Daily Devotional for Tuesday, October 24

The Cleansing

“And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? 
But ye have made it a den of thieves,” Mark 11:15, 17.

This is the passage that is often used to justify anger. “Oh, but Jesus got angry! He threw tables, and overturned seats and threw the people out! I can be angry, too!” 

Jesus exercised righteous anger. Righteous anger is expressed by things that oppose God. This is any form of unrighteousness, idolatry, greed, pride or covetousness. This is what happened in the Temple. The people were in the outer court where the Gentiles prayed. This was their area of the Temple and it had been set up for a profit-making business. Since animals were used to make the needed sacrifices, people turned this into an opportunity to rob others with outlandish prices and to fill their own pockets. His was certainly righteous anger. This was idolatry, greed, pride and covetousness all rolled into one. People were being dishonest simply so they could get rich at the disadvantage of others. Unfortunately, you see this today also. Through the use of commercialism and lies which make products look better, people are conned into buying something they really do not need. 

Because they were doing something God opposed, Jesus was not in the wrong for what He did. The outer court was not being used for its intended purpose. Even though the Bible tells us to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26), this should not be used as an excuse to justify unrighteous anger.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Most of the time when anger is expressed it is done for selfish reasons. It is reflected upon personal feelings. Be careful that your anger comes from something God hates, not from what you hate.

Karry Irizarry