Money and Anger

John 2:13-17 (NIV) - 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Some people use these verses to justify their anger at one thing or another.  In some cases, it’s used correctly, as it was intended, but in other cases, it’s not.  I’d like to take a stab at how we should think about these verses, and in what context.   Verse 17 gives us a clue, the reference made “Zeal for your house will consume me” comes from Psalms 69:9.  The rest of that verse says, “and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”  Jesus’ anger came from a lack of reverence for the Lord, or the Lord’s house.  In the Psalm David is crying out for the Father and declaring his love and devotion to the Father.  So much so, he says in verse 9, “Zeal for your house will consume me and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”

Don’t let your desire to earn a living or gain wealth cause you to do something you may later regret.  Jesus’ anger was a righteous anger over the money changes caring more about making money, than about the House of the Lord.