same Jesus who left the temple with flipped tables, shocked money-traders and looking like a war zone.

We like the happy, blond-haired and blue-eyed Jesus who walks merrily along the beaches of the Sea of Galilee.

We tend to overlook the Jesus who had enough of people using His house for their own benefit and flipped it upside down.

But did Jesus let his anger get the best of Him that infamous day at the Temple?

Probably not, since He is Jesus and all…

I don’t think the anger got the best of Him… I think that WAS the best of Him!!!

And we are not supposed to sin in our anger.

But apparently that was not sin.

That was Holy.

Nice work Jesus.

That gives a lot of good ideas of what I could do to the people who have hurt me. J

But what makes anger righteous? What makes it justified? Is there some criteria list that I missed?

But considering that taking a chair or table to his head is out of the picture, I am still left with what to do with D…

I was talking to a friend the other day about this when asked me, “Who do you think deserves mercy and grace?”

I immediately knew I was busted.

Rather than continuing to let me feel like crap, he encouraged me by saying that those who love when it is not easy earn the right to be there when that person’s world comes crashing down.

I guess that I will keep talking to him and talking to Him.

My heart tells me that justice is not yet mine to administer.

My heart tells me that it is time to learn grace.

My heart tells me that its time to be at rest from self-seeking.

My heart tells me that this may be a cross I carry.

Considering that that cross is a cross of deep hurt… I will consider it joy.

It seems that one must actually be hurt before they can offer grace and mercy.