I am not prone to fits of rage but I can remember a time
when I was so angry that I literally saw red. Funny thing is, I don’t remember
what caused such strong emotion. You would think that something that provoking
would leave a permanent impression on my memory. Surely I couldn’t forget such
an important episode in my life . . . and yet I did. I believe I am living
proof that James is right: man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life
that God desires.
Man’s anger is self-centered. Even when we are indignant on
someone else’s behalf, it is because we can relate to their situation in some
way. But what about God’s anger? What makes him see red? The Old Testament is
teeming with examples of God’s wrath. The Children of Israel were especially
good at stirring up his anger while they were wandering in the wilderness.
(Isn’t that why they were wandering in the first place?) We find that God is
angered by disobedience and rebellion; oppression of the “least of these;”
whining and ingratitude; and following other gods – to name a few!
Do we have the right to appropriate God’s anger for our own?
Should we be angry on his behalf for the wickedness of mankind? I would have to
say: yes and no. Yes, we should hate sin and sin should make us angry. But I
don’t see Jesus modeling any behavior that indicates that we have a right to act in anger. We point to his “cleansing
of the temple” as a case of righteous indignation but none of the gospel writers
even hints that Jesus was angry. He spoke and acted with authority, not in
anger. That’s not to say he felt no emotion about what was going on in his
house but this was not a “fit of temper.”*
And so we come to James’ original
directive: quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Take the
time to assess your right to be angry. Is your anger self-centered or
God-centered? Who has authorized your angry actions? “His wrath is always just
and holy.”* Is yours?
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