What about the time Jesus got angry?

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Almost every time I talk with an angry person they bring up Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; and John 2 when Jesus got angry as “reason” excuse for their behavior. Let’s look at that account more closely in the manner of 2 Timothy 3:16 for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training.

Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Read these accounts and check yourself. What makes you angry?

Jesus Christ angry at those who defiled his house of prayer

This may have been one time or it may have been several. Maybe Jesus did this at the temple every passover. Can you imagine? As you read, think about why Jesus got angry, think about what Jesus did when he was angry, and think about the result of his anger.

And Jesus entered into the temple of God,  and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;  and  he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.  (Matthew 21;12-13 ERV)

And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple,  and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves; and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.   And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers.  And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, for all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. (Mark 11:15-18 ERV)

And he entered into the temple,  and began to cast out them that sold,   saying unto them, It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of robbers.  (Luke 19:45-46 ERV)

And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew their tables;  and to them that sold the doves  he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.   His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house shall eat me up.  The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.  When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.  (John 2:13-22 ERV)

Jesus serves in a cleansed temple

Godly anger should be focused on resolving a problem; never on destroying another person. I have never talked to any angry person who used their anger for this purpose. What about you?

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple: and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were moved with indignation, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there. (Matthew 21:14-17 ERV)

And every evening he went forth out of the city. (Mark 11:19 ERV)

And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him: and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening. (Luke 19:47-48 ERV)

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men, and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25 ERV)

The temple to be a house of prayer

The gospel message is universal to whosoever will. Jesus Christ has called all men to him so that he can bless all men. He wants his temple to be a house of prayer. That responsibility falls on the Church during this age. And, it falls on individual families (Eph 5:21-28).

But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded! Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day:  that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place.  And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yea,  hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.  (1 Kings 8:27-30 ERV)

 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.  Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that holdeth fast by it; that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD will surely separate me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD of the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast by my covenant: Unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the strangers, that join themselves to the LORD, to minister unto him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and holdeth fast by my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar:  for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples.  The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside his own that are gathered. (Isaiah 56:1-8 ERV)

Jeremiah prophesied that men would turn their back on the true message of love and redemption in order to commit terrible atrocities in the name of God. He warned them he would judge them but they paid no heed. How about you?

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, are these.  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings;  if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your own hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even for evermore. (Jeremiah 7:1-7 ERV)

Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye have not known,  and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered;  that ye may do all these abominations. Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith the LORD.  (Jeremiah 7:8-11 ERV)

But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you,  but ye answered not: therefore will I do unto the house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight,  as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. (Jeremiah 7:12-15 ERV)

Is Jesus Christ angry because you have defiled your house of prayer?

I strongly believe that almost every problem between people in the home, at work, in church, in government, and in the world at large could be resolved if people would pray together. Can you image a couple viciously fighting each other and holding bitter grudges against each other in prayer? Can you image bosses and employees taking advantage of each other and cheating each other in prayer? Can you imagine a Christian fellowship being destroyed by pride and arrogance in prayer? Can you imagine nations oppressing their citizens and going to war against each other in prayer? Neither can I.

My house of prayer. In Solomon’s address to God at the dedication of the temple, its character, as a house of prayer, is abundantly laid down (1 Kings 8:29-53). And no doubt it was used for the purpose of prayer, as well as for the purpose of sacrifice, from its first erection to its final destruction. But the purpose of sacrifice so far predominated, in fact, over the other, that the expression, “my house of prayer,” comes upon us in this place to some extent as a surprise. The prophet seems to anticipate the time when the temple should be emphatically a προσευχή the legal sacrifices having received their fulfilment (Isaiah 53:10), and being thenceforth superfluous and out of place. For all people; rather, for all the peoples. All the ends of the earth were to see the salvation of God (Psalm 98:3); “All nations were to fall down before him; all people to do him service” (Psalm 72:11). –Pulpit Commentary

and make them joyful in my house of prayer; or “in the house of my prayer” (p); not made by him, as say the Jews (q); but where prayer is made unto him, and is acceptable with him; every man’s closet should be a place of private prayer; and every good man’s house a place of family prayer; but a church of God is a house where saints meet together, and jointly pray to the Lord: and here he makes them joyful; by hearing and answering their prayers; by granting his gracious presence; by discovering his love, and shedding it abroad in their hearts; by feeding them with his word and ordinances; by giving them views of Christ, his love and loveliness, fulness, grace, and righteousness: by favouring them with the consolations of his Spirit, and his gracious influences; and by showing them their interest in the blessings of grace and glory: –Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Have you asked the Lord for teaching, reproof, and correction to keep you from being angry? Have you asked the Lord for instruction in righteousness to be completely furnished unto every good work? Will you commit to praying instead of fighting?

For deeper study:

Book Recommendations:

  • The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage by Stormie Omartian  — Stormie Omartian’ s bestselling books on prayer and marriage have touched millions of readers in a life– changing way. The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage helps husbands or wives pray to protect their relationship from 14 serious problems that can lead to unsatisfying marriages or even divorce. For those who are already struggling in these areas, this book will help them find healing and restoration. Readers will learn how to pray about everything from communication breakdown to struggles with finances and raising children misplaced priorities to anger, unforgiveness, and sexual frustration, pornography, and infidelity to depression and addictions No stranger to struggles in her 34 years of marriage, Stormie looks at these topics and more in the straightforward, hopeful manner readers have come to trust. As always, readers will find Bible verses and personal prayers they can use as powerful resources to help their marriages last a lifetime.
  • Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion by Gary Chapman — Anger is a cruel master. If you struggle even a little with anger, you know how it feels to get mad too easily. To lash out at someone you love. To hold onto frustration. You might even notice others seem uneasy around you. Whether your anger is quiet or explosive, if it’s clouding your judgment and hurting your relationships, it needs to go. Learn to handle anger in healthy ways, starting today. Gary Chapman is wise and empathetic, and he’ll help you turn over a new leaf.

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