Unrighteous Indignation

Whenever I preach a sermon that includes the account of James’ and John’s mother asking Jesus for preferential treatment of her sons, I chuckle, as does the congregation. It’s a ‘roll your eyes’ type scenario, where a mother’s partiality is on full display and her children are completely onboard. It makes me think about how infectious partiality is. It also makes me think about the underlying cause of partiality, namely, creature credit, the currency of the human flesh (ala Romans 1:25). Simply stated, the mother and her sons were functioning (at least in the moment) in the sphere of Satan, who personifies creature credit (read Isaiah 14:13-14).

A person who’s acting in partiality is easy to point out - frankly, pointing out faults in others is a favorite pastime of most people, even many Christians. It’s alright to point something out for the sake of illustration, as I often am called to do from the pulpit, which is a righteous act. However, it is unrighteous to point such things out if your motivation is wrong (to elevate your own flesh).

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
While it is righteous to discern partiality (e.g., to judge righteously), it is unrighteous to use the circumstance as the basis for your own sinning (e.g., to condemn another in an effort to gain creature credit).

This secondary type of sinning (that which occurs in the onlooker) causes the owner of it to stumble into an array of sins, all their own. Such is the infectious nature of sin - it spreads like wildfire if it isn’t contained by righteous judgement (ala Romans 12:19). The scene with James’ and John’s mother is a perfect example of this. Pay especially close attention to the other disciples, who apparently discern partiality in the mother and her sons.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
Obviously, the mother and the brothers were wallowing in partiality, asking Jesus to compromise His own integrity to satisfy their fleshly desires. The other disciples heard it and “were indignant at the two brothers” (v24). Here’s the big question which we must all must ask ourselves when we are found in similar circumstances - it’s the reason for this blog:

Why the indignation?

Ask yourselves, if you weren’t partial why would you be indignant when your neighbor constantly seeks to establish the superiority of their own children over yours at school, in sports, etc.? Why does that little twinge of anger percolate up in you at work when a peer brags about their accomplishments to your boss? Why do you secretly harbor jealousy when someone else rolls up in a new car and is beaming with pride, inviting all present to pour over them and their new ride? You get the point.

The proper way to deal with partiality when we discern it, is to privately point it out, when appropriate, and leave the rest up to God. This is how we protect ourselves from falling into sin ourselves (ala Galatians 6:1). If we do sin as a result, we now have another situation to cope with and will need to confess, before we are released from the throes of misery (the fruit of sin). Jesus’ disciples were indignant because their flesh was offended by the possibility of another’s flesh being elevated above them (the same goes for all of us when we fail in this area). Apparently, the disciples were pretty hung up on fleshly “greatness.”

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
At the Last Supper, during the foretelling of Jesus’ cross, the magnificent culmination of God’s salvific plan for mankind, the disciples argued “which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (v24).

“Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.

But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
We see again that even during the most profound statements made by Jesus, the disciples argued about greatness among themselves. This is why they were indignant at James, John, and their mother for attempting to gain advantage over them. Their fleshes were threatened. It’s the same reason you and I trip over similar situations playing out in our own lives. Jesus gives us the remedy.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
What’s the remedy to unrighteous indignation? Humility.

Humility removes us from the enslaving sphere of Satan and places us in the freeing sphere of God. Being able to discern partiality in others is a good thing because you might be able to assist them in recovering from it. However, if we allow our flesh to become entangled in sin as a result of it being threatened, an additional evil fruit-bearing branch is spawned in us that only complicates matters.

Learn to identify the differences between righteous and unrighteous indignation in yourself and you’ll be protected. You’ll have the power to cut sin off before it makes any inroads into your own soul. That is the reasonable thing to do, right? Indeed. It is what brings us peace.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Love in Christ,

Ed Collins