Good and Angry

Never did Jesus express more anger than when he cleansed the Temple. Now, to put his cleansing of the Temple in context, we need to understand that expressing anger is not a sin--being an angry person is sin. You are allowed to be angry, just don’t let your anger linger to the next day.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26; NASB).

The Scriptures command us to get angry—but if you let your anger seethe overnight, it will become tomorrow’s bitterness. We can’t let anger ever become bitterness. Bitter people are mean people, and you won't see any mean people in the Kingdom.

Passionate People

A passionate Christian will be angry under the right circumstances. God wants us to be passionate people. He wants us to strive for justice. He wants us to demonstrate indignation when it’s appropriate. That’s why we shouldn’t be afraid to express righteous indignation when the time calls for it.

Jesus got angry; but Jesus’ anger was the good kind of anger. It wasn’t a sudden fit of rage. He thought out his feeling of anger. It was intentional, not emotional. Jesus made a conscious decision to be angry. Here’s the proof: He kicked the merchants out of the Temple on two separate occasions.

Jesus kicked out the merchants once in the beginning of his ministry and once at the end. The first time was right after the miracle at Cana, and the second was on Palm Sunday, the first day of Passion week, about 3.5 years later. When we do things twice, it’s because we have “thought twice.”

Here’s John's description of Jesus' first cleansing of the Temple:

… [Jesus] found in the Temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the Temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables (John 2:14-15; NKJV).

A Den of Thieves

Actions speak louder than words—and Jesus’s actions were saying that the Jewish religious leaders had treated God’s House wrongly. During Jesus’ second cleansing of the Temple, his verbal communication was recorded for us, giving us a clearer idea about what he was angry about.

… he went into the Temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My House is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:45-46; NKJV).

After reading this passage, you should be able to answer the question: Why did Jesus get so angry? It was because a place God had designated for prayer had been turned into a place for thievery, a place where crooks did their crooked business.

So Jesus' main concern was that religious scammers were exploiting people in a holy place. He expressed the same disapproval when he said in another Gospel, ‘Don’t make my Father’s House a house of merchandise!’

… he said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s House a house of merchandise!’ (John 2:16; NKJV)

Zeal for the House of the Lord

Jesus was upset about what was happening in the place God chose for his worship. If you’re not sure about what produced Jesus’ anger, the disciples interpreted Jesus' words, the words he spoke while he cast out the moneychangers. What produced Jesus' anger was Jesus' deep passion for God’s house—something called zeal.

His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’ (John 2:17).

That zeal wasn’t just some emotion. It was holy love of God's name. Furthermore, it was a fulfillment of prophecy! David wrote 1000 years prior to Jesus' purging of the Temple that the Messiah would be consumed with zeal for God’s House.

... zeal for your House consumes me (Psalm 69:9).

Do you feel a deep passion for God’s House? If you are like Jesus, you will! You will feel a fervor for God's House. If you are like Jesus, you’ll feel righteous indignation towards the pastors who are turning the Church into a business today—and you will be angry with them. The reason? Because they are contaminating God's House.

The Religious Establishment is a Sham

Jesus’ Temple cleansing wasn’t the only time he pointed out the greed of the Jewish leaders. On another occasion he exposed them, pointing out that they had been stealing property from widows. Jesus condemned their cunning and pointed out their hypocrisy. In addition, he assured them that they would get a stricter judgment than others. He warned them of condemnation!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation (Matthew 23:14; NASB).

Jesus was bold enough to point out a well-known fact: the religious establishment is a sham. Are you brave enough to point that out to your own friends and acquaintances?

Jesus declared in public something that the majority of Jews already suspected in private: that the Jewish leaders were milking the ministry. They were getting as much money out of the people as possible. Don’t many Evangelical pastors do the same thing today? Have you noticed how they are fleecing God’s sheep?

Making Enemies

On another occasion, speaking directly to the men who led Temple worship, Jesus accused them of taking for themselves the financial support they should have given to their parents. He knew their tricks, and he easily identified what motivated them: money.

Jesus confronted the Jewish religious leaders and proved that he was not afraid to make enemies—are you? The people who point out the theft going on in churches today will make enemies. But the ones who will not point it out will become complicit.

…why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it.

Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! (Matthew 15:3-7)

God's House / God's Temple

Jesus is still zealous for God’s House. He is zealous for the Church because we are the House of God now. The earthly Temple has been destroyed, but the Church is still standing. The Jewish priests have no more Temple in which to minister, but Christian pastors minister in the Church of the Living God.

I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God (1 Timothy 3:15; NKJV).

Do pastors dare to turn the Church into a business today, repeating the sin the Jewish leaders committed 2000 years ago? Pastors today know exactly how Jesus feels about greedy leaders--will they dare to make Jesus angry again? If they do, they are very foolish. God will destroy anyone who destroys his Temple, and the Church is his Temple.

Do you not know that you are God’s Temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s Temple, God will destroy this one. For God’s Temple is holy, which you are (1 Corinthians 3:16-18; LEB).

A Husband’s Fury

Is Jesus any less angry with the greedy Church leaders of today than he was with the Jewish leaders of his own day? No. Rather, he's angrier.

Let’s put the situation in context: The Church is the Bride of Christ, and Jesus is protective of her! Will a husband not avenge himself on the neighbor who commits adultery with his wife? Yes, he will most certainly take vengeance. So, woe to today's pastors who exploit the Church. Woe to the preachers who take advantage of her!

Solomon wrote a proverb that applies just as much to those who do wrong to the Church as it does to an adulterer who attempts to destroy a marriage.

Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul… for jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts (Proverbs 6:32-35; NKJV).

Solomon was speaking of adultery here--that's true. However, he was also warning us about the fury of Bridegroom Jesus. Do not get that bridegroom angry! Do not push him to anger. You won't like him when he's angry.

Jesus will take vengeance on the false shepherds who exploit his Church. He quickly identifies those who minister greedily and he will not spare anyone who takes advantage of his beloved Bride.