Mark 3:5
“Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out, and it was restored.”
This verse might seem an unusual choice for an essay on anger. However, this is the only instance in Scripture where Jesus is described as being angry. Many would point to the story in Matthew 21, where Jesus drove the moneylenders out of the temple. Yet, nowhere in that passage does it say He was angry. In fact, the Bible emphasizes that He paused, made a whip of cords, and then drove the moneylenders out. Jesus was deliberate and purposeful in His actions. He did what was necessary to cleanse the temple. Think of it like driving a stray dog out of your yard—it doesn’t mean you’re angry, just determined.
Mark 3 this is the only time the Bible explicitly links Jesus with anger. Even here, He doesn’t “lose it” or lash out. Instead, He collects Himself and proceeds to do what must be done. His anger is directed at the hardness of the people’s hearts, but He channels it calmly and purposefully.
Anger itself is not a sin. In Ephesians 4:26, we are told, “Be angry, and do not sin.” The sin lies not in the feeling of anger but in how we respond to it. Jesus gives us the example: when anger arises, remain calm and choose to do what is right.
That’s what the Bible teaches about anger. It’s not about losing control or a whip of cords. It’s about handling our emotions in a righteous way.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.