Ive got sick kids, the house is a tip, the schedule has gone to pot and people are being annoying. Hey ho. Such is life sometimes. I bet Jesus had days like that too.
We tend to think of Jesus as meek and mild and always kind and smiling and patting young children on the head. Healing the sick and talking wisdom and even when in dispute with the Pharasees and religious leaders always keeping His cool. But of course it wasnt like that. Because Jesus was a man just like we are. He got tired. He got upset . He definitely got angry.
I love reading the account of Jesus in the temple
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.” John 2
Somehow I am strangely comforted by the thought that Jesus got so mad. He was, of course, angry for all the right reasons. He was angry at the injustice He saw which prevented the poor from coming into the temple. He was angry at the corruption of God's house and the hypocrisy of the system. But nevertheless, He decided to show His anger in no uncertain terms. He didnt call a meeting and preach a new way to the temple traders. He didnt pray for them to have a change of heart. He made a whip.
Thats pretty angry. And its really quite scary. It is intentional and violent - one has to assume that having gone to the trouble of making a whip out of cords He then proceeded to use it. On people.
He kicked over tables. He made a scene. There was noise and shouting and animals careening about all over the place. Jesus was yelling at people to get out of the temple courtyard and He was chasing them out with His homemade whip. Im pretty sure nothing this extraordinary had happened in the temple precinct for generations. This was on outrage most certainly worthy of the local, if not the national news.
We so often feel bad for feeling angry. We focus on the whole forgiveness, tolerance, love your neighbour thing. But actually its probably OK to feel angry - especially if you are angry about the things which make God angry. And its probably OK to express that anger too. I wonder if Jesus sought out the people He whipped that day and apologised to them and asked forgiveness.... maybe He did. But I doubt it. People have used this Bible story in recent days in relation to the bankers bonus crisis and the banking crash etc. Saying that God still wants to take a whip to the moneylenders. But I think that misses the point. Jesus was angry not primarily about the financial aspects of what was going on, but by the fact that people were being prevented from coming to God because they ' couldnt afford to'. Thats what made Him seethe. And He is still angry about that today. If we ever put up barriers which prevent people free access to God we should expect to know the wrath of Jesus and feel that whip. Of course today I wasnt angry in any righteous sense. I was just in a bad mood :-) I was snappy with the kids and there was no excuse. But at least I console myself with the fact that Jesus understands what its like to feel cross. And His mercies are new every morning.
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