01/16/2024
One More Thing...
Tim Harlow, author of What Made Jesus Mad, makes the following observation about what led Jesus to a godly anger.
“Everything Jesus came to accomplish had to do with reuniting the Father with his children. So if access to the Father was Jesus' purpose on earth, then it logically follows that it angered Jesus the most when people created barriers to that access. There are three obvious instances of Jesus' anger in response to the barriers people put up:
1. In the temple, where money changers were literally denying access to the Father, especially for the non-Jews and the poor.
2. During his teaching, when little children were denied access.
3. On the Sabbath, when religious leaders put rules above relationship and suffering above healing.
And I would add…
4. Deciding a group of individuals were unacceptable or not worth reaching out to with the love of God.
After saying all that, I would suggest that we still have to be very careful in expressing what feels to us as “Righteous Anger.” I’ve been flabbergasted to learn over the last several years that there are people all around me who see the same world, the same set of facts, the same social and cultural realities of our day in radically different ways. In fact, they see them in completely opposite ways. What seems like an obvious reading of scripture—what I believe to be central to the life and teachings of Jesus—makes no sense to folks who limit their news and opinions to a small echo chamber of like-minded media. At the same time I am astonished to hear what some pastors and self-identified Christians want to claim for someone or some perspective that seems obviously misguided.
Be sure to show up next Sunday as we discuss the role love plays in expressing righteous anger. Reread the eighth chapter of John’s gospel, at least the first 11 verses, and you’ll be ready to take the next step in our exploration of What Makes Jesus Mad.
Archived Posts
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.
Practical Tips To Avoid Judging Others
When I research a sermon, such as Sunday’s message on judgmentalism, I always try to think through some practical steps or tips in how to implement God’s desire for our lives. I rustled together a herd of ideas this week and I offer them to you.
The Shepherd, the King, and the Rescuer
God has got a long list of names, but some of those names are better than others. There is a small child who thought God’s name was Harold since the Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “Hallowed be thy name.” When you think of all the scriptures that are most likely to be memorized you would have to include Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16. The danger for us is our tendency to focus on the wrong thing.
Old Jokes Are The Best Jokes
Sunday morning, we took a look at Jesus’ command to make our enemies into neighbors and loving our neighbors as ourselves. One of the obstacles to doing this is our growing sense of tribalism—whether it’s a political, socio-economic, or even theological tribe.