One More Thing with Pastor Tim Burchill 1.14.2024

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.