The Anger of Jesus

"Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.'
Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus" (Mark 3:1-6, NIV).

Most of the time, when I think of the character of Jesus, I think of his compassion or his courage or his faithfulness. I seldom think of his anger, but his anger gives us some insight into his character, which we are called to imitate.

On this occasion, Jesus became angry when the Pharisees were more concerned about their rule-keeping than about a hurting man. He became furious at the virtuous men who had become blind to the needs of the people around them.

I have some understanding of the Pharisees, though. Sometimes I become so task-oriented that I lose sight of the people around me. How often have I become so engrossed in preparing a Bible lesson for Sunday morning that I have become blind to my wife's need to help with the dishes or my son's need for attention? How many times have I not even noticed that a co-worker's life is falling apart a few feet from me because I am obsessed with meeting a deadline? I have no idea, but I have some idea of how it can be easy to miss the needs of people while focusing on a task. The Pharisees were focused on the task of keeping the Sabbath, but they could not see a man in need among them.

Sometimes like the Pharisees, we make up rules in churches. For example, we may have a rule against cell phone usage during worship assemblies. It's a good rule most of the time. It keeps us from distractions. However, when it gets in the way of human needs, I know that it makes Jesus angry as much as the Sabbath rules of the Pharisees made him angry.

I remember one time when a church broke the rules because of our needs, and I am grateful for their willingness to do so. The weekend before our son was born, Janet and I knew that the time was near. We knew that Christopher's birth mother was due to give birth at any time, and that her lawyers could call at any moment for us to go to the hospital. We explained our situation to Tracy Ellis, the minister of the Jenks Church. "No problem," he said. He knew our needs and he refused to let the rules get in the way of meeting them. I kept my eyes on our cell phone the entire morning. I believe that Jesus smiled on the Jenks Church that Sunday morning as a rule was broken, but a need was met. (It turned out that we did not get the call during church services. We were able to be at the hospital 2 days later when our son was born. Another day later, we took him home. The adoption was completed a few months later.)

In order to be more like Jesus, I need to learn from his anger. I need to be more people-oriented and less task-oriented. I need to see the importance of people and be willing to get past rules that interfere with doing what God wants to be done. And I must become angry at what makes Jesus angry. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." (Romans 8:29, NIV).

Granny Winn's Eulogy

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NIV).

Yesterday, I was able to leave work early to attend the memorial service of George Sly (a member of Jenks Church and the father of Mary Lasarsky). During the very good service, Tracy Ellis quoted Micah 6:8 and demonstrated how George Sly had lived out the principles of that verse. It reminded me of the eulogy that I wrote 4 years ago for my last living grandparent (and the only one who had the opportunity to see my son, Christopher). My cousin, Bryan Winn, read the eulogy at the funeral for me. The following is the eulogy as I wrote it:

Lovada Almalee (Maggard) Winn was born in Venice (Huntsville) Arkansas on February 13, 1930 to John and Bell Maggard. In 1933, the Maggard family moved to Westville, Oklahoma, where Lovada attended Westville Public Schools. On December 19, 1946, she married James Troy Winn in Lincoln, Arkansas. In 1958, they moved to Catoosa, Oklahoma. Lovada owned and operated Rainbow Mini Storage. She was preceeded in death by her husband, James Troy Winn. She is survived by...

...two sons (Henry Winn and Glenn Winn, both of Catoosa)
...three daughters (Joyce Laudett of Bella Vista, Arkansas; Glenna Beeler of Inola; and Lisa Taylor of Catoosa)
...three brothers (Neil Maggard of Westville; Ancil Maggard of Proctor; and Kenneth Maggard of Proctor)
...thirteen grandchildren
...and eleven great-grandchildren.

In Micah 6:8, the Bible asks one of the most important questions in life: "What does the Lord require of you?" Then, it reveals the answer: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Lovada Winn lived by those principles.

She was a woman who dealt fairly with people in her business and in life in general. She was known for her honesty and loyalty to people. She acted justly.

Lovada was also helpful to many people in need. Whether visiting a sick friend or church member, caring for her grandchildren, or helping a stranger, she touched many lives with her concern. She was both a great listener and a gifted conversationalist. Nobody felt alone in Lovada's presence. She love mercy.

In 1963, Lovada Winn professed her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at the Catoosa Church of Christ. She served as a member of the Plainview Church of Christ for a quarter of a century. Over those years, she taught numerous children about Jesus, encouraged many others, and became an example for all. Lovada's faith impacted generations, as her children and many grandchildren became believers. She considered the fact that all her children and many grandchildren were Christians to be the most satisfying aspect of her life. While she did many good things, Lovada always wanted to do even more and to be even better than she was. In her last days, she looked forward to heaven, and hoped to be found worthy because of God's grace. She walked humbly with her God.

Lovada Winn passed from this life to the next on May 7, 2003.