Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased ...
Mark 10:14
There is a point in our lives that people need to know that we are serious about the things that we hold valuable and right. Many Christians would rather run than confront. That is not the path of love. Christians are called to meekness not weakness. Perfect love cast out all fear. (I John 4:18) That doesn't mean we go around bashing people because that is not love either. Righteous anger is born out of a heart filled with love and concern for others. There are times in our lives when using the power of anger can be a effective tool to teach, protect and break down barriers.
In the passage above Jesus was indignant. That is the word that is used for "greatly displeased". It carries with it the connotation of serious anger. He was annoyed! And who was he angry at? His disciples! That is a shocker! We expect Jesus to be angry at the Pharisees or the religious leaders who were his direct opponents. But here Jesus actually rebuked his disciples. (Matthew 19:13) They were acting just like the religious leaders in placing barriers on those who could experience the love of God.
Jesus had to get angry at His disciples and teach them what was right. He was spending time teaching them about who God really was and how God looked. He told them, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." (John 14:8-9) They weren't getting it! Half the time he was rebuking them for their lack of faith or having to quell arguments about who was going to be the greatest! Most of the time, He simply corrected them or showed them a practical lesson. But this time he got irritated. They were stopping little children from knowing God's love for them.
Anger is not wrong. It's okay to be angry. Be angry and do not sin ... (Ephesians 4:26) Anger is a God given emotion meant to connect us to God and others. Anger is power; and we need to have some power in our lives. There are things that are keeping people from experiencing God's Amazing Love. Let's use this power under the direction of the Holy Spirit to break down barriers and walls so that we can share the love of God with others!
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