In the Bible, “indignant” refers to a strong feeling of displeasure or anger, often in response to perceived injustice or wrongdoing. This emotion can be seen in various passages where Jesus or other figures react strongly against hypocrisy or oppression.
Scripture
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, 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.
15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Indignant: Biblical Meaning and Context
The concept of “indignant” in the Bible reflects a righteous anger that arises when injustice or unrighteousness is witnessed. Jesus exemplifies this emotion in Luke 19:41-44, as he weeps over Jerusalem, feeling indignant at the city’s failure to recognize God’s presence and impending judgment. His sorrow is coupled with indignation at the lost opportunities for repentance, illustrating that this emotion is not merely about anger, but also deeply intertwined with love and concern for righteousness and the well-being of others.
Moreover, in Mark 10:14, when Jesus responds to his disciples’ attempts to prevent children from approaching him, he demonstrates indignation by stating, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” This reaction underscores a passionate defense of the marginalized and disenfranchised, highlighting that indignant feelings in the biblical narrative often serve as a catalyst for justice and advocacy. It indicates that righteous indignation propels believers to confront oppression and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, illustrating the broader call to uphold justice, mercy, and compassion as central tenets of faith.
Indignation is frequently portrayed in the Scriptures as a divinely sanctioned response to sin, moral failure, and the suffering of the innocent. The Old Testament features a significant instance of this when God expresses His displeasure over the idolatry and disobedience of His people, particularly in the book of Ezekiel. Here, God’s indignant response underscores His deep commitment to holiness and justice, revealing that when the faithful turn away, it elicits a profound emotional reaction from their Creator. This righteous indignation manifests not only as judgment but also as a call to repentance, showing that such emotions are grounded in a desire for restoration and truth.
Furthermore, the Apostle Paul captures the essence of indignation among believers when addressing various social and moral issues in his letters. For example, in Ephesians 4:26, he writes, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” This teaching indicates that indignation, when rightly channeled, can be constructive rather than destructive. Paul emphasizes the need for believers to harness their feelings of anger or indignation such that they lead to constructive outcomes, upholding love and unity in the body of Christ. Thus, throughout the biblical narrative, indignation serves as a potent reminder of God’s holiness, urging believers to respond to injustices with a heart aligned with righteousness and compassion, creating a call to act justly in a world often marred by sin.
The Righteous Anger of God
In the Bible, the term “indignant” often reflects God’s righteous anger towards sin and injustice. This indignation is not a mere emotional response but a profound moral outrage against actions that violate His holiness and the well-being of His creation. It underscores the seriousness with which God views sin and the consequences that arise from it, emphasizing His desire for justice and righteousness in the world.
Compassionate Indignation
Indignation in the biblical context can also be seen as a compassionate response to the suffering of others. When Jesus expressed indignation, it was often in reaction to the mistreatment of the vulnerable or the hypocrisy of religious leaders. This form of indignation highlights the importance of empathy and the call to advocate for those who are marginalized, reflecting God’s heart for justice and mercy.
A Call to Action
Indignation in the Bible serves as a catalyst for action. It compels individuals to confront wrongdoing and to stand up for what is right. This aspect of indignation encourages believers to respond to injustice not with passive acceptance but with active engagement, promoting change and restoration in their communities. It reflects the biblical principle that faith should lead to action, particularly in the face of moral and social challenges.
How to Cultivate Righteous Anger for a Just Cause
Cultivating righteous anger for a just cause is a delicate balance that requires both passion and discernment. As Christians, we are called to stand against injustice, but it’s essential to channel our anger in a way that reflects Christ’s love and grace. Start by grounding yourself in prayer and Scripture, seeking God’s wisdom to understand the root of your anger and the cause you’re passionate about. Remember, Jesus Himself expressed righteous anger when He cleared the temple, but He did so with a heart focused on restoring holiness rather than seeking revenge. Engage in constructive dialogue, advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves, and take action that promotes healing and justice rather than division. Let your anger be a catalyst for positive change, always remembering to embody the love of Christ in every step you take. In doing so, you not only honor the cause but also reflect the heart of God to a world in desperate need of His grace.
Bible References to Indignation in Scripture:
Matthew 20:24-28: 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave—
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 13:10-17: 10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”
13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
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 sitting there.
15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. 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; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Numbers 25:1-13: 1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”
5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand
8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.
9 And those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace,
13 He shall have it, and his offspring after him.
2 Samuel 6:1-8: 1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.
3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart.
4 And they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart,
5 And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.
8 And David was angry because the Lord had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day.
Nehemiah 5:1-13: 1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”
3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them.
8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
10 I also said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”
12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Isaiah 1:10-17: 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.”
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
Ezekiel 16:49-50: 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
Jonah 4:1-4: 1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Matthew 21:12-13: 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Mark 3:1-6: 1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.
2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”
4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Luke 19:45-46: 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Acts 5:17-18: 17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy,
18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.