Anger: A Misunderstood Concept

Anger is a very misunderstood concept in the believing community. Just last week Christianity Today and some supporting publications talked about “Trusting the G-d of Genocide” and reconciling the G-d of the Old and New Testaments.  This separating G-d into “testaments” and implying G-d somehow changed honestly got me angry.  So was my anger wrong?  Did I sin?  Some would immediately say, “Yes you sinned. You should never become angry, especially at a fellow believer.  Others would say no; it was a righteous anger, so it was justifiable.”

So what is the answer: Is there a justifiable anger that is G-dly, and an evil anger that is sin, or that leads to sin?  That is the subject of this article, and we will look at each of these.  And I promise to discuss my reason for being angry. Was it evil or good? And what my response as a Jew who practices Conservative Messianic Judaism (i.e. one who believes Messiah has come and continues to live as a Torah observant Jew) means.

Why Anger can be Dangerous

Many times we get upset and angry over a perceived wrong or situation.  One of the first statements in scripture  on anger is HaShem (G-d) talking to Cain.

In the passage above, Cain was wroth– really angry.   He was jealous. G-d accepted Able’s sacrifice but not his.  He probably felt small, and maybe unwanted, not accepted, not good enough (common feelings today).  Now, note carefully, HaShem does not say Cain sinned by being angry, but instead says he sins for acting on the anger, letting it fester and grow as the result.  Rather than offering a better offering, or seeking HaShem’s will, Cain commits sin, by murdering his brother.

So how does that apply to us?  Messiah explains it perfectly.  Remember Messiah is sent by HaShem not only to die for us (yes G-d ordered Messiah to die for us, so it is G-d the Father who is the one bringing about our salvation through Messiah) but to teach the Torah and how to rightly apply it (That is why Matthew records Messiah saying,  “I have not come to abolish the Torah, but to fill it.”  Fulfill is not the correct translation, it is to fill.  This means to properly teach and explain, not do away with).  Messiah said, “If you have anger in your heart for your brother, you have committed murder.”

Is Messiah saying, if you hate someone, go commit murder, or it is as bad a sin as murder?  Not at all, as Paul would say, “Heaven forbid!”  What Messiah is saying is anger and hatred are the beginnings of murder.  Just like HaShem warned Cain, if you don’t get over your anger, it is going to lead to sin in both HaShem and Messiah’s case–murder. It is how we deal with that anger that determines the outcome.  Here is a good but extreme example: abortion is wrong and is a sin against innocent life.  To vote against abortion, to peacefully protest, to organize and raise awareness and funds to turn back abortion is channeling a righteous anger at wrong (more on this later) into a concrete action that is not sin.  On the other hand, if we let it consume us to the point of violence and murder, then, we, like Cain have given into sin.

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger (not holding a grudge)

In order to not allow anger to consume us, we need to learn also to forgive.  This is easiest when the action is against us.  Jewish Law requires we forgive a person if they ask for forgiveness.  What this means is we have a responsibility commanded by G-d to forgive.  Forgiveness means releasing the anger and not holding a grudge.  Let’s look at this in terms of marital relationships.  Husbands and wives often get angry with one another, and it is easy to use silence, a form of anger, to punish the other person. By not letting go of the anger, they hurt or even doom their marriage.  This is a perfect example of not “letting the sun go down on our anger.”  Couples should say they are sorry before going to bed.  If the one who has committed the offense apologizes, the other should accept it.  We must practice releasing the anger, giving it to HaShem and asking Him to help us be rid of it.

Righteous Anger

Now let’s look at the other side of anger.  To those who say we should never be angry, that does not line up with scripture for both HaShem and Messiah displays anger:

In the above scriptures, you see G-d Himself and His Messiah becoming angry.  So did G-d sin?  The answer is no.  This is righteous anger.
During the Civil Rights Movement when African-Americans were beaten, dog bitten, and even killed for wanting the same rights of all Americans, many Jews and Christians stood up and helped our brothers and sisters.  That was righteous anger, not against a person, but against injustice.  When people protest against people losing their life savings while the rich get richer, that is righteous anger. To be angry at injustice, oppression widows and orphans, innocent killings, for example, is not a sin. It is “righteous anger”.

Righteous anger is often best seen when we are angry over what is being done to others, even if we don’t always agree with them.  I suspect many of us feel strongly that homosexuality is a sin (by the way, fornication and adultery is just as serious a sin and occur too commonly in churches and synagogues today).  But we should not stand by while persons are being killed or hurt because they don’t live by our moral code.  We should feel righteous angry towards any situation where people are being killed or hurt.  What about Syria?  What about people losing their homes because they lost their jobs? What about millions who cannot find work but are willing to work?  Those are good examples of reasons to get involved and help those who are oppressed.  Just because we don’t’ agree with someone does not give anyone the right to hurt them or slander them.

Why addressing anger properly is important to our Health

Being angry and holding a grudge hurts you far more than the person it is directed at.  This anger is like a cancer and it will spread and infect your entire being to the point where it can cause physical, emotional and mental damage.  Scientific research has shown a direct correlation between anger and cardiovascular diseases. Likewise, left to fester it will cause spiritual damage, causing you to turn away from G-d or impacting your relationship with Him.  The cure? Forgiveness. Forgiveness not only frees the person you are angry with, it frees you.  Don’t feel like forgiving? Feelings are not the basis of trust in HaShem, actions (physical and mental) are.  Forgive the person in word and deed and allow G-d to do the rest.

My Response

I promised to address my anger at the comments about G-d of the Old and New Testament.   First, we must recognize the only uninspired (G-d breathed) section of the Bible is the page between the Old and New Testament. There is only one Testament.  It is G-d’s love for mankind and His work to reconcile mankind to him.  Messiah is G-d’s answer sent for all who desire Him.   By separating G-d we are falling into an ancient heresy still alive in many denominations, Marcionism – Believing the G-d of the Old is different from the G-d of the New.  There is only one G-d (Messiah said so Himself).  The G-d of the old is the same as the G-d of the new.   Look into the old and you see G-d’s love and look in the new and you see His Love and wrath.  Remember the book of Revelation – 6th scroll and they hid from the face of the lamb?  Also Messiah leads heaven’s armies and destroys all those warring against Him with the sword of His mouth.  Sounds like wrath to me.

G-d feels righteous anger when we sin.  Scripture says Messiah was sent by HaShem to die to satisfy G-d’s justice. His righteous anger is at sin (not at us).  So we too may feel righteous anger.  How do we tell the difference?  Is it directed at a person, or at the sin and the cause?  If at the person, be careful for sin is truly posed at the door of our heart.  If it is the situation spurring us to help provide a remedy, it could be righteous anger.  Search your heart and seek G-d’s face to show which it is.