Righteous Anger

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His mission was far from complete. The people were excited about His arrival, but the religious leaders had turned the temple into something it was never meant to be. What was meant to be a house of prayer and worship had become a marketplace—a place where greed and corruption thrived.  

When Jesus saw this, His response was not one of passive indifference. He was filled with righteous anger. He didn’t lash out in frustration, but His passion for what mattered most—honoring God and protecting His house—drove Him to take action. Jesus cleared the temple, overturning tables and driving out those who were dishonoring God’s house. His anger wasn’t rooted in selfishness or sin, but in a deep love for what was holy and right.  

Matthew 21:12-13

"Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.’ 

Righteous anger is not about lashing out when we feel hurt or inconvenienced; it’s about standing up for what is holy, just, and right. Jesus’ anger in the temple was a demonstration of His deep passion for God’s purposes and His commitment to preserving the integrity of God’s house. He was angry because what mattered most—worship, prayer, and a pure relationship with God—was being corrupted by greed and exploitation.  

As followers of Jesus, we are called to reflect this same passion for what matters most: the things of God. Sometimes that means standing up for what is right, calling out injustice, or speaking truth into situations that dishonor God. Righteous anger should drive us to action, but always in love, always with the goal of restoring what has been broken.  

It’s easy to become angry about personal inconveniences or issues, but righteous anger is about caring deeply for God’s will and His glory. It’s about seeing things as God sees them and being moved to action when we see what dishonors Him.  

Reflect

Do you have a passion for what matters most to God? Is there something in your life or in the world around you that is dishonoring God and stirring righteous anger in your heart? Today, take some time to reflect on what moves you to action. If there’s an injustice or a brokenness that is stirring in you, ask God to help you channel that anger into positive action, always seeking restoration and the glory of God in all things.  

 Prayer  

God, thank You for the example of righteous anger that Jesus showed in the temple. I want to have a passion for what matters most to You. Help me to see the world through Your eyes, and to care deeply for the things that honor You. Give me the courage to take action when I see injustice, and to do it in a way that reflects Your love and holiness. Help me to have a heart that seeks to restore, not to destroy. Amen.