We all get angry. It’s how we handle that anger that is important. Even Jesus, when He saw that His Father’s House, the temple, had been turned into a storehouse, became angry…at least His actions of turning over the tables and chairs and insisting the money changers leave, depicted anger. What had led up these actions?
From the time Jesus began His ministry, the religious leaders and lawmakers at the time watched and listened closely as the people began to follow Him. What if the people believed what Jesus was preaching? They would lose their power, their control over the people, so they followed Him every where He went, questioning His every action and statement, trying to find a reason to arrest Him…and they finally did. Some have referred to Jesus feelings here as ‘righteous anger.’
I have thought a lot about this story of Jesus, found first in Matthew 21: 12-13, especially following the recent Presidential debate and the peoples’ reactions to it. What is the difference in Jesus’ anger and what many of us feel when we look at the state of our country today?
As for the debate, it was exactly what I had expected, given the attitudes of the people involved and the low level of civility shown by many of them as well as the general population. I might offend some with my next statement, but… I enjoyed the debate very much. For me it was about time that the conservative voice was the loudest one in the room for a change. It was the voice of our President who, from day one of announcing his decision to run for President and making some much needed changes, has been met with nothing but opposition from both sides of the political community.
If any one of us had been in his shoes, would we have reacted much differently when face to face with the leader of those against us? One point, President Trump made, that most have not mentioned, was when asked if he would guarantee a peaceful exchange of power should he lose the election. He said, “there’s been no exchange of power…no peaceful exchange of power.” Sadly, this is true. The Democrats allowed him to reside in the White House, but they held on tightly to the reigns of any power provided to other Presidents…by any means they could.
Sure, some of us would have shown more reverence for the occasion and patiently waited our turn to speak. But our President is Donald Trump…a man not known for patience maybe, but who has worked hard to make our country great again. A voice that speaks out against violence, defends our police and our military…our religious freedoms…is for women’s rights, but not for abortion. These things need to be heard. The issues facing our nation right now are too important to be overridden by the left’s greed for power.
It will take more than prayer and kind words from God’s people to turn our country around. It will take more of us standing up and respectfully, but firmly, voicing our own opinion…not on social media, but at the polls when we vote. When we elected Donald Trump we were not electing a pastor but someone we felt would fight for our rights and perhaps lead our country in a return to God.
I am in no way trying to compare our President to Jesus Christ. The only comparison would be in how the two of them were treated. There is so much anger in our world today that can in no way be considered righteous. Only the love of Jesus can overcome such anger. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4: 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. 27 Neither give place to the devil.
We all feel anger at times and that’s when we need Jesus and His example. His reaction at the temple came at a time when He knew His destiny was near. He had been grilled by the Pharisees, threatened by the lawmakers, ridiculed by the Sadducees and accused by all of being a liar and a fraud. He was tired, hungry and even a fig tree had refused to give Him fruit, so He took His cares to the temple…a house of prayer…which had been turned into a den of thieves. He didn’t harm anybody or set the place on fire, as some do today. He corrected the situation and spent the rest of His days preaching from the Temple. Even righteous anger must be tempered with love. If not, it gives the devil an opening and an opportunity to influence us to do evil.
Ephesians 4: 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Ephesians 5: 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
