A tumultuous step into “Holy Week”: Dueling indignations …

Christians around the world begin “Holy Week” with the excitement of Jesus’ “triumphant” entry into Jerusalem (you can read about it in Matthew 21:1-11).

But just one step into Holy Week and we see a stark and immediate scene change — we go from a celebratory mood to dueling indignations.

By the way, “indignation” is a polite word for anger.

For us human beings, anger often isn’t a good thing because we rarely direct the thoughts that generate it, or the emotions of anger, in a proper way. Thus, scripture proclaims, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires,” (James 1:20).

But it can.

Dueling Indignations: Scene One

The first scene of anger on display in the story of “Holy Week” is a dramatic demonstration of how anger can be a manifestation of righteous indignation, and it’s Jesus who publicly expresses His anger.

This demonstration of anger is actually an act of pre-meditated indignation.

Jesus didn’t “blow up,” and thus start overturning tables and chairs, and otherwise upsetting the everyday activities in the Temple. Instead, Jesus actually takes the time to hand-make a whip as He choreographs in His mind how (and why) He’s going to use it:

“It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes …” John 2:13-15a.

Having thoughtfully equipped Himself, Jesus then puts to use His handiwork in a startling display of righteous indignation:

“Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, ‘Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!’ Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: ‘Passion for God’s house will consume me,'” John 2:15-17.

Matthew recorded this first scene of dueling indignations like this:

“Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves!’ The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them,” Matthew 21:12-14.

What is it that can move Jesus to a holy anger, a level of righteous indignation that results in a dramatic response from Him? It was empty, ritualistic religion void of real, love-based, faith-filled obedience and devotion to God.

He remains indignant about such hollow religiosity, and people today can be just as empty in their ritualistic religious activities as were the people Jesus chased from the Temple.

Dueling Indignations: Scene Two

After clearing the Temple of what made Him angry, the scene changes back to the gracious and compassionate Jesus we like to remember: “The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them,” Matthew 21:14.

It was the stunning display of the gracious compassion of Jesus, mingled with the unrestrained praise from children, that would spark the opposing, ungodly reaction of indignation:

“The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David.’ But the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus, ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ ‘Yes,’ Jesus replied. ‘Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, “You have taught children and infants to give you praise.”‘ Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight,” Matthew 21:15-17.

It should be hard to believe that religious leaders would be the persons who were indignant about the public display of worship for the Savior of the world, but extravagant worship can reveal the worst in us when we don’t properly value Jesus, or rightly understand who He is. Jesus’ own disciples responded with anger toward an act of extravagant worship of the One they were disciples of:

“Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. The disciples were indignant when they saw this. ‘What a waste!’ they said. ‘It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.’ But Jesus, aware of this, replied, ‘Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed,'” Matthew 26:6-13.

As the old saying goes …

There’s an old saying that states, “The more things change, the more things stay the same.” In this case, there may be a kernel of truth to that old saying. Much has changed since the above mentioned demonstration of righteous indignation from Jesus; He has given Himself as a sacrifice for sin on the cross and defeated death with His resurrection from the grave, providing the way for us to be reconciled to God.

That’s incredible change!

And yet, things remain the same among those who prefer the ease and selfishness of a hollow religiosity rather than a costly, unrestrained, extravagant (whole life) worship of Jesus Christ.

How do you respond to Jesus?

Are there empty rituals that need to be stripped out of your life and replaced with praise and worship? Does the extravagant worship of Jesus spark indignation in you?

Scotty