What Makes Jesus Angry? Series

Background to passage, Matthew 21:12-17: The day following the triumphal entry. Passover. Last week of his life. Began to open the can on Sunday. Full on charge today against the establishment. He said early in his ministry that he was Lord of the Sabbath, take he says he is Lord of the Temple.

Opening illustration: Kid at the basketball game the other night, lost it in a reacted. He realized immediately that he went too far, and began to plead and say he didn’t mean it, but got the technical foul anyway.

Main thought: we will look at the things that brought Jesus to a righteous anger and another demonstration of his messiahship.

1) When True Worship is Forsaken (v. 12-13)

Explanation: After turning over the tables in the court of the Gentiles, which the people had turned into an outdoor mall in the temple courts, Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 and declared the original intent of the temple: worship and communion of the one true God.

The money changers and the sellers of animals had a legitimate purpose by making it possible for travelers from all over to exchange coinage from all parts of the empire to the Tyrian shekel, and sell animals to sacrifice. However, it was the placement of this middle-eastern bazaar that was problematic, as well as greed. They were set up in the court of the Gentiles, so anyone who was on the way to worship could hardly hear or think about God or prepare to worship him.

In allowing this practice, they were thwarting true worship. Jesus told them later that they keep people out of the kingdom.

Matthew 23:13–15 ESV

Illustration: prenuptial agreements,

Application: What about us? We are the religious people, the bible believers, those that stand on moral principles, and live righteously. Are there things that we do that thwart others from worshipping; things that we do here or elsewhere that keep others out of communion with God? Do we worship casually so that others may think that it not all that important? Do we distract others in our Sunday gatherings? Does our “Christianity” only come out on Sundays? Do we live one lifestyle at home/work and a different one on Sunday? Maybe we are so hung up on rules and regulations that there is no grace in our lives. Maybe our faith is not transforming. Maybe it doesn’t cause us to reach out to the hurting, downtrodden, forsaken, needy, and oppressed.

2) When Holy Things are Perverted (v. 13)

Explanation: I know there is some overlap from the last point, but there’s more to be seen in Jesus’s words. I want to focus on Jesus’s words, meaning, and application through these three chapters against the established religious authorities. Jesus said two things additional things that indicated his anger: they twisted the temple courts into extortion of the poor, and twisted the scripture against children and his kingship.

If you want to make Jesus angry just squeeze out the Gentiles, rob the poor, twist the scripture, turn religion into politics, and forsake mercy.

The money changers and sellers of sacrificial animals charged pilgrims from distant lands exorbitant rates. They were profiting off of people desire to worship. It’s noteworthy that Matthew mentions “pigeons” and not lambs or goats. This was the sacrifice of the poor who could not afford the other.

The word for robbers is not the word for common thieves. It was a word that meant rebels and insurrectionists. Jesus was probably implying that the establishment was a stronghold for nationalist Jews awaiting deliverance. Possibly also a slap in the face to the religious leaders saying they were working against God’s original plan for the nation of Israel.

Jesus also began to heal the lame and the blind as they came in the temple. These individuals could not enter the temple because they were unclean, but Jesus was allowing them to worship, and the priests and scribes were angry about it! They were fine with robbery, hindrances to prayer and worship, but angry about mercy.

Then the children begin to sing the praises of the King, and the religious leaders implied that if he heard, and if he was truly a man of God, he would stop them. Then he probably insulted them by asking them if they had ever read...

Hosea 6:6 ESV

6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Illustration:

Matthew 1. True Discipleship versus Harsher Condemnation for the Jewish Leaders (19:1–22:46)

Compare our contemporary services and religious broadcasts in which appeals for money overshadow true piety and devotion, or churches in which business concerns seem to outweigh spiritual planning. Even our leadership is often chosen more for its financial acumen than for Spirit-filled living. In light of v. 13, we ought to have far more prayer meetings than committee meetings.