What can we learn from Jesus' anger?

07Dec
Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself”?’
He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea”, it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’
- Matthew 21:12-22

Today’s Gospel describes a portion of Jesus’ life that is not often discussed: the times He got angry. Of course, Jesus appears angry in several verses, but no depiction is more memorable than Jesus turning over tables in the temple.

Jesus’ anger has always felt counter-intuitive to me, unlike the calm, cool, and collected Jesus that I picture. What can we learn from Jesus’ anger when we, at Trinity, are focusing on the coming of the Light?

Two things: why are you angry? And what are you going to do about it? If you get angry this holiday season, let it be on behalf of others who have been wronged, who do the right thing yet fall short, who deserve a break, not on behalf of yourself for some petty grievance. And what do with it? Of course, let your light shine – encourage, believe, serve, be pragmatic, loving, and joyful.

Musical Reflection - Thus Saith the Lord - Tafelmusik

Gracious God, all of our emotions give us information. Help me to investigate my own experience of anger to see where I may invite Your presence to soften or embolden my heart. Amen.
Gospel
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