About “Getting Angry at Jesus”

There are a number of faithful who are not happy, angry even, that the current Pontiff said the following: “"Even getting angry at Jesus can be a kind of prayer. Jesus likes seeing the truth of our heart. Don't make pretense in front of Jesus."

At this point, I advise readers to sit down.  Although I have not read his whole statement, I at least in part – are you sitting down? – agree with Pope Francis on this.

Yes, I am actually agreeing with Francis on something.

Early in my Bible reading, I noticed the honesty of the Psalms. And I noticed that part of that honesty is that frustration with God was openly expressed to God Himself.

As a teenage Christian with teenage frustrations, I found this comforting.  It showed me that God could handle and even accept my frustration and anger with Him. And so if I were unhappy about something in my life and unhappy with what I perceived to be the slowness of God’s help, I would be very honest with God about that in prayer.

Now I knew it would be better not to be angry with God. But the Psalms showed me that if one is frustrated with the Lord, it is good to be honest with Him about that.  And, as in the Psalms, my anger was never “If you don’t help me, I will stop going to church” or any foot stamping like that, at least not that I can recall.  I remained very much committed to the Lord even when I wasn’t especially happy with him.

Hopefully, as one matures, anger with God becomes more rare. I know that the experience of seeing God use bad things in my life for good over and over again has pretty much cured me of anger towards him.  I cannot remember the last time I’ve been angry with God.  It’s probably been decades.  (And I do have a temper so that’s saying something.)

Nonetheless, as angry as I get with the current Bishop of Rome, I agree that being honest to God about any anger towards Him is an acceptable prayer.  I know God graciously responded to such prayer in my younger days.

Don’t be too angry with me.