December 3 Devotion - Jesus Christ is not easily angered

God is love.

^{1 John 4:8}

 

I and my Father are one.

^{John 10:30}

 Therefore….Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love.

Jesus Christ (Love) is patient,

Jesus Christ is kind,

Jesus Christ does not boast,

Jesus Christ is not proud.

Jesus Christ does dishonor others not,

Jesus Christ is not self-seeking,

Jesus Christ is not easily angered,

Jesus Christ keeps no record of wrongs,

Jesus Christ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth,

Jesus Christ always protects,

Jesus Christ always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,

Jesus Christ never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

 

When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.

1 Peter 2:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)

الذي اذ شتم لم يكن يشتم عوضا واذ تألم لم يكن يهدد بل كان يسلم لمن يقضي بعدل.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them,

“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

وَدَخَلَ يَسُوعُ إِلَى هَيْكَلِ اللَّهِ وَأَخْرَجَ جَمِيعَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَبِيعُونَ وَيَشْتَرُونَ فِي الْهَيْكَلِ وَقَلَبَ مَوَائِدَ الصَّيَارِفَةِ وَكَرَاسِيَّ بَاعَةِ الْحَمَامِ

13. وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «مَكْتُوبٌ: بَيْتِي بَيْتَ الصَّلاَةِ يُدْعَى. وَأَنْتُمْ جَعَلْتُمُوهُ مَغَارَةَ لُصُوصٍ!»

Matthew 21:12-13

Should we eradicate anger totally from our lives? Note that the scripture says (love) Jesus is not easily angered.

Ephesians 4:26 instructs us “in your anger do not sin” and not to let the sun go down on our anger. I believe the command is not to “avoid anger” (or suppress it or ignore it) but to deal with it properly, in a timely manner.

When Jesus cleared the temple of the moneychangers and animal-sellers, He showed great emotion and anger. Jesus’ emotion has been described as “zeal” for God’s house (John 2:17). His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern for God’s holiness and worship. Because these were at stake, Jesus took quick and decisive action.

Another time Jesus showed anger was in the synagogue of Capernaum. When the Pharisees refused to answer Jesus’ questions,

“He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts”

Mark 3:5

 Jesus’ anger had the proper motivation, He was angry for the right reasons. His anger had the proper control and duration. Jesus’ response was always to accomplish God’s will.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. Thank You Lord that You are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. Psalm 145:8

Jesus strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being not to be quarrelsome and contending, let me be slow to anger and be mild-tempered preserving the bond of peace. Teach me Lord to be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. Strengthen me so that when I am angry I do not sin and am able to deal with the situation promptly so that I do not let the sun go down on my anger. Strengthen me Lord to be merciful and able to empathize with others and build them up. Help me God to trust myself and everything to You because You judge fairly. Help me to bring all my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and to become Christ-like.In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you
In Him,
Wagdi Henein