Bible Passage: “The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” (John 2:13-17)
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:26-27; James 1:20
I bet you thought we were going to talk about the anger of Jesus when you read today’s Scripture, didn’t you?
Well, I might, still.
Anger is a complicated emotion—it’s a basic emotion but widely debated in psychology. Researchers call it “a negative activation that leads the individual to resolve the tension through active behavior.”
The tension that the emotion of anger aims to resolve usually comes from either a threat to our safety, a barrier in the way of our goals, or perceived injustice.
Anger is a God-given emotion, so evidently, anger is supposed to help us. Yet, why does anger so often cause problems, and why do the Scriptures warn us about it so often?
Take, for example, Paul’s command in Ephesians 4:26-27 to be angry but not sin, so that the devil wouldn’t gain a foothold in our lives. Or, the encouragement in James 1:20 to be “slow to anger” because man’s anger “does not produce the righteousness of God.”
What should we do with our anger, and what do we make of Jesus’ apparent angry response at the Temple in John 2:13-17?
First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that His anger produced righteousness (i.e., the purifying of God’s house), while our anger often does not.
Yet, that still leaves the question of what we should do with our anger.
I want to suggest to you that the key is in verse 17: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Isn’t it interesting that the Scripture clearly calls the motivating emotion for Jesus’ response to the corruption in the Temple zeal rather than anger? He—as God—had every right to be angry.
In Jewish culture, zeal denotes a passionate, enthusiastic commitment to God’s law and covenant. Zeal energizes us to protect others, removes barriers that keep us from the Kingdom of God, and pursues action to overcome injustice, all out of a passionate commitment to the Lord.
Sounds a lot like the function of anger, doesn’t it?
So, all I’m suggesting is this:
What if we redirected our anger in difficult moments towards zeal for the righteousness of God?
Prayer: Precious Jesus, thank You for Your zeal for Your people and Your Kingdom. Teach me that You have put the emotion of anger in me for a reason, so You don’t condemn my anger itself. Yet teach me to direct my anger towards productive zeal so that it advances, rather than destroys, Your work in my life. Amen.
Reflection: What do you think is the relationship between zeal and anger? How could redirecting your energy in moments of anger towards zeal for the righteousness of God change your response?
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