John 2:13-16 (KJV)
And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
I’ve come to believe as an adult that anger is rooted in fear of pain; i.e., fear of pain is the source of anger. I’m pretty sure that applies to the anger displayed by Evangelical Christians when you push them on abortion, gay marriage, and other progressive social hot buttons. They seem to justify their anger with this episode of “Angry Jesus” – he was angry for God, so they can be too. But they are just afraid of change, of being caught up in some God-driven retribution for the acts of others, or just afraid of reality – anything which is going to cause them loss. Loss that (might) bring Pain.
I must admit I can be as confused as a termite in a Yo-yo when it comes to belief in God. Nothing I’ve seen with my eyes, or witnessed in the news, or learned from experience or science tells me that there is a God who intervenes in the affairs of humans. Or the planet for that matter. And I don’t buy the “act of faith” b.s. – that’s just a euphemism for not being willing to think. But it’s hard to just turn away completely. I didn’t have much trouble disbelieving in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but somehow just thinking I got where I am all on my own seems, well, improbable. Just ask my wife, who sometimes marvels I’m still on the planet… 😉
But I have trouble with Angry Jesus. I’m sure he wasn’t angry “for God”, as if God had some fragile ego that needs stroking. *I* have an ego that needs stroking. Why would someone who created a Universe need their ego stroked by an ugly mostly bag of water like me with a life span that is shorter than an eye-blink in the life-span of the cosmos? That’s like me getting my ego stroked by a gnat… I wouldn't get mad at an ant for not genuflecting to me.
So it’s probably fear, but I never thought of Jesus as being afraid. We humans are only afraid for ourselves. Even if what we’re afraid of is harm to someone else, it’s still our own loss we’re afraid of. But Jesus was so angry (i.e. afraid of something ) that he made a small whip and drove people and animals out of the temple. I wonder if he used the whip on the animals, who were there through no fault of their own, or on the people who – in his state of mind – deserved it? Did Jesus beat another human? That’s actually likely now that I think about it…
I was puzzled by this for a long time, but I think I know what he was afraid of now. I think he was afraid that the people just didn’t get it, and they weren’t ever going to get it. That they weren’t going to know how to live with each other in a civil society without somebody spoon-feeding them a set of rules to cover every situation and decision they would need to make in their lives. He was afraid for them.
But like parents who have to let their children go, Jesus let go and got over his fear. Maybe evangelicals should do the same.
I read an article today about Andy Stanley, and North Point Community Church. I don’t think religion is the answer, but Stanley at least seems to embrace his fears, instead of running from them. It’s a spark…