A Fire Within

"Be angry, and do ot sin"; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
Ephesians 4: 6-7 NKJV

We do it far too often than we'd like to admit.  Eventually the cares of this world, those around us or our own situations will lead us into anger.  Are  we so evil a people that anger comes so naturaly for us?  The bible refers to those in scripture whose anger "burned" within them.  Once it starts, I'm guessing that it's a all consuming fire.  In the heat of which nothing else matters but revenge and/or our own vindication.  We NEED to prove that we're right because we could never be wrong, right?  Our own anger can be seen as a completely negative emotion that burns within us, yet even Christ let his own anger show at times.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And, he said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
Matthew 21: 12-13 NKJV

This example of Jesus in the temple is often given as a example of how Jesus was imperfect, of how he was provoked to wrath and anger.  Yet, we never seem to see that anger of Jesus in its full context.  See, Jesus was SPECIFICALY angry with a certain group within the temple.  There were those in the temple of God who would change money for those coming to worship.  Also, for those coming to offer sacrafices to God, there were those who, for a price, would sell the people a "unblemished" bird or animal in the hopes that God would look favorably upon the person bringing the sacrafice.  Can you see anything wrong with these practices in the house of the Lord?  Jesus' anger was justified as it was directed at those who were desecrating his fathers house!  That fire that burned within Jesus that day was ignited purely by those who  were using Gods house for their their own profit, not at a percieved injustice from someone.  This was not selfish anger at all.  I'm sorry, but I just can't fault Jesus for being angry in this situation.  Gods house is not a business opportunity, but a place of worship.  So, you can see now just why our Lord Jesus let his anger show in this situation.  Does our daily anger compare to Jesus'?  I think not, for Jesus never did anything out of selfish ambition!
Whatever it is that causes us to vent our anger at others, we need to recognize it for what it is, usualy a slefish emotion due to a wounded pride.

For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:20 NKJV

The wonderful thing about Gods creation is that we are ALL created lovingly by a loving god.  Indeed, that emotion of anger was also created within us by our Lord.  I also believe, that since our Lord created our anger emotion, that there is indeed a place for it.  However, that place is NOT in the hurting or demeaning of those around us!  As in James 1:20, THAT does not produce the righteousness of our Lord.  There is a huge difference between anger and wrath.  It is when our anger crosses that line from helpful to destructive that our wrath takes over.  Anger that does not seek to right wrongs or injustices but simply to lash out at others is, pure and simple, our own selfish wrath.

~Scott~