Up to the point my breath caught in my throat, I was engaging with what the writer had to say about dying to self, giving up our rights, not having to defend ourselves out of pride - or control.
The written word was exhorting followers of Jesus...to relinquish our all to God, and ask Him to renew our minds to make us more like Christ.
Then came these words:
"Christ. That kick-ass savior who when confronted with injustice flipped tables and fashioned a freaking whip to drive out evil. There are people flipping tables and fashioning whips [today] because they can bear the injustice no more."
Jesus? A "kick-ass savior?"
Those words have troubled me (let alone the description of the whip...)...
bewildered me...
haunted me...
What did the author mean?
Being of a different generation, I zipped to an online Urban Dictionary to try and further understand.
Here's what I read:
"Kick-ass: North American vulgar slang meaning to dominate, beat, or defeat someone. To act in a very firm, controlling or aggressive manner..."
Was that Jesus' motive behind the overturned tables, the whip He fashioned from cords, the words with which He rebuked the money-changers?
Was he trying to control the temple-crowd, to beat them into submission???
I curiously longed to know.
And, this is my conclusion.
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The heading in my Bible reads: Jesus Cleanses the Temple.
The words of Matthew say this:
What matters is the heart of the Savior as He shows a rare display of anger.
Anger was not Jesus' norm.
His life was lived with compassionate healing, touching, caring, building relationship, gently restoring, speaking hard truths with kindness and compassion, and teaching with patience (that some might be led to a knowledge of TRUTH...and to SALVATION).
Paul's words to Timothy were probably Jesus' words to the Apostle Paul as he set out in ministry (please read them - they are for us, today, too!):
The Lord is slow to get angry.
He wouldn't give us the same admonition that He didn't keep:
...and, there are specific Biblical guidelines to follow in order to "be angry and not sin..."
(There, again, is a topic for another time...)
What, then, stirs Jesus' soul to the point that His ire rose?
To answer that question, I've gone way back.
It starts in the Garden of Eden; and, it weaves its way through the Old Testament and into the New.
What angers the Lord God of Creation from the Beginning into today is clear.
God created man for the purpose of RELATIONSHIP!
As God fellowships with the Trinity, He wants us to experience the sweetness of relationship, as well.
AND...
He is zealous about that...
Jealous....for us (for our love, for our time, for our obedience)!
He's passionate about us!
When relationship is hindered, or obscured, or blocked...in any way...God gets angry.
He longs for hearts that are wholly His.
Any time the Lord pronounces "WOES" on His people, it's because they are hindering others from seeing Him & His ways...
(Merriam Webster Online Dictionary)
When relationship with His people is broken, God's heart is broken...
When the heart of God is broken, His anger rises...
It's so much more than making a point about injustice (now, don't misunderstand me, that's a definite symptom of misplacing our worship).
It's so much more than using God's temple for inappropriate activities...
Turning over tables was about the money changers, and religious leaders, preventing the crowds from coming into relationship with Jesus!
They were preventing Him from fulfilling His mission...
Jesus anger was all about the prevention of the GOSPEL message being introduced!
All the stuff happening in the temple was keeping the worshippers from seeing JESUS for WHO HE WAS - the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!
If, as already mentioned, anger stems from hurt...
HIS BROKEN HEART!
He knew that very soon, He'd go from temple, to the garden, to the cross, and, then, to hell and back, for the SALVATION OF ALL MEN...
And, so, now I wonder - what about me?
Do, I keep others from seeing Jesus, because my focus is misplaced.
Because I'm selfishly looking out for my "agenda" instead of seeing the great need for Jesus in those around me?
Have I put something ahead of the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS?
If I do, then, the temple that is my heart needs to have a few tables overturned, so that I will RETURN TO THE LORD, and relationship with Him... (and, thus, keep the main thing the main thing)!
The Lord God is still ZEALOUS for His house!
His heart still breaks to see the lost find their way to salvation.
But sometimes, Jesus goes unseen as Savior and Lord of the temple (our lives)...
...and, sadly,
That breaks Jesus' heart.
That makes Him angry.
That makes Him fashion whips and turn over tables to get our attention!
Oh, that we will evaluate: Am I keeping the main thing of Christianity the main thing?
Is the Gospel my passion?
Or something else?
Or something else?
When others look at me, am I helping them see Jesus?
Followers of Jesus...
Set aside issues
Guard the Good News
& keep the main thing the main thing!
Our focus needs to be loving others to the Savior in tangible ways.
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