“My house shall be called the house of prayer” Matthew 21:12-17

I. Righteous indignation in action vs 12 This is the second time Jesus had done this and the first time He used a whip to chase everyone away! (see John 2)

Righteous indignation defined by the modern world A reactive emotion of anger over perceived mistreatment, insult, or malice. It is akin to what is called the sense of injustice.

Righteous indignation defined by the Scriptures Although the actual term does not appear, the content most certainly does. It contains much of the same attributes as the modern worlds definition, but it mainly has to do with defending our faith and the things of God.

How did Jesus defend His actions? I’m God I can overthrow tables if I want! “it is written”

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Can a Christian be angry? What about the words of Jesus, Mat_7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Should a Christian ever judge?

Romans 2:1-3 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Hebrews 9:7 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Is this true? Only God can judge me.

Judging by appearance? Wrong! for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. I Sam 16:7

Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

James 2 and I Peter 3 give practical examples of rich men being treated better in the church than the poor and certain women thinking their outward appearance makes them more spiritual than others.

Judging what we don’t know. Wrong! He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. Prov 18:13

Judging what is right and wrong? Right! In II Samuel 12:7 Samuel told King David who had a man killed so he could take his wife, “Thou art the man”!

John the Baptist’s pleasantly greeted the Pharisees in Matthew 3:7 with “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come”?

Jesus was very subtle in Matthew 23:33 when He said, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

But that is Samuel, John the Baptist and Jesus… In Acts 2:23 Peter told the congregation concerning Jesus that “ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain”

In Galatians 2:11 Paul said, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed”.

Final thoughts.. Usually when we claim to have righteous indignation, we are just angry. In Matthew 5:22 Jesus warns us not to be angry “without a cause”.

Pauls great advice in Ephesians is… “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil”.

With God’s help and grace we can turn our anger towards the right source which is the devil. We can fight the right fight, which is the good fight of faith!