Five Things that Make Jesus Angry
Have you ever thought about what made Jesus angry when he lived and walked as a man here on earth? The Bible says that Jesus was (and is) the perfect representation of God the Father. That is not surprising since he is God in the flesh. That being the case, watching him in action gives us an accurate view into the heart of God.
We know from the Old Testament that God hates sin. The essence of sin is a repudiation of God’s authority or right to direct our lives, which includes a refusal to acknowledge, obey, and glorify him. God created us to live in partnership / dependence upon him in a beautiful synchronized sort of dance with the Holy Spirit. Life in sync with the Spirit might be compared to a flock of birds turning and wheeling as a group in flight. Instead, Adam and Eve, and we, have chosen a sinful independence from God that has led to death, destruction, chaos, and an eternity separated from our Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer.
Jesus came to earth on a mission: to redeem any who would trust in him and restore them to a right relationship with the God who hates sin but loves people past understanding. Jesus came with a full knowledge of just how messed up we human beings are. It never surprises him to discover the depths of our sin and rebellion against God. He came to save all people who will acknowledge their need for him and humbly trust in his provision of forgiveness.
Jesus’ still seeks those with a humble heart who will accept his good news of forgiveness and reconciliation. What made (and makes) him angry is when he encounters stubborn pride that refuses to acknowledge its need for a Savior and the unbelief that refuses to trust in him. In a word, Jesus hates hypocrisy, and so should we.
Five Things
Let’s take a look at some verses from the Bible that bear this out.
In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:14-17 (ESV)
- The first example of what made Jesus mad is when “church people” use the things of God’s kingdom to make money.
He told his disciples to freely give away what had been given freely to them. Jesus warned his followers that it is impossible to serve God and money. When religious people use the things of God to serve the “god” of money, it is a betrayal of God. It is also one of the big stumbling blocks that keep many from honestly responding to the Gospel message. People are always looking for excuses for not surrendering their lives to God, and when so called Christians profiteer from the gospel message, many use this as an excuse to reject the Gospel altogether. This should give us pause to think.
America is famous for the marketing of the gospel. It is probably the one thing we are really good at, and it is an abomination to God. What would Jesus think if he walked into the average “Christian” book store and saw all the junk that is sold under his name? We are so steeped in the worship of Mammon that we cannot see it. Jesus is pleased when his followers give up everything to follow him, demonstrating that their love for him transcends their love for worldly things.
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Mark 3:1-5 (ESV)
- Jesus’ became angry when religious hypocrites were more concerned with keeping rules than with meeting the needs of suffering people .
Jesus hates the hardness of heart that is behind legalism because it is rooted in the pride of man and founded upon the firmly held belief that we can be good enough to please God through our own efforts. Legalism is the arch enemy of love and grace, and Jesus hates it. So should we.
The Jewish leaders presented a false image of God when they told the crippled man that the Lord was not interested in healing him on the Sabbath!
Why would anyone want to serve such a god? We should ask ourselves if we are more concerned with helping people or with being and appearing religious or “holy.” Jesus is pleased when suffering people are set free, but angered when those who need a physician are hindered by those who do not acknowledge their own sinfulness.
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Mark 10:13-16 (ESV)
- Jesus rebuked his disciples when they assumed that he was too busy and important to be bothered by children.
God loves kids and wants to bless them. Children’s hearts are generally more open to God than are adults’. They readily accept the gospel message and should never be hindered from coming to Christ, as if he has more important things to do. Jesus called adults “children” because in God’s eyes we are all children. May God deliver us from the sanctimonious pride that makes us think adults are more important than children. Jesus is pleased when little children have their eyes opened to see who he is and come to him.
Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:32-40 (ESV)
- Jesus is angered by our unbelief.
In the passage above, where it says that Jesus was “deeply moved,” it literally means that he “snorted with anger.” This may surprise us because most of us have always thought that he was moved with compassion for the family who had just suffered such a loss. However, I believe we can better understand that Jesus was deeply angered by the unbelief he had just encountered. This is confirmed by his question, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Unbelief angers God; whereas, faith makes him glad.
When the centurion told Jesus to simply speak a word of healing rather than trouble himself by actually walking to his home, the Bible tells us that Jesus was amazed and pleased to encounter such a high level of faith. Conversely, the New Testament is replete with examples of Jesus rebuking his closest disciples for their lack of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:14-19 (ESV)
- Jesus is repulsed when his people lose their passion for him and his kingdom and become complacent.
Passionless Christians are equivalent to salt that has lost its saltiness and are “good for nothing.” Those are strong words. Believers who have no passion have lost the “edge” to their faith. They have succumbed to the God of ease and security and have rejected the call to the adventure of faith. When the church exists in a context of prosperity and peace, this condition is likely to grow like salmonella when raw chicken is left in a too warm environment. We who live in America must beware. Conversely, Jesus is made glad when we cast off the false notions of our own goodness and sufficiency and come to him as spiritual paupers who desperately need a savior. When we savor Jesus and his grace, we glorify God.
Conclusion
Perhaps you see yourself in one or more of the examples above. If so, what should you do? The proper thing is to repent, which means we acknowledge our sin, ask forgiveness, and renounce or turn from it. If pride or unbelief is rooted in your life, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you in a fresh new way. Read your Bible with an open heart. Let its words speak to your heart. If you seek the Lord, you will find him. That’s a promise.
Prayer
Dear Lord, please forgive me for angering you. I repent of my sin and ask you, Holy Spirit, to invade my life in a fresh way. Kindle the fire of love for Jesus anew. Let me make you glad the rest of my days. Amen.
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