Ephesians 4:26

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

America’s representation of Jesus often a far cry from who He actually is. Many times we view Jesus as an incredibly soft individual. Always with a sweet word, never a negative thing to say. Many people would even argue that He accepted everyone. Surely this Jesus was kind and friendly to all. If anything, He bordered on being a walking mat for people to stomp all over.

The problem with this image is that it is not at all accurate. Jesus was a person who could and would get angry. On two occasions He cleared the Temple of money changers (John 2:13-17; Matthew 21:12-13). This was not with a polite request, but by turning over their tables and literally chasing them out. He even used a whip! When talking to the hard hearted of the Jewish people, Jesus would use strong, condemning language (Matthew 23). Yet Jesus was without sin. Because of that we can conclude that there are times when it is appropriate, even righteous, to be angry.

There are things that we see that should anger us. Jesus clearing out the temple was not because He was having a bad day. He was irate with them because they dared defile the Temple of God. When he criticized those with a hard heart, it was because the refused to see the serious consequences to their actions. Their stubborn pride was hurtful, both to God and to themselves. Jesus also hated it when people took advantage of others. He felt that such unrighteous behavior deserved a rebuke (Matthew 23:14). While we must heed the warning to not sin, we can know by Jesus’ own example that there are times when we should be angry.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,