Jesus Became Indignant?

There’s a few times in the Gospels that we see the words translated “Jesus became indignant.” One time, He healed a leper, another, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. That word “indignant” is also translated, in some versions, as “moved with compassion,” or “pity.” The word, though has a deeper meaning. It meant Jesus was moved in his gut (literally his bowels). To understand the use of the word, we must understand what the Hebrews of 2,000 years believed. They taught that the area of the bowels was the heart, not the physical heart, but the spirit of a person (many people in the middle and far east still think this way). It’s where we get the expression “trust your gut.” Many of us have been in a similar position: we’ve seen something that has moved us, our stomach seems to fall into our lower regions and we felt it deep in our gut, we have to do something.

When Jesus was moved deeply, He felt it to his very core. That He was “indignant” could mean He was “wrathful; passionate; irate; feeling wrath, as when a person is exasperated by unworthy or unjust treatment, by a mean action, or by a degrading accusation.” Why would He be so when He saw a man with leprosy, or when He was at the tomb of Lazarus, or any other time? Simply put: this wasn’t in the design. Sin and Death are cruel tyrants, and they destroy us from within and without. Sin and Death separate us from God and from one another. They are our enemies, and Christ came to deal with them directly.

If Jesus saw the condition of man apart from God and was thus moved, by anger, compassion, or in His Spirit, ought we also not to react in the same way? Shouldn’t the condition of man apart from God also move us to action? And as we care for the physical needs of our brothers, as Jesus did, we ought to also, as He did, speak to them of the Gospel. Jesus understood something we get distracted from: we can care for every physical ailment, cure every disease, feed, house, clothe and give water to every person, but, apart from the Gospel, we’re lost, doomed to go to hell with security and full stomachs. We are saved FOR (not by) good works, but those works are not our purpose. We have been saved by Jesus Christ, and it is this Gospel we must champion to the lost, that Jesus died for sin, bearing the wrath of God on Himself, was buried and rose again on the third day, conquering death, so that we might be reconciled to God. So be moved with compassion, but be moved for the Lost, and take up the mission Jesus had.

Matthew 11:2-6

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Mark 1:40-45

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Matthew 20:29-34

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Matthew 9:35-38

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Luke 7:11-17

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Matthew 14:13-20

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.