SERMON NOTES: Righteous Anger

Luke 9:51-62

ANGER AS OVERREACTIVE

Road rage is unquestionably a complete overreaction to anger 

Sometimes anger makes us lose our minds 

But we often feel at least justified 

Anger is a complicated emotion

Passage- James and John- fire from heaven? 

A touch overboard don’t you think?

Jesus rebukes them

Jesus is not necessarily upset about the emotion , but its expression

Violence and aggression are often the default option for anger

We disagree? We belittle

Challenged?  We lash out

Entirely unproductive 

No one wins.

ANGER AS PRODUCTIVE 

Anger in and of itself isn't bad-- Jesus expresses anger.  Remember the tables?

But it is a different kind of anger

Not just anger for anger's sake  

It’s righteous anger

It's anger against injustice

Jesus seems to be ok with this type of anger to a point.

When used properly, anger can be a productive emotion.

What do you get angry about?

ANGER AS INDICATOR OF PASSION

Often, the things that trigger our anger belie something we are passionate about.

At Campfirmation this past week, we discussed anger in our small groups.  Most kids shared an anger about bullying.

When unpacked, it revealed passion about the equality and dignity of all

When someone is bullied, their dignity is compromised, and that evokes anger.

Glennon Doyle, a famous blogger, noted,

"anger is like compassion--

It can point us directly toward to the place in the world

we were born to help heal"

So Where do you get angry?

CALL TO ERADICATE INJUSTICE 

As Christians, we are called to seek to eradicate injustice in the world.

In fact, our sole purpose is not to be happy, comfortable, and accumulate things--of course,  those are nice

but our purpose

is to collaborate with God to usher in the kingdom

to continue the transformative work of Jesus

A kingdom of JUSTICE

Jesus himself told us what this means:

• good news to the poor
• release to the captives
• freedom to the oppressed

If you notice in Scripture, the folks Jesus gets angry at are the RELIGIOUS! Because they are - we are- often working against these efforts  

And they—

We—

should know better!

As people of faith, our task is to work toward justice.

JEWISH UNDERSTANDING OF JUSTICE

The Jewish understanding of justice is very rich--

The Hebrew word often used for justice is tzedakah which is usually translated as "Charity"

But it’s nuanced 

 tzedakah is a mitzvah, a commandment, so it is seen as an obligatory act of justice,  not a voluntary act of caritas, love, as the Latin root of charity suggests.

**In other words, giving to the poor isn't an optional offering out of the goodness of one's heart, but a claim that the poor have on general resources to live a life of dignity. 

It is the legal duty for all to share the wealth and abundance with which they have been blessed.

we are to be people of justice.

CHANNEL ANGER 

As people of Justice, We are to channel anger into fighting for justice

dismantling systems that perpetuate injustice

promoting a life of liberation for all.

Just getting angry?  

Lashing out?

Frankly, that's just lazy.

Jesus calls us to work to fix the problems.

But it won't be easy

We are warned of that!

It will be difficult

It won't be comfortable

You must be willing to give up our self-interest

But it's not only worth it, but it's expected

JUSTICE TODAY 

So what does this look like today?

What is justice?

What is GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR?

WHO are those in captivity?  How can we offer release?

WHO are the oppressed?  And HOW can we grant them freedom?

SOCIAL JUSTICE 

At least in my circles, this work is often referred to broadly as "social justice"

By definition, this makes sense- JUSTICE for SOCIETY.  Right?

Sadly, it's been co-opted.

Many have used it to substantiate their own political agenda.

In doing so, its been lost to the world of divisive politics.

Don't get me wrong- government and the political sphere are often important arenas for enacting social justice

But it's not the only way

As the church, we have a responsibility to participate as well

We can't simply cede our responsibilities to the government.

Because as the body of Christ, we, too can channel our anger to eradicate justice.

• We can channel our anger about racism by
• intentional accompaniment; teaching what it means for ALL to be in the image of God
• We can channel our anger about child abuse by
• providing support to struggling individuals and families; support local nonprofits working with those in need
• We can channel our anger about food insecurity by
• support our local food banks, perhaps creating our own garden

There are so many ways we as the church can work toward justice in the world

CLOSE

It's ok to be angry.  In fact, it's often helpful.

But God wants us to channel that anger for productive good

God wants us to channel our anger to enact justice in the world-

NOT lash out, yell, and argue

But do the work.

Because if we are truly committed to a world of PEACE, JOY, LOVE, & EQUALITY...

THIS IS OUR PART

THIS IS OUR TASK

THIS IS OUR CALL.

Let's get to work.

Amen.