Matthew 21:12-17, “The Right Reason to be Mad”
What type of anger is justified?
  by Rev. David McKinley

Date: August 9, 2009

INTRODUCTION
Certainly you have come across the story of gunman George Sodini who walked into a Pittsburg area aerobics class and opened fire, taking the lives of three others, before his own.  “He targeted this aerobics class,” said an Allegheny County police officer.  “He had this class circles on a schedule in his home.”  But oddly Sodini had no relationship with any of the women he gunned down during the Tuesday night rampage.  “He just had this hatred of women,” Officer Maffatt told reporters… “He was full of hatred.” 
Such actions are impossible to understand, but by reading the man’s journal entries, you see a person who dealt with constant rejection, to the point that he felt he had to express himself by killing others and himself.  What makes a person react this way?  Stress or oppression, circumstances or situations, many things could feed one’s anger. 
Yet anger to this extent is hard to understand.  Yet we live in a world where such emotions are not uncommon.  Impatience, struggle, lashing out, speaking one’s mind, are all prevalent.  If not careful, one could look at Jesus’ actions in what is known as the cleansing of the temple, and even think that certain actions are justified.  But the environment and variables that Jesus was dealing with were quite different than what we encounter today.  This morning, let us study our passage and ask: “What type of anger is justified?”  First of all…

I. WHAT GOT JESUS SO HACKED OFF?
Matthew 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den."  The scene is Jesus at the temple.  Matthew, Mark and Luke give us this event after the triumphal entry, towards the end of Jesus’ ministry and life.  John gives it to us at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  There could be an explanation; there were two cleansings or that John places it at the beginning to drive home the point that as Jesus is the word incarnate, He holds the office as preeminent judge as God’s one and only Son.
          We can understand Jesus’ emotion if we also understand God’s original intention for the temple.  The temple was originally meant to be a place of prayer, as we read in 2 Chronicles 6:32ff.  We see that prayer was central, to the evangelization of the foreigners, in preparation for a time of war and even during a time of waywardness.  Psalm 51:17 tells us: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise.  The way to get right with God is and always has been contrite prayer.  The presence of the temple was to instill prayer for guidance, prayer for protection and finally, prayer for forgiveness.  Yet in Jesus’ time, its presence was seen as a type of rabbit’s foot for the nation; a good luck charm.  The people, especially the religious leaders, allowed for sin and superficiality to run rampant in Judah, instead of heartfelt worship and devotion to God.  Hence, Jesus quotes Jeremiah 7:11 which states: “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD.”  This verse tells of a time when all kinds of transgressions were being committed by the people of Judah, yet the Jews thought they were safe because, after all, the temple was in their midst.  The Jews had carved a place for superstition.  The Jews thought that the presence of the temple guaranteed them success and protection, regardless of sin. 
At this point, Jesus came to “mix it up.”  The Jews had become complacent and misguided.  Possibly the religious leaders thought they could take advantage of the poor or foreigners at this time.  One commentator states: “By allowing the court of the Gentiles to become a smelly marketplace, the Jewish religious leaders were interfering with God’s provision.”  1 But God provided for Gentile worship, as we read in Isaiah 56:7 assured godly non-Jews could worship in the temple.  It says: “Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."  H.L. Ellison states that this show of commercialism was actually taking advantage of others.  He states: “The sacred surroundings had doubtless no influence on the commercial morals of the dealers, and a pilgrim who had not brought his sacrificial animals with him was very much at their mercy.”   2
          Such an attitude towards the temple reminds me of our own time.  Some of us might think that America is above judgment because, after all, we were founded on Christian principles and we are the land of the free and home of the brave.  Could it be that America is in bad shape today, because the church is in bad shape?  The church is ridden with scandal from embezzlement to sexual immorality.  In many sectors, there is very little difference between the church and the world.  Our only hope is, like Judah’s of old, like Palestine in Jesus’ time is repentance and prayer.  What can we learn from this Scripture?

• A healthy reverence for the things of God and for prayer.
• Religion is no place to take advantage of others.
• Although our anger is rarely justified, there is such a thing as righteous anger. 

So let’s explore this last point a little.  Mark 11:8 tells us that Jesus’ display of anger incited the chief priests and teachers of the law to the point that they wanted to have him killed.  But Jesus got mad over the right reasons, far different than what usually angers us today: bad drivers, waiting in line or not getting our way with the customer service representative.  How is righteous anger different from other types of anger?  One is God-centered, one is self-centered; one is corrective and constructive, the other is destructive; one is righteous and legitimate, the other is sinful.  One defends God, the other defends self.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you happen to be one that struggles with anger.  I understand.  Me, too.  It is a constant test of self-control to keep your emotions in check, to restrain your expression.  Consider a few of the following verses in reference to anger.  James 1:19-20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  Or Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath….”  And later in verse 31: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” 

II. EVEN CHILDREN KNEW WHAT TO DO IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS.
Notice the difference in demeanor in verse 14: “And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant, 16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" After the deliberate act of overturning the tables of the money changes and driving the commerce out of the temple, Jesus then with the same act of purpose heals those who came to him, the blind and the lame.  Jesus always seemed to make time for others, especially those in need. 
After the triumphal entry, some of the children gathered in the temple and continue the frenzied praise to Jesus.  They had heard and seen the wonderful things that Jesus had done.  The leaders were annoyed at the clamor of the children at the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast prepared praise for Thyself'?" 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
          His words concerning the children and the quote from Psalm 8:2 are actually an affirmation of His deity.  It teaches us that God will get praise, either from willing or unwilling subjects.  God will receive praise.  We in the church must come to recognize that this is what our lives should be about.  Since the 17th century, Reformed Christians have taught that “man’s chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  3

CONCLUSION
Bethany was just a two mile walk from Jerusalem, located on the eastern slope of Jerusalem.   It was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He would retire there until the next day.  This was quite a day for Jesus.  We might ask as we close this morning: “Is there some way that we can turn our anger into praise?”  One way is to be angry at the right things and relinquish our anger towards the things that don’t matter or matter less.  John Stott reminds us our anger is often over the wrong things.  He states: “in the face of blatant evil we should be indignant not tolerant, angry not apathetic.  If God hates sin, His people should hate it too.  If evil arouses his anger, it should arouse ours also.  Psalm 119:53: “Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake Thy law.”  What other reaction can wickedness be expected to provide in those who love God?”  4