Jesus: A Deeper Look at His Anger in the Temple

A few weeks ago, I stopped short in the midst of reading a post on social media.

Up to the point my breath caught in my throat, I was engaging with what the writer had to say about dying to self, giving up our rights, not having to defend ourselves out of pride – or control.

The written word was exhorting followers of Jesus…to relinquish our all to God, and ask Him to renew our minds to make us more like Christ.

Then came these words:

Here I stopped reading.

Jesus? A “kick-ass savior?”

Those words have troubled me (let alone the description of the whip…)…

bewildered me…

haunted me…

What did the author mean?

Being of a different generation, I zipped to an online Urban Dictionary to try and further understand.

Here’s what I read:

“Kick-ass: North American vulgar slang meaning to dominate, beat, or defeat someone. To act in a very firm, controlling or aggressive manner…”

Was that Jesus’ motive behind the overturned tables, the whip He fashioned from cords, the words with which He rebuked the money-changers?

Was he trying to control the temple-crowd, to beat them into submission???

I curiously longed to know.

And, this is my conclusion.

The heading in my Bible reads: Jesus Cleanses the Temple.

The words of Matthew say this:

Let’s not leave out John’s words:

Whether this is one instance, or two, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is the heart of the Savior as He shows a rare display of anger.

Anger was not Jesus’ norm.

His life was lived with compassionate healing, touching, caring, building relationship, gently restoring, speaking hard truths with kindness and compassion, and teaching with patience (that some might be led to a knowledge of TRUTH…and to SALVATION).

Paul’s words to Timothy were probably Jesus’ words to the Apostle Paul as he set out in ministry (please read them – they are for us, today, too!):

This we know about the Lord God, and Scripture tells us that what we see in the Father, we see in the Son:

He wouldn’t give us the same admonition that He didn’t keep:

What I understand is that there are appropriate times to be angry…

…and, there are specific Biblical guidelines to follow in order to “be angry and not sin…”
(There, again, is a topic for another time…)

Any time the Lord pronounces “WOES” on His people, it’s because they are hindering others from seeing Him & His ways…

Woe: a condition of deep suffering and hurt!
(Merriam Webster Online Dictionary)

When relationship with His people is broken, God’s heart is broken…

When the heart of God is broken, His anger rises…

TURNING OVER THE TABLES OF MONEY-CHANGERS WAS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN RIGHTING A WRONG!

It’s so much more than making a point about injustice (now, don’t misunderstand me, that’s a definite symptom of misplacing our worship).

It’s so much more than using God’s temple for inappropriate activities…

Turning over tables was about the money changers, and religious leaders, preventing the crowds from coming into relationship with Jesus!

They were preventing Him from fulfilling His mission…

Jesus anger was all about the prevention of the GOSPEL message being introduced!

All the stuff happening in the temple was keeping the worshippers from seeing JESUS for WHO HE WAS – the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!

If, as already mentioned, anger stems from hurt…

Jesus actions in the temple were entirely about 
HIS BROKEN HEART!

He knew that very soon, He’d go from temple, to the garden, to the cross, and, then, to hell and back, for the SALVATION OF ALL MEN…

And, so, now I wonder – what about me? 

Do, I keep others from seeing Jesus, because my focus is misplaced.

Because I’m selfishly looking out for my “agenda” instead of seeing the great need for Jesus in those around me?

Have I put something ahead of the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS?

If I do, then, the temple that is my heart needs to have a few tables overturned, so that I will RETURN TO THE LORD, and relationship with Him… (and, thus, keep the main thing the main thing)!

The Lord God is still ZEALOUS for His house!

His heart still breaks to see the lost find their way to salvation.

But sometimes, Jesus goes unseen as Savior and Lord of the temple (our lives)… 

…and, sadly, 

An unseen Savior is unable to reach the lost. 

That breaks Jesus’ heart.

That makes Him angry. 

That makes Him fashion whips and turn over tables to get our attention!