“So he made a whip out of cords…”

A thousand one plait
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A thousand ten plait

“Get these out of here!
How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

Jesus cleansed the temple at the beginning of his ministry and near the end of his ministry. Both actions were deliberate actions. He took time to make a scourge during the first cleansing; the second time, Mark tells us that “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”

Mark’s narration continues with “The next day … Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.”  For Jesus, anger was not a sudden emotional release valve. His anger was a deliberate response to theft, injustice and desecration of the temple.

Christians sometimes justify angry tirades by saying, “Well, Jesus got angry.” Counselors of every faith and non-faith persuasion have told people, “Don’t hold it in. Let it out!”  In a world so full of anger and volatile reactions we would do well to consider the advice of past generations to, “Count to ten (slowly) before expressing anger.”

Remember:
A gentle answer can turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)
…be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

 Martha Hawn VanCise ©