THE JOY OF HATE

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

One of my favorite movies is “Ben-Hur.” I’m sure most of you have seen this movie at one time or another. While it is considered a religious film of sorts, I believe the significant theme that runs through the movie is one of hatred. The movie begins with the reuniting of two friends, Messala and Judah Ben-Hur. Messala is Roman and has been placed in charge of the local armed forces. Judah Ben-Hur is Jewish nobleman. In the beginning of the movie they reminisce about their friendship over the years and look forward to a friendly future. It is not long though before the cultural and governmental power struggles that are pulling at each of their societies take a toll. Messala requests Judah to identify the names of his countrymen who are rebels. Judah refuses. This angers Messala and hatred against his life-long friend is birthed. Through an innocent mistake Juda Ben-Hur and his household are thrown in prison. Judah asks for mercy for his family, but Messala’s pride and anger get the best of him. Juda is sent to the slave galleys and his mother and sister are thrown into the deepest dungeons available. Hatred reigns free. Both begin their journey of embracing their hatred.

 

Messala’s anger fed on itself and fostered not only a hatred for the Jewish people but also a disdain for anything of value in life. Hatred always attracts and encourages other cancerous emotions. Isolated from others, Messala grows in his arrogance, pride and desire for power. Meanwhile Judah has to deal with his own issues of hatred.

 

Life aboard the slave galleys of the Roman Empire was brutal. Chained to their stations within the belly of the galleys of war, slaves were forced to row for their lives. They were the mechanism by which the ships maneuvered in battle. Their efforts could determine whether their ship survived a naval engagement with the enemy. Failure to perform resulted not only in being beaten and tortured, but also the possible consequence of the sinking of the ship on which they were imprisoned. Food was scarce and meager. Rest was almost non-existent. Judah survived though. In his situation he had the option of dying of depression or surviving to avenge the wrong that had been done. Unfortunately, rather than trusting in God through the years of torture, he let hatred be the driving force motivating his life. Judah, through a sequence of events, survives the life of a slave and returns to his homeland. Hopeful he will be able to rescue his family and confront the object of his hatred, Messala, he begins his journey for revenge.

 

The confrontation of these two men, whose sole reason for living is the motivation of hatred, culminates in a great chariot race. As I watched this tremendous event take place on the screen, I couldn’t help recognizing the two types of people portrayed. Messala appeared to me to represent those people who have no regard for godly motivations or interest in God. They allow hatred free reign in their life. They take joy in their hatred and get an adrenaline rush from their addiction to anger. Like an illegal drug coursing through their veins, anger breeds hatred towards others, God and life in general.

 

Judah appeared to me to represent the other group of people who even though they seek God and desire Him, the traumas of life tempt them with anger. This temptation when entertained can give birth to hatred. Such people struggle with the emotions of hate for their fellow man. They know it is wrong to hate those around them, but are overwhelmed with the emotions of how they have been treated. They can also experience the emotional high that hate can produce. Rather than experiencing the joy of the Lord they substitute the emotional rush of anger and the distorted fleshly joy that hate can produce. This deceptive perverted joy blinds their minds to the fact that hatred for others is insidious and can only lead to spiritual death. Judah always seems in the movie to have an underlying concern for doing what is right even though he is driven by hatred for Messala and his actions. While Messala seems to embrace his hatred, Judah is in a constant struggle with how to deal with it.

 

Messala is defeated in the chariot race and is mortally wounded. On his deathbed he strikes one more blow at Judah Ben-Hur by informing him that not only are his mother and sister in prison, but that they have contracted leprosy as a result of being in such a dark diseased environment. At this moment the burning hatred flares even brighter in Judah. Messala, in his last breath, gloats with malignant hatred over the pain he has caused Judah. Judah writhes in agony from the cruelty that has been done to his family. This pain feeds his hatred even more. Such hatred can only end in a hideous and perverted emotional death unless something intervenes. Messala dies in his hatred. But our Savior Jesus Christ rescues Judah from his fate.

 

Judah finds his family and is unsure of what to do. The object of his hatred, Messala, has died. His family members are now cursed with an incurable disease. How does he obtain relief from the monkey of hate and anger on his back? The movie could have taken a turn at this point. It could have had Judah becoming a valiant rebel against the Roman government empowered by the hatred he had for what had been done to him, his family and his race. Instead, Judah is presented with the gospel. While Judah rejects this at first, you can tell God is not finished working on his heart just yet. Judah experiences the brutality of the crucifixion of Christ. He relates to the injustice of the event and begins to understand that others face injustice and persecution as well. In a miraculous demonstration of the power of God, Judah’s family is healed of leprosy during the crucifixion. Judah’s intense hatred is destroyed when his heart sees the love and mercy granted to his loved ones in the death of Jesus. Judah confesses that when he looked into the eyes of Jesus, the love he saw removed the sword of hatred heart and mind. God intervened in his life and granted mercy and grace. Judah could not help but respond to this act of love.

 

What can we learn from watching such a movie? I would suggest that we could evaluate what makes us angry in life and how we respond to these people and/or situations. There is a small step from anger to hatred and if we don’t handle our anger properly, hatred will begin to develop. Just as in the movie, once hatred gets a foothold in our souls, its bedfellows; pride, arrogance, jealousy, selfishness and love for evil follow close behind. Eventually we begin to enjoy our hatred and risk blinding our eyes to God’s influence on our lives. Our soul is seared and this leads to the hardening of our hearts. The result; we obtain a heart of stone.

 

Yes, people will mistreat us at times. Life won’t go our way. Injustices in this world are plentiful. Our only hope of coping with injustice and cruelty done to us is the love, grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father, demonstrated in the life and death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. We are called as Christians not to sin if we are angry and not let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26-27). The only time we are permitted to be angry is when it is for a righteous cause. This anger does not come from selfish motives. It originates from the Holy Spirit motivating us to respond to an injustice to others, to the presence of sin or to blasphemy against God. Even this type of anger must be expressed in a proper godly fashion. We cannot justify evil actions even for a righteous cause.

 

Christ had this type of righteous anger when He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. He turned over tables and created quite a commotion to prove His point, but He did not do harm or do injury to anyone. His words were appropriate and accurate and expressed truth. He was filled with the Holy Spirit when expressing Himself in such a situation. What motivated Jesus was a joy for His Father’s reputation, not a joy in the anger itself.

 

Anger and hatred unfortunately can bring us a worldly perverted joy at times. It can deceive us into thinking that we are in control and are getting our revenge. It tempts us to think that we are greater and more right than those who have tempted us to be angry. It blinds us to the influence of God and the gentle whispers of the Holy Spirit. It makes us turn a deaf ear to Christian advice and wisdom. It prevents us from contemplating the truth in scripture. The joy of hatred is candy-coated poison that will eventually kill us physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Do you have a problem with anger? Have you expressed righteous anger wrongly? Have you let anger fester and boil to the point that it has turned to hatred? You need the joy of the Lord and this is only obtained by confessing your sins and letting the Holy Spirit cleanse you of the cancer of hatred and anger.

 

Do you wonder if you have an anger problem? Go out and rent the movie “Ben-Hur.” Observe the responses of each main character and see if you are a Messala or Judah Ben-Hur. I pray that if you are either type that you seek the Lord to help you deal with your hurt and pain and sin of anger. There is no true joy in worldly anger and hatred. True joy is granted from the Lord when you are in an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ the Savior of your soul.

 

Ephesians 4:31-32

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”

 

1 Timothy 2:8

“I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing”

 

James 1:19-20

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”