Holy anger

Mark 11:15-17 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.”
 
JESUS is angry. This is the Judge, the Son of Man come to pass judgment on his people who do evil in his house. You understand this, don’t you?
   Imagine if you go to your home, and you find people selling cattle and sheep at your home’s entrance, and there are people lending money at extreme interest rates. You’d be enraged wouldn’t you? Your home was built for family life, not immoral business!
   That’s what is happening in the temple and in Jerusalem. God, the Father, had instructed Solomon to build his house to be a holy place to meet with his people. In the temple would be the ark of the covenant, which symbolized the heavenly Father’s earthly throne. The Father wanted the Jews to always know they must approach the temple in holy reverence. The were to worship him in total love, knowing he provided for their secure life under obedience to his commands. The temple is evidence of God’s pure love and mercy toward Israel.
   But who is in the temple? There are merchants selling cattle and sheep in the outer courts. This is the Gentile court. Gentiles who became Jews could worship there. But now there is no room for them. It’s as if your church had a special section for non-members, but it was filled with items to sell for the church leaders’ profit!
   The Jews’ leaders also established four such markets in Jerusalem in addition to the one in the temple. For a high price, pilgrims to the Passover and other feasts could buy the animals required for sacrifice. If the people brought their own, the priests often declared the animals unclean, forcing the Jews to buy “acceptable” sacrifices. It was common that about 250,000 animals were sacrificed at the Passover! The Passover had become a profit-making machine.
   There was more profit in the temple offering. The law required the Jews to pay this offering with the shekel. People often came with the commonly used Roman or Greek money. Money changers exchanged currency with pilgrims at exorbitant exchange rates. To add to the chaos in the temple, other merchants passed through, selling their goods. Jesus stopped this abomination and cleared the courts.
   Was Jesus just to be angry? In the law and the prophets we read such words as Jonah 4:2b I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. The LORD’s love guides him to be compassionate as he watches us struggle with our own desires. Then God tells us there comes the day when his anger rests on the unrepentant: Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
   Jesus’ anger at the fig tree (See prior lesson.) and in the temple are solemn reminders we must hold his name holy in our hearts. Saved in Jesus we live in joy as we know glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. (Romans 2:10)