Anger is a very powerful emotion. It can motivate us to do negative things that we would not normally do, but it can also motivate us to do things that bring about a positive change. Anger can bring us to a crossroads that, depending on the choice we make, can alter the course of not only our life, but also history. For example, being angry with your family might change the way you interact with them. In contrast, Adolf Hitler was angry with the Jews, and as a result, altered history. In Mathew 5:21-26, Jesus shows us the true nature of anger towards others, explaining that anger in our hearts is subject to judgment equal to that of murder.

John 7:45-52 shows us how anger can blind us to our own faults and can cause us to make blanket generalizations and justifications for our feelings and actions. To set the scene, the Pharisees have sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus and they came back empty handed; not because of the potential angry crowd or the threat of Jesus' disciples, but because the words that Christ spoke were like none that they had ever heard. The temple guards could have given many excuses as to why they did not obey their orders that day, but they chose not to follow orders because they were impressed with the teaching of Jesus. They simply did not want to cause him any trouble. This made the Pharisees angry and they started making generalized statements. They said that the guards had been deceived like the rest of the mob and their proof of deception was that there wasn't a single leader, ruler or Pharisee that believed in Christ. The idea here is that they, being the intellectual elite, were right, while the uneducated mob were wrong. They continue to drive this point home when they say that the mob knows nothing of the law, which was what determined your righteousness, depending on how close you followed it. (Genesis through Deuteronomy is what was considered the law at that time.)

Then, ironically the Pharisees are put on their heels by one of their own-Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council and was the man that went to Jesus by cover of night in John chapter 3, where Jesus tells him "God so loved the world that he gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) So when the Pharisees said that none of the religious leaders believed in Jesus, they were incorrect.

Nicodemus also challenged them in the law that they supposedly knew so well, saying, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" Then the Pharisees responded by mocking Nicodemus saying "Are you from Galilee too?" They stated that prophets do not come out of Galilee. Again they were incorrect in that Jonah also came from Galilee, not to mention Christ himself.

The question that I ask you this week is this: Is there anyone that you are angry with this week? Is there anyone that you need to get things right with? Are you making blanket statements using the words "always" and "never," all the while blinding yourself to the heart of the issue at hand? Have you allowed yourself to ignore people in your life, like Nicodemus, who are trying to get to the truth and heart of your issue? If so, make an effort to reach out to those that have offended you this week and ask that the Holy Spirit give you the words to say and that He would go before you and pave the way for reconciliation. Spend some time this week just seeking the face of God and asking if there is anyone He would have you reach out to in love to begin the restoration of a broken relationship.

Closing thought: I have found that more often than not, the offender in most situations does not even know that they have offended. Be honest and let them know you were hurt, and with God's help, watch Him restore your relationships.