Thursday, July 13, 2023  

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Today’s Scripture Reading 
Matthew 23:29–39

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?

Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (NRSV)

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Reflection
This passage from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is furious with the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, is one that is often difficult for believers to reconcile with their image of Jesus. How do we square an angry Jesus with his being a bearer of peace and the source of forgiveness?

Many of us were taught that getting angry with others is “bad” and being kind to others is “good.”

If so, this passage demands that we embrace a fuller view of Jesus’ humanity, as well as our own, and a more nuanced appreciation of the role of anger. Jesus’ anger demonstrates some important things about him and anger.

First of all, he is fully human, since anger towards injustices, mistreatment, and hypocrisy are part of the human experience.

Secondly, for me, it reveals that anger can be holy.

When we become angry, often enough it is a result of a violation of our deeply held values. Anger lets us know what our highest values are and that something valuable is being threatened, taken advantage of, or imposed upon us. That is why therapists find that it is so important not to dismiss or repress anger, since it contains some vital information (and often red flags) as to what is taking place around us.

I have found it helpful to embrace the emotion of anger as a teacher that informs me of what is important to me, what my deeper values are, and what situations and people are worthy of trust. Anger as a felt emotion is ethically neutral. To allow ourselves to feel it and process it and let it go is helpful. If held for too long, anger can become toxic and lead to much bitterness and resentment and undermine the chance for our best self to come forward.

Anger can result from what is taking place around us, what took place in the past (that we may be dimly aware of), or when hopes or expectations that we hold have been disappointed or not met. When it arises, anger is a messenger that signals that there is work to be done. When embraced well it can be an opportunity for growth, understanding, and transformation.

If anger is getting in your way and you would like to manage it better in your personal and professional life, we have a number of trained therapists at the Fourth Church Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being to assist you.

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Prayer
Lord, may our anger be a vehicle that brings us closer to you and motivates us within the conditions of our lives to work for justice, peace, and living in “right relationship” with others. Amen.

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Written by John Moulder, Assistant Director, Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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