The
Anger Which Is Good
March
18-19, 2006
John
2:13-25
Aristotle
has written, “It is easy to become angry. Anyone can do it.
But to become angry at the right moment, to the right degree,
for the right purpose, in the right manner, that is difficult.
Only the wise person can accomplish it.” What is implied in
Aristotle's words is the realization that there are different
kinds of anger. There is a destructive anger, which is unfocused,
irrational and wasteful. But there is also a constructive
anger that is precise, appropriate and useful. Aristotle believed
that constructive anger is valuable. So did Jesus.
In
today's gospel we see Jesus using constructive anger to motivate
himself in the dramatic action in the temple. Now we are not
completely sure what Jesus was angry at. He was not angry
at the temple itself, for as a good Jew the temple was the
center of his religious life, and he prayed in the temple
often. He could not be angry at the fact that people were
selling animals, because animals were required by Jewish law
for sacrifice. Perhaps he was angry at where the animals were
being sold or how they were being sold. Perhaps they were
sold in an unfair way that discriminated against the poor.
Whatever the reason was, it is clear that Jesus perceived
in the action of selling some injustice, and his response
to that injustice was anger. Anger motivated Jesus to act
against what he believed was wrong.
The
example of Jesus reminds us that, as children of God, we are
required to do more than pray quietly and promote a peaceful
inner disposition. We are also required to act on behalf of
what is right, to oppose every evil, oppression, and discrimination.
We do these things because we believe that they are contrary
to
God's kingdom. In this action against evil, there is a kind
of anger that is very useful. Constructive anger is a virtue
when it is exercised on behalf of the kingdom. Now this can
surprise us, because some of us were taught that anger is
a sin. But only destructive anger is sinful. Constructive
anger is not a sin. It is a positive and valuable part of
human life.
Look
at your own life over the past year. If you cannot think of
any time when you were angry, that is not necessarily a good
thing. Never being angry does not make us holy; in fact, it
might indicate that we are indifferent, indifferent to the
injustice and evils that are a part of our world. If, on the
other hand, you look over the past year and realize that you
are always angry, that is not a good thing either. When we
suddenly burst into rage at the slightest comment, when we
explode without any reason, when we discover that we are living
constantly with an internal tension, that is an indication
that there are unresolved issues in our life that need to
be faced. That is a sign that destructive anger controls us.
And destructive anger needs to be eliminated.
But
contrary to never being angry or always being angry, constructive
anger is healthy. It helps us identify what is wrong, and
it motivates us to work against it. If you recognize in your
life a growing tendency toward self-indulgence and self-centeredness,
constructive anger can motivate you to act, to turn things
around. If you realize that you are experiencing abuse or
manipulation in a relationship, constructive anger can force
you to demand a change or to abandon the relationship altogether.
If you recognize that the policies of your job, of your church,
or of our society discriminate against the poor or oppress
the weak, constructive anger can cause you to speak out, to
organize, to work for doing what is right.
There
is no doubt that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. But he is also
the Lord of Justice. Jesus did not sit meekly by when he saw
evil being imposed on others. Jesus was not afraid of constructive
anger. He used it to build the kingdom. So should we.
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