Our Scripture meditation is based on Ephesians 4:26-27, part of the Epistle reading for next week.
[26] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] and give no opportunity to the devil.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics included a parody of Jesus’ Last Supper by drag queens. According to numerous media outlets, there was a wide range of responses to parody. I didn’t need the media to know how many of the members in our churches reacted to such blatant sacrilege.
We were mad. We were angry. Due to my role as District President, I choose to maintain a calm external demeanor in the hours and days after the sinful parody. I assure you, under the surface, I was seething.
Even though our emotions are still a little raw, enough time has passed that we can start of reflect on our initial response to the parody. The Apostle Paul directly addresses anger in Christians: “Be angry and do not sin…”
Paul doesn’t say that anger itself is a sin. It’s not. If you get angry, you are experiencing a strong emotion, not sinning. If you feel guilty because you have felt the emotion of anger, reframe your thinking. If you were angry at the parody, you did not sin in being angry.
That said, there is a risk that we might sin in our anger. The sin might be internal, found in personal thoughts that are only shared with God. The sin might be verbal if we lash out with our words at the source of our anger. The sin can also be physical if as we act out our anger. The bottom line is anger is strong enough emotion that we may react to it by sinning. Even though I never spoke in anger about the sacrilege, I still had to ask our Lord for forgiveness for some of my thoughts.
Paul provides guidance for avoiding sinning in our anger. The primary instruction is to not dwell on the anger, not let the anger grow over time. It is best to express our anger and then deescalate our emotions. Hence, the instruction to not let the sun go down on your anger. By deescalating our emotions, we also avoid giving “the devil a foothold.”
It is important to express our anger. It’s not healthy spiritually, emotionally, or physically to suppress anger. If we sin in our anger, we need not fear God’s anger. Jesus took upon himself on the cross all anger God directed at us for our sin. In Jesus’ resurrection, we know for certain we no longer face God’s wrath. We are forgiven of all sins, including those committed in anger.
Kevin Wilson 360 