Anger: Not Always Unholy

An Emotional Faith, Part 1

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just lose it? You tried to stay calm. You really did, but, like, the person cut you off? Or made a comment” Or crossed a line.”

Before you know it, you're yelling, fuming, saying things inward that you’d love to outward but you know you shouldn't (and maybe sometimes you do).

I mean. I don’t. But I’m sure everyone else does. Right? Eh.

Anyway, anger is a real thing. Truthfully, I think we don’t talk about it enough. If anything, we downplay it to sin and move on. It’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine. The Bible doesn’t say it's a sin… it simply says it can lead to sin… more on that later.

We don’t like to talk about anger in church. It feels… unholy. Undignified. Too messy. Ya know?

New flash, my friends. Jesus got angry. Ah, yes! I’m not talking about irritation here. I am talking about full-blown righteous ANGER. Well, controlled and ordered, but you get my point.

We all know the story. Jesus is out there flipping tables at the Temple. You know, there’s more to this story than you think. He provides us with a beautiful example of how to handle anger rightly. This is a lesson we all need. The same Jesus who taught on meekness and peacemaking lit up a courtyard full of merchants and moneychangers.

How? Glad you asked.

The Temple Dilemma

For simplicity’s sake, let’s just go into some scripture first. In Mark 11:15-17 (ESV), Mark writes…

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations"? But you have made it a den of robbers.’”

This was no minor outburst. Jesus caused a scene. Nice. BUT! It wasn’t impulsive rage. It wasn’t him losing control. In fact, if you read just a few verses before this passage, Jesus actually visited the Temple the day before and looked around. He waited. Then returned the next day to respond.

This was intentional. Whaaaat.

He was angry because the Temple (you know, the house of God) had been turned into a system of exploitation. The court of the Gentiles (the one space non-Jews could worship) had become a marketplace. People were being cheated. Worship was being hijacked. Greed had become normal.

Jesus had seen enough. So, he got mad. Feel weird, right?

[[ For what it’s worth, the other Gospels mention this too. Interestingly, each has a slightly different emphasis. It’s not about timeline confusion. It’s about theological layering. ]]

Is Anger Always Bad?

Nah.

The problem isn’t that you get angry. It’s what you do with it, and where it comes from. In Ephesians 4:26 (ESV), the Apostle Paul writes, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” In other words, you can be angry and not sin.

Admittedly, this is a narrow road. Most of our anger doesn’t come from a place of justice, it comes from pride, insecurity, frustration, or fear. We get angry because someone embarrassed us, because things didn’t go our way, or even because we feel out of control.

That kind of anger doesn’t lead to healing. It leads to hurt. It burns bridges, ruins friendships, and poisons our own hearts. Jesus’ anger brought order to a disordered space. Our anger usually just adds to the chaos. See what I mean?

Diagnosing the Source of Your Anger

So how do you know the difference? Start by asking good questions!

• Is my anger protective of others… or defensive of myself?

• Is it directed at injustice… or inconvenience?

• Am I seeking restoration… or revenge?

• Is this moving me toward grace… or away from love?

Jesus’ anger wasn’t a flash of emotion. It was the visible manifestation of his heart for justice and purity. He didn’t flip tables because he lost control. He flipped tables because he was in control. If your anger is making things worse, it’s probably not righteous.

What to Do with the Anger

You don’t need to ignore your anger, but you also don’t need to obey it.

Anger is like a signal, not a steering wheel. It can point to something worth paying attention to… but it’s not supposed to be your guide. Bring it to God. Like, actually talk to him about it. Let Scripture filter it. Let community speak into it.

When necessary, let it lead to action that restores. Anger isn’t always wrong, but it’s rarely right on its own. That’s all I have to say about that.

A Better Example to Follow

Instead of using the “table-flipping Jesus” as a free pass to vent or blast people online, maybe point to something like James 1:19-20 (ESV), as James writes, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

That verse lands the plane better than quoting Jesus mid-flip. We are called to be quick to listen, slow to react, and slow to anger. That’s not weakness! It’s wisdom.

You can still care deeply about injustice. You can still speak truth and take a stand. You just don’t need to burn it all down to make your point.

Hopefully, That Made Sense

Anger is a tricky emotion, but it’s not evil. It just needs discipleship.

Jesus shows us that there’s a kind of anger that protects, heals, and restores. Most of us, however, aren’t flipping tables to make room for prayer. We’re flipping tables because someone stepped on our pride. Let the Spirit teach you what to feel. Let Scripture shape how you respond.

Remember that real power isn’t found in rage. It’s actually found in restraint.

Until next time,
Petey