March 3, 2024 Sermon

Guest Preacher:  Rev. Drakar Druella

Sermon Title:  “The Healing Force of Anger”

Scripture:  John 2:13-22

(Other Lectionary suggestions are Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19, and I Corinthians 1:18-25.

John 2:13-22

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" 17His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." 18The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" 19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

          In this particular passage, John describes the temple during a time of preparation. Just as the season of Lent helps Christians prepare for Easter, Jews travelled to Jerusalem early in order to purify themselves in preparation for Passover. Christians likewise practice meditation, prayer, and participate in worship throughout Lent.

          This story follows Jesus’ first sign in Cana, where he turned water into celebratory wine at his mother’s request. Afterwards, Jesus travelled to Jerusalem because of Passover and, like other pilgrims, came to the temple. When Jesus arrived, merchants were bustling among their animals, moneychangers were exchanging coins, and pilgrims perusing the stalls, bartering with the tradespeople and seeking priests to complete sacrificial rituals. Moneychangers exchanged denarii into half-shekels so pilgrims could pay the temple tax, while animals were offered in sacrifices for ritual purity from daily life so they could participate fully in the Passover. Similar to how Christians prepare for Easter, Jewish believers were gathering in a holy place, remembering God’s deliverance, and seeking to honor God through rituals and repentance.

          Much to the shock and dismay of those present at the temple that day, rather than being pleased with the scene at hand, Jesus went into a rage. He was absolutely furious. Creating his own whip, Jesus chased out the animals, sending the merchants after them. He poured out the coins and turned over tables, causing the once seated moneychangers to scatter. He told the dove-sellers:  “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” Jesus turned the temple court into a tumult of frightened animals and shouting merchants, while pilgrims and priests stood aghast as the chaotic scene unfolded. I can only imagine what they were thinking, “Why on earth would Jesus stop purification? And why all this anger and rage?”

          So, I want to stop here for a moment to talk about anger. And the reason I want to talk about anger is because I think anger has a bad reputation amongst Christians and people who, in general, aspire to “be spiritual.” As Christians, most of us have been taught that we should be kind, gentle, fair, and peaceful. What comes to mind for me when I think about the perspective so many of us have about anger is the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs…” Now, note that it says, “it is not easily angered,” not “it is not angered.” There is a vast difference between the two, and yet, many Christians seem to think that being angry, itself, is wrong and the equivalent of not being spiritual. Well, if it is not spiritual, then why do we have such a powerful scripture here in which not only is Jesus angry, but he seemingly completely flips his lid?

          I read a book recently entitled, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, for an ethics course that I’m taking in preparation for my eventual ordination. In one chapter, the wisdom of emotions is discussed. Here is what the authors had to say about anger, and bear in mind that when they refer to leaders, this refers to all of us, as we all lead lives:

          “Anger tells a leader that something is not, or is no longer, of service. Or, that something more beneficial can replace it. This emotion tells a leader that a boundary needs to be set or an existing one is being violated. Without access to anger, leaders are dangerous because they don’t have a clear “NO.” They don’t have a “sword” for cutting and destroying when both are called for.

          We recognize that some people will have a negative reaction to the phrase “cut and destroy.” At the same time, we believe that great leaders know that eradication is occasionally necessary, as in eliminating old beliefs, old ways of relating, and old ways of seeing the world. Nature understands this and is not afraid to destroy something no longer sustainable. Destruction opens the possibility for new birth – when a wild fire burns a dead forest, the heat releases the seeds into the newly created fertile soil. That is the intelligence of anger.

          We are not referring to an abuse of power that would be committed by insecure leaders attached to their ego. Rather, we encourage “cut and destroy” actions from a leader with an open heart, in service to the greatest good.”

          So, let’s go back to the question about Jesus:  If anger is not spiritual, then why do we have such a powerful scripture in which not only is Jesus angry, but he appears to completely flip his lid?

          In this particular situation, rather than the temple being a scene of spiritual preparation, Jesus instead saw a place focused on monetary exchange. Jesus was a leader with an open heart who wanted nothing but the greatest good for others. He was completely in service to ensuring the good for others, and he knew in his heart that day that what was going on in that temple was not right. It was time to “cut and destroy” or eradicate this materialistic scene, for it was an old way of relating to spiritual purification and worship. And this old way needed to be challenged to make room for a new understanding of what spiritual preparation meant.

          After all, the whole point was for Jewish believers to gather in a holy place to remember God’s deliverance and seek to honor God through rituals and repentance. Instead, people were focused on profits, bartering, and making deals. Like Old Testament prophets, Jesus challenged the temple economy, questioning whether it was focused more on wealth than prayer. Of course, he did. His anger told him it was time for a change. He knew in his heart that rituals and sacrifices should be done out of true devotion to the Lord. His anger was righteous in the highest sense of the word. His anger was a sign to him and others that something wasn’t right. Rather than a hothead bent on disrupting worship at the temple, Jesus’ disciples understood him to be like the righteous sufferer of Psalm 69, one whose “zeal” for God’s house and statutes made him a target for his enemies (Psalm 69:9-12 -- 9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. 10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; 11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. 12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.).

          Jesus’ anger challenged old ways of thinking and approaching worship and purification. And these old ways needed to be cut, destroyed, and cleared for the new truth that was about to come that John was portraying in this story – the new truth that Jesus’ body, itself, is the sanctuary of God’s presence, not the center of the temple which once held the ark of the covenant. The truth that Jesus is not just any righteous sufferer; he is the actual location of God’s glory. But how could humanity be open to such a radical and profound new truth when they were focused solely on old ways of being that involved materialistic gain and not true gratitude for their liberation and true purification of their spirits? Jesus’ disruption of the worship practices that day was, therefore, God’s own critique. Jesus’ anger was a necessary step in clearing away old beliefs that no longer served the good of God’s people.

          So, what does this mean for us personally? How is this message impactful to us as we go about our lives on a daily basis? As we each walk our own personal path to Jerusalem during Lent, a question to ask ourselves is this:  “When is my anger a signal to me that something needs to be changed? Is there something in my life that is not in alignment with what I know to be right and true on my spiritual path with God? What old situations or beliefs in my life need to be eradicated so that I can walk in alignment with Jesus’ values?”

          Our anger can be like a soldier standing guard at the portals of our hearts. When it is aroused, sometimes it is signaling to us that something isn’t right and to be aware – to pay attention. Maybe something needs to be cut from our lives or perhaps changed. Sometimes our anger is trying to tell us to turn away from beliefs or situations that no longer serve our highest good, and when this happens, it can be God’s spirit redirecting us toward a higher truth. Jesus’ anger was a healing force that day in the temple. Perhaps yours can be, too.

Rev. Drakar Druella