The Right to be Outraged

The idea of outrage to the point of manifestation is something that most Christians look down upon. For example, if a brother gets upset easily, or outraged, that person is usually referred to as an hot-head. Or if someone does something to harm another to spur anger in them, then the angry one is to reconcile before the sun goes down.

However, I wonder why Christians do not manifest outrage more often. Someone says, “Well, we are called to live at peace.” Sure, right, absolutely. But allow me to explain.

In John 2.13ff, we find our Lord in doing something that seems contrary to what God is all about. Notice the actions of the Lord:

John 2:13-17
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." – RSV

In this we see a side of Jesus not too many are familiar with. And I wonder here why didn’t anyone stop him? There must have been enough men there to subdue this one man. Why did no one make him stop? I believe it is because of the intensity of his outrage. He was outraged at the godlessness of the people, their utter contempt for the Father’s house, and their complete lack of respect for Almighty God. So he lets his moral outrage come out, manifested in a make-shift whip.

In Matthew 23, I believe strongly that we see our outraged at the Pharisees. Notice though, this is not uncontrolled, hostile anger. This is moral outrage at the Pharisees. Notice what Jesus says:

Matt 23:13-15
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. – RSV

This is strong language to say the least. Some of us sit here and read this and say, “Go get ‘em Jesus” while at the same time saying “I would never do that.” I wonder, though, what would Jesus say to us today? We see what he said to the “religious elites” of his day. And these were the so to speak “cream of the crop.” But Jesus does not attack them on account of their holiness, but on account of their complete lack of love for God. They were spiritual anemics, dragging others into their one trip to hell. So what would Jesus say today?

We live in a country, when Clinton was caught in immorality, 70% of the people said that they were fine with his licentious immorality because the economy was good. What would Jesus say knowing that 60% of that said they were affiliated with the Church of Christ, and if asked if they believed in God they answered “Yes?” Someone says “Well, we just need to show love.” Do we? Is that what we need to show at this time in our nation’s decline is love?

The flood was a direct result of God’s moral outrage on the godlessness of the time of Noah. Sodom and Gomorrah were the result of the moral outrage of God. Nadab and Abihu were swallowed up by fire from the presence of the Lord as a direct result of the moral outrage of God. And this is not just an Old Testament teaching…

As we have seen, Jesus manifested moral outrage. In Romans 1.18, Paul writes, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.” In 1 Corinthians 5.1ff, Paul talks about the situation of the church in Corinth. Paul is Morally outraged with the Corinthians accepting the immorality of this man who has his father’s wife and is further outraged by their pride of accepting this heinous thing. Paul is literally outraged that the Corinthians are not outraged.

Brothers and sisters, Church, we have the right to be outraged with the current moral state of this country. If we are not outraged at it, then the Lord is outraged with us. We especially have the right to be outraged with immorality in the Church. We cannot have people who claim to love Christ living in immorality any longer. We must and I dare say are demanded to be outraged with this type of behavior. We must have the same attitude as the Psalmist when he wrote, “I will set nothing evil before my sight.”

This is the time to be outraged. If I may quote another brother, “Now is the time for the world to be turned upside down because the wrong-side is up.” So the question is what will we do with our faith? One thing we must understand is that we cannot be satisfied with mediocrity. Nor can we be satisfied with fitting in. Nor can we be satisfied with being ordinary. What form does our faith take? It takes the form of greater determination of the preaching of the Gospel. It is not let in letters to the editor. It is not wrapped up in political boycotting. Notice that when Jesus set about to make reform, he did not start with the political scene. He did not rally an army behind and topple the government. Nor did he try to make change via politics. No he made change by proclaiming the gospel! The only solution to the problems, all the problems we face is the cross of Christ for the message is the power of God.

Brothers and sisters, remember this: mediocre Christianity is the greatest threat to Christianity. So go forth and preach the gospel for it is the only way we can turn this world upside down.