I’ve often heard that anger isn’t a bad thing. Even Jesus got angry once or twice—and we cite the time when He cleansed the Temple as evidence of righteous indignation (Matt. 21: 12, 13; John 2: 15-17). We quickly add, “Anger isn’t bad. It’s how you deal with anger that can make it bad!”
But there’s another text that rarely enters the conversation about Divine anger: “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts….” (Mark 3:5, NKJV). Jesus experiences anger in response to the lack of spiritual responsiveness of those around Him. What evoked this emotion? The context argues that it was the lack of concern or sympathy not exhibited by the spiritual leaders as they saw human suffering in their midst.
Many pastors and other spiritual leaders are driven by this divine anger. And I applaud it! Never should one be made to feel guilty because they appear gloomy or dour in the face of satanic attacks and demonic injustices. Often, that which appears to be a sour disposition can merely be a reflection of the heavy weight of life’s realities.
“Dear Lord, forgive me for being aloof when I see human suffering and blatant injustices around me—waiting, as it were, for someone else to address the situation. Bless me with a compassionate heart like Yours, a heart that reaches out to touch.”