Mark 3:1-5 - Anger at Legalism Clouding Mercy

James tells us that we should be "slow to get angry" since "human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." (James 1:19-20, New Living Translation)

It makes me ask myself, do I get angry merely about a wrong done to me? What is it that makes God angry? Do those things make me angry, too?

“1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, 'Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?' But they wouldn’t answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!” (Mark 3:1–5, New Living Translation)

Jesus became angry for two reasons. The first issue was that Jesus' enemies were being legalistic. They had taken the commandment about the Sabbath and turned it into rules that God never intended.

This resulted in the second reason for Jesus' anger. The legalists were more interested rule following than in doing good, and in seeing a man healed. Notice, though, that Jesus wasn't just angry. He "was deeply saddened by their hard hearts." While He was showing mercy to the man in need, He was sad because He wanted to show mercy to those who refused to admit their own need.

Father in heaven, don't let me obstruct the love and compassion You want to show to me or the people around me. Give me a proper anger: anger at unjust treatment of those in need, tempered with sadness that people can treat others that way. In Jesus' name, Amen.