What Makes Jesus Angry?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Billy Sunday was an American baseball player in the 1880s, Who became a celebrated and influential American evangelist.
One time a lady once came to Billy Sunday;And she tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. “There’s nothing wrong with losing my temper,” She said. “I blow up, and then it’s all over.”
“So does a shotgun,” Sunday replied, “and look at the damage it leaves behind!”
Benjamin Franklin.
“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.”
In our passage this morning, Jesus is about to upset the local people. He finds himself in a sacred place and his actions will cause offense to those who are entrusted to manage and administrate that place! Jesus displays a calculated and precise response to something that is wrong; and the local men, the religious leaders may disapprove of his actions; Jesus becomes angry, because the temple is not being used for what it’s created purpose is.
We will examine a scene, where there isn’t really any other way to explain Jesus’ emotions here— except that he is “Angry”. Many get confused at the anger of Jesus in this section of scripture; In this case, something wasn’t being used for what it was created for— The religious leaders are confronted, because the temple is not being used correctly. We will see in this passage that not only were they not “using the temple” how it was intended to be used— they were actually allowing it to be used to hurt people— and keep people from being with God.
Baked into the story— we can also learn that this idea (not using something it was made for— and hurting people with it) is at the heart of our understanding of our own anger.
Jesus demonstrates for us that anger is a God given emotion; He actually models here that we can use that emotion for what it was created for as well. To empower us to listen up, stand up, and speak up for what is right and good. We often think anger is a sin, but it actually isn’t. Jesus was downright angry here. But he is still under-control and purposeful. The problem with our anger is that most of us tend to misuse it. And if we are not careful; Our anger easily boils over into wrong words and wrong actions;
Controlled anger is not wrong or sinful it is a God given emotion. But it needs to be used carefully! Or it will cause us to sin.
A closer look reveals that the anger of Jesus is both controlled and purposeful.
(A). Anger in the Temple (vs 12-17)
Confronting the Corruption (vs 12a)
Completing the Cleansing (vs 12b-13)
Confounding the Criticism (vs 14-17)
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
(A). Anger in the Temple (vs 12-17)
(1). Confronting the Corruption (vs 12a).
Verse 12a:
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
TRANSITION: The Temple in Jerusalem was designed to be a beacon of light;The temple should have been God’s showpiece:
It was a place set apart for the worship of God. But by the time of Jesus; It had become a place of corruption, a place exploitation and dishonesty; A place to make money!
The reason it was corrupt and people were being ripped off in two different, yet similar ways:
(a). Temple Coins:
Every Jewish pilgrim over nineteen was required to pay a temple tax, that in itself was not wrong.
But the religious leaders insisted it be paid in a certain type of currency.
And they charged the people unfair rates to exchange their money into temple coinage.
(b). Animal sacrifices:
Animals for sacrifice had to be inspected before they were offered. In the temple you could buy suitable animals for sacrifice.
You were allowed to bring your own animals; but surprise, surprise these animals never passed the inspection;
So you always ended up paying inflated prices for temple animals to sacrifice.
Going to the temple meant a double rip-off: You needed temple coins and temple animals.
No wonder Jesus described the temple as ‘a den of thieves’.
A ‘den of thieves’. Is the place to which thieves run when they want to hide. The religious leaders were using the temple and its religious services; to take advantage of people, and make themselves rich.
(2). Complete the Cleansing (vs 12b-13).
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Think about the contrast that Jesus mentions— that is what so enraged him as he entered the temple?
Instead of finding the glory of God, Jesus only found the corruption of the selfish human heart.
The Glory of God was replaced by the corruption of selfishness.
Instead of people worshiping God, All he found was people being cheated and ripped off.
The worship of God was replaced by the worship of money.
Instead of praise and prayer to God, There was only the sound of profit and commerce, of personal advancement.
The prayer to God was replaced by the profit of man.
So Jesus responded by overturning the tables of the money changers; And driving out the animals.
And he caused complete chaos.
Note:
He acted this way because God’s house was being desecrated. And the religious leaders were unable to see that; In fact they were the cause of it! They were allowing something God created to be used for purposes that he NEVER intended. And just like our funny pictures in the beginning— the Temple was being misused, and in fact people were getting hurt. That was no laughing matter.
