Does Jesus get angry with Christians?

You bet! Wait, I know what is going on inside of you is something like this thought: "if Jesus is the all loving God, then how can He get angry?" or "it isn't nice to be angry?".

First, let me point you to a passage that while in my quiet time today God pointed out some issues in my own life.

"But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God"
                                                                                          Mark 10:14

The word indignant means "I am Angry", incensed, or greatly displeased in the Greek. So Jesus' reaction to the disciples not allowing the children to come to Him resulted in Jesus getting angry at His followers for not getting it and getting in the way of it. What is "it", well I will answer that in a bit. If you read the passages before and after, you will see that the disciples were getting in the way of kids coming to hang out with Jesus. Jesus seems to have a soft spot for children and why not. They are innocent (at-least those who have not been corrupted by down right evil stuff), they are small and unassuming. Children have so many traits that I wish I had. I wish I had the faith just to trust Jesus when He says something instead of fighting Him in so many areas because I have planted lustful and hurtful things in my life. I wish that I would run to Jesus like my children run to me when I come home. I wish I just enjoyed the presence of Jesus like my kids enjoy me being home. There are so many lessons I have learned from the kids in this passage, but that's not the main lessons. Jesus gets angry at His disciples for telling the kids "don't bother Jesus". If kids can't bother Jesus, than who can? If we are not encouraging those who are in need of Jesus, in hope to hang with Jesus or just plain love God because they are innocent, than we are discouraging them and this is where I believe we can answer the title of this post. Yes Jesus get angry at His followers.

First, let me remind all of us that when God gets angry, He is not an out of control, abusive, spitting venom type. I have read some facebook posts from some of my friends that are not followers of Christ and realize they have this view of God. Many of them think that if we don't follow God's rules He is going to blow us up and that is simply not true. God knew we would break our relationship with Him and therefore provided the right way to return His creation back to intimate fellowship.

By pouring His right Judgment on someone who could sacrifice His life rightly for those who messed up their relationship with God, Jesus Christ. I know that some of you are screaming now that I just made your point about God being overbearing and mean, but remember this. Law without level consequence is cruel and racists, meaning that if God ignores the things He said don't do and only allows certain religious people (or maybe some who just didn't buy into religion) to not follow the things He set for this world, then He would be cruel and hateful. Instead we see that He desires that all of mankind come to know Him intimately, because He created us for intimacy with Him. I could spend more time reasoning this out but know this. The greatest loving thing you could do for someone is to give your life up for them and Jesus did just that.

Back to my fellow followers of Jesus. Did you see what I saw? If we get in the way of Jesus' work in the lives of others that don't know Him, He gets angry with us. Not an angry where He throws stuff and calls us names, but an anger that needs to be respected and shows us that we need to adjust to Him. Don't play like you don't know this anger. As a dad, I get angry at my kids without bashing them or doing hurtful things. There are simply times when we need to see magnitude of what we have done and the destructive causes that result. If my kids want to swing a knife at their friends, I am not going to just go up to them, give them a cookie and say "please don't do that". No, I am going to show right emotion in the situation, probably punish them and teach them why this is just plain dumb and evil. Christians, God does get mad at us sometimes. Especially when we get in the way of "it".

What is "it"? It is the work of the Gospel. Look at what Jesus says in the next verse - 

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

The kingdom is the focal point of the Gospel. He says this in verse 14 also that the Kingdom is the focal point of this passage. When we get in the way of others coming into the kingdom, then God gets angry. When we make other things more important than the Gospel and live in a way that religion is more important than people coming into an eternal relationship with Christ, we better be ready to be corrected. I asked God if I am getting in the way? Waiting for His answer in this. I don't want to make my Father angry, like my children, I want my heavenly daddy to be happy with me. Therefore, I know that sharing the Gospel, helping others share the Gospel and paying for the Gospel to go out makes Him happy. It is the reason Jesus came to this earth and it will the center point of all of us celebrating Jesus forever. 

By the way, I don't think the focal point of this passage is the kids. I think the kids are an image that God wants us to remember. They come trusting God because they don't have all the baggage of past mistakes and wrong thinking. They love God because He is God and loves them unconditionally, like He loves us. Be like children!