“The Scripture is filled with examples of genuine masculinity; you could mine David's story for probably a year by itself. And we have to get the masculinity of Jesus back. Not the pale-faced altar boy, but the man who made a weapon and cleared the Temple, who boldly cast out demons, and calmed the raging sea.” -John Eldredge, American Author
RAGE is violent, uncontrollable anger; or a vehement desire or passion. It's an instance of aggressive behavior or violent anger caused by a stressful or frustrating situation. Rage as it pertains to something in nature like the sea or a disease is great force or intensity, or a rapid, uncontrollable spread. People generally don't think of Jesus as someone who would exhibit rage, but in Mark 11 the Bible says:
"15When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”18When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
In referencing the same incident, John 2:17 says, "His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.” The Hebrew word qinah denotes a strong emotion of jealousy or zeal. It can refer to both positive and negative forms of jealousy. In a positive sense, it describes God's zealous protection of His people and His desire for their exclusive devotion. Jesus' frustration and rage were about the religious leaders substituting God's Worship, honor, and prayer for capitalistic enterprise and worldly gain. This is the same God who declared in the Ten Commandments:
3“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Ex. 20:3-6)
The idea that we as individuals, families, or corporately as the Church or a Nation...could do, say, plan, and intend things that would evoke God's wrath and rage seems lost on us. The possibility that we could be under judgment because we chose to worship individuals, idols, ourselves, power, and Mammon—the god of money...instead of exalting and reverencing the LORD Jesus Christ and living in holiness and love...may not have crossed our minds. King Solomon in Proverbs 14:34 clearly states that, "Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people." The New Living Translation breaks it down for our current context by saying, "Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Selah. |
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