Truth and honesty had been replaced by greed and corruption. And the priests, who should be helping people come closer to God; were actually alienating them.
Sadly, the religious leaders were prisoners of their own appetites–
They had allowed their love for money and wealth to overtake their love for God.
Jesus seeing their corruption – does something about it! He turns over the tables, he scatters the coins;
(3). Confound the Criticism (vs 14-17)
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
Jesus replaced the ugly broken activity with his beautiful healing presence!
There is a beautiful balance in the story. The destructive force of anger, that compelled Jesus to end the activities of these worldly merchants, goes hand in hand with the healing power of the love he has for those who were the “least of these”.
Jesus drives out the money changers (who had no right to be there); But he welcomes and he heals the blind and the lame.
The religious leaders criticize him; But the children sing his praise!
Notice the criticism comes NOT because he overturned the tables; Matthew deliberately mentions ‘the wonderful things he did’.
The miracles of healing the blind and the lame! The children actually saw what these religious leaders could not!
But when Jesus saw a genuine need— he meets it.
“It is good coming to the temple when Christ is there, who, as he shows himself jealous for the honor of his temple, in expelling those who profane it, so he shows himself gracious to those who humbly seek him.”— Matthew Henry (commentary on Matthew)
The temple here was a wreck when it was used as a marketplace— but it is graced and honored when it was used as a hospital!
May these walls, these floors, these pews, everything we do here in our building be used as God intended it — to be a blessing and a house of prayer.
15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
In verses 15-16 the children saw and understood this;
While the religious leaders misunderstood and became more and more critical. Look again at what they are asking— “Do you hear what these children are saying?” As if to say “aren’t you ashamed?” That they would address him as the Son of David?> A term used for the coming Messiah?
He confounds their criticism— he answers their question “Yes” — but then answers further with another question “Have you not read?”
2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Think about what is about to happen in the next several days...He will indeed silence the foe and the avenger— his true enemy, the devil. In just 6 short days, the enemy will believe that he has won— but Jesus overcomes death, and ultimately silences all of creation. He leaves these teachers and scribes with that to ponder— as he often does with those that are hard-hearted, dead set against God’s plan.
Jesus reminds us that the gathering of believers is a sacred and holy assembly. It carries with it the Glory of God, and the healing power of the Holy Spirit for us. We need to “use” this place for it’s intended purpose. Let’s commit ourselves to that, together, forever.
Can we bring this into the modern day? How might the church, yes, even us, be getting some things “wrong”? There are several ways we miss the mark, but here are three areas of “Myth” that we should consider today:
Jared Wilson writes for the Gospel Coalition, and in an article back in 2016 suggests a couple ways we might be getting Church wrong:
-Emphasizing feelings over doctrine.
Sometimes we can get caught up in, and unfortunately “worship”, how church makes us “feel” rather than the God that we believe in. We can miss the truth of our belief sometimes if it isn’t packaged in a way that we “feel” it. Lets be focused on a balance between truth and grace. John 1:14 reminds us that Jesus came full of both GRACE and TRUTH.
-Giving each other “religious homework”.
The dominant activity in our churches may seem like a self-help conference. Sermons are sometimes titled “Making Life Work”— or “Succeeding at Home”— or “Becoming a better Whatever”… While we are respectful of the bible and it’s instructions for life— the practical application of scripture is surely a part of our faith experience— but why are we actually here? WE are actually here to meet and express our love for Jesus and each other. Our desire for self-improvement, or sanctification is rooted in that love— Not the other way around. God loves you, and certainly wants the best for you— but like Martha, Jesus will chastise us for being “busy” in his name, all the while we miss the “Best” that her sister Mary chose.
-Perfect Church, filled with perfect people.
Imperfect people = Imperfect church Let’s not just put on our masks and pretend. This is a real place, with real people, we have real problems, and we need each other.
What is it that makes Jesus angry? When we are using the Church for something other than what it was created for.
Lord Jesus, help us to protect your church from the ills of our own selfishness or mis-placed ambition. We want to know your will for our worship, and our services here. Continue to teach us and make us like you in understanding your convictions and your anger toward sin.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,