A Day of Anger - Jesus' anger and their fury.
On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus (Luke 6:6-11 ESV).
They were in a Galilee synagogue. Do you think it might have been a "set-up" that day? Was the man there because the watchers wanted it to be so? Why the fury? Why so very angry? Can you see how a plot failed? Reading the previous pages may make clear what was developing at the time.
Luke's particular word there, for that fury with which they were filled, is uncommon in the New Testament and carries the meaning of loss of reason; a "blind rage" we might say. Luke's colourful report of their response seems to be from a close point of view.
Matthew and Mark also recorded that very public synagogue event, with similar endings:
But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him (Matthew 12:14 ESV).
The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him (Mark 3:6 ESV). They do not include the fury. (Mark has more detail, which is notable.)
However, Mark alone does include a really unusual aspect to this tragic day. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 3:5 ESV). Jesus looked around at them. Jesus was angry! Angry at the hardness of heart shown by the stubborn religious. Their rules and growing enmity were more important than a person's needs. They could use suffering to their own advantage. Jesus' grief was connected to his anger.
All of the versions I compare have Jesus angry (angrily; in anger; with anger). How did the author behind Mark know Jesus was grieved and angry? Do you think it was obvious to the viewers that Jesus had that reaction? Was Jesus "letting himself down" or "losing his cool"? Note that Jesus had asked the critics to explain. They remained silent throughout, a menacing and critical presence. Can you imagine it?
So, in the synagogue on that day Jesus had been angered and the "heavies" were furious.
Jesus was not an angry person. Mark's report of that angry time is unique in the Gospels. Do you think Jesus was angry at other times? For example, what about at the "end", when Jesus was put through a farce of a trial and taken to the Herod and then to the Romans. Read those accounts - I see no indication there of anger; no rejection of their authority over him. But, nor do I see a passive resignation.
Certainly at many points along the way we see Jesus criticising the opposition. An opposition which grew and grew. He criticised their harsh treatment of people. He criticised their double-tongued ways. He criticised their imagined righteousness. He said there would be a grim end to their story. He pronounced "woes" on the misguided and unforgiven unrepentant play-actors of his religion.
For example:
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them (Matthew 23:13 NRSVUE).
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes (Luke 10:13 NIV). Or, since Jesus was hardly speaking to population centres, the NLT "What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida!
A lexicon gives the explanation of the word as an interjection, an "impassioned expression of grief and despair", saying something like "they are doomed", or "I'm doomed", or "alas".
Matthew and Luke record Jesus several times using the word, for example: Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep (Luke 6:25 NIV). We hear those words; we do!
It is a serious matter to reject what God says.
Another word covers wrath or rage or hot anger.
Earlier, there was one recorded moment in Jesus' family hometown synagogue when more people responded hotly to what Jesus (the local carpenter's son) said, in particular about God's favour resting on others, not on them. I think the heat built up to boiling point!
When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath (Luk 4:28 ESV).
When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious (Luke 4:28 NLT).
The same hot word (wrath/fury) is used elsewhere to tell of God's final ominous response to continuing human wickedness: Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion (Revelation 15:1 NLT).
The point I see in the Mark 3 (and parallels) Sabbath synagogue pericope is Jesus being angered by the hardness of heart of the misguided religious. I suppose that came about more than once. Do you think Jesus would be angered by the hardness of heart of the religious of our day? For example, consider the sexual abuse scandals. However, I need to be alert to hardness of my own heart. God is indeed a merciful God. God is not deceived or mocked. God is a God of justice. Alas - God's wrath will be completed - by God!
Did Jesus talk about the wrath of God? How do you find it to be? He certainly called on us to repent and believe - to accept the mercy God offers.
Remembering: we are limited - God is not. You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness[c] (James 1:19-20 NRSVUE). It may be easy to quickly move to anger.
And - more than once the Apostle Paul and contemporaries said words to this effect: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice (Ephesians 4:31 NIV). Our calling is clear, and challenging.
We should also recall Paul's advice on what God desires: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NRSVUE). There clearly is what God wants (CEV).
Paul also wrote serious words to people who could condemn others, focussing on the failings of the other: But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed (Romans 2:5 ESV). Who does not need the mercy of God? Are you reminded of Jesus and the plank in your (my) eye problem?
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