Shame Develops from Feeling Alone and Helpless

Matthew 26:50-54 tells us,

Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

Jesus tells angry Peter to stop trying to protect what God doesn’t want protected.

Jesus is not angry, helpless nor isolated. Jesus does not agree with any subtle message from the bystanders indication that he is shameful. Those in the crowd after watching Peter over-react might think, “Jesus isn’t too smart. He picked some out-of-control guy to represent Him. Doesn’t He know He’s caught and can’t escape?”

Jesus reacts calmly telling Peter amidst all the confusion the His Father is protecting His Son, just not the way Peter thinks of protection. If Jesus asked, the Father could send twelve legions of angels. (A legion is a division of the Roman army including more than 6,000 men; therefore, Jesus could have asked for the help of 72,000 angels.) Regardless whether this is symbolic or meant to be exact doesn’t matter. It is enough. More than enough. Jesus refuses to receive even heavenly help because He is sold out on God’s plan, even though it means His own sacrificial, excruciating death and shameful treatment.

Jesus would soon hang naked on the cross, fully exposed and called evil names. He might have felt shameful but He knew it wasn’t true.

Unfortunately, most of us aren’t aware when shameful feelings are creating anxiety and angry reactions within us. Two of the powerful characteristics of shame are the isolation and helplessness we feel. The dirtiness of shame makes us want to hide, be invisible, and unknown. We find it almost impossible to think anyone could be on our side or understand our battle. Jesus knew all that yet stayed true to His Father’s plan without any kind of anger.

We can confidently believe God will supply our strength to resist anger because He is with us. His empowering comes from us seeing life with an eternal perspective: our guilt and shame are already destroyed and we are viewed as holy and blameless in God’s eyes (Ephesians 1:4). If 72,000 angels are needed to deliver us from our shame, God would cheerfully send them. But the only thing needed is one sinless Son of God dying on the cross and rising from the dead.

We see the theme of Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Jesus didn’t want deliverance (as Peter cuts off the servant’s ear) because otherwise He would not fulfill His Father’s salvation plan. He also would be without the joy not only of pleasing His Father but of providing for believers who will be welcomed into His kingdom.

Be assured, if it is better for you in your fight against shame to have 72,000 angels fight for you, God will provide. God never wants you to buy into the lie you are on your own and there is no hope. The Holy Spirit within you offers you your greatest hope and help.

This blog post is an excerpt from “Anger Management—Jesus Style”, which will be published late this month/August.