When Jesus removed the money changers from the temple, was he still the "prince of peace"?

Question

I refer to that story as "Jesus Gets Grumpy" but it does show that even He could get angry and act out...right?

Answer 1

Here we go again.

YES he was and still the Prince of Peace. The reason He got upset from the merchants in the Temple is because they were disrespecting the Temple. The Temple is the House of GOD, not a place to make money or a business area. It is to worship God only. and Jesus didn't get grumpy, He wanted others to understand there is a place for everything and the Temple is the House of God only, not to make money. I hope you get it now.

Merry Christmas to ALL, Peace to one and ALL

Answer 2

Anger can be a good thing. It is how a) controlled that anger is, and for what b) cause that anger is expressed. Anger in itself is not a 'bad emotion'.

Look at the situation of what was going on. Upon reviewing secular history, and what was actually happening in the temple. The people were being ripped off by the religious leaders, and their commercial co-horts. They were getting rich, from people who wanted to worship their God. And finally, Jesus had had enough. It added one more reason they had to get rid of him. They not only threatened their position, but now he was threatening their pocketbooks.

The people would come to sacrifice. So they'd go buy an animal. What's that? The money you have isn't the proper money. We need the temple coin. So you'd go to the money changer, who was charging exhorbanant exchange rates (Which was a way to get around the usery law). Oh, and guess who they were in co-hoots with? That's right, the religious leaders at the time. The Pharisees and Saducees. This is one of the reasons that the religious group "The Essenes" (The writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls) finally had enough, and left the temple. They saw how corrupt everything had become.

Back to our poor Jew. So they had their money exchanged, and now they go to buy an animal for sacrifice with the "proper" coinage. So the person now buys an animal, from a commercial seller (inside the temple), for an exhorbant rate. Oh, and guess who that guy is "in" with? That's right, the religious leaders.

So, the poor Jew has his animal now, and goes to the religious leaders for the inspection of the animal. Guess who is doing the inspection. You got it. The Pharisees, the religious leaders. They get to do the inspection.

What's this? Oops! A flaw with the animal, it is not sound, and therefore according to the law, not worth sacrifice. (Let's just forget that little bit about they being the ones that sold it in the first place). So, it cannot be offered according to the priest. So the poor person has to go back (hoping that he got enough of his money exchanged, otherwise, he has to go through that process again), and buy another animal. All the while, the religious leaders and their commercial buddies are getting rich off the deal

(Sound familiar ??)

Jesus was prophesied to be the prophet who would show compassion to the poor. Not exploit them. And finally, he was showing that as the King Designate, he had enough, and was going to exercise his authority. He was showing the poor, that when he came into his Kingdom rule and authority (Isaiah 9:6,7; Revelation 21:4) he would make sure they had Peaceful lives, free from exploitation. And sometimes, the only time you can have peace, is on the other side of righteous anger. He had to do something about it.

He did this two times in his life. The last time, the religious leaders got together and decided:

This guy has to go. My God! He preaches: "You recieved free, give free!" How can you get rich off that!?

Answer 3

Yes, he was. Jesus basically gave his life up when he attacked them and spilled their money on the ground. They went straight to the Pharisees and together the money changers and the Pharisees cooked up the charged that got Jesus crucified. He did not anticipate such a drastic consequence of his actions. I know that Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon and Vikram Pandit did not have tables there in the Temple. But it is true that bankers have always had a "special relationship" with the powers that be. Jesus was a sort of Rebbi (a teacher of Rabbis). He was a self-righteous fellow, not without justification, and human all too human. What he saw in the temple was the conversion of God's house into a place the thievery. He did not write a letter to his Congressman. He did not speak up at the town hall meeting. He acted as a vigilante. And it got him killed. Sympatico me. I act as a vigilante a lot. I do serious damage to bad people. I do it publicly. Someday, I expect to be crucified for it. But here's what's so -- The only true profession of a gentleman in this world is Knight errantry, like King Arthur, like Don Quixote, you see what's not right, you make it right. Mewling and whining is for pathetic weak snivvlers. Muscular ethicists do what needs to be done. They do it with passion -- yes anger -- I know how he felt -- I don't try to copy him -- but do anyhow -- at least at his most active moments. Short Answer: Yes, it was a passionate act, it was not what a jurisprudential philosopher of academe would do. It was a Joan of Arc act. All praise the human Jesus of Nazareth King of Knights Errant!

Answer 4

I struggled to fit this episode into my understanding of Jesus also, because it does seem out of character with his message. I have come to think of it as a spanking. A person can strike another out of love, such as when striking a disobedient child. I don't think Jesus seriously injured any of the money changers, nor did he kill them out of wrath, but he knew that he couldn't get through to that particular audience through rhetoric alone, so he gave them a good wack.

I have noticed when I see people I care about doing things which are think are foolish or detrimental I will get very angry, but when I see strangers behaving that way I tend to sigh and go along with a sort of disappointed indifference. Jesus's anger in this instance might therefore be taken as the best evidence of his compassion for the money changers.

Answer 5

I think there is such a thing as righteous anger and only Jesus knew when to show it at the right time. You have to remember that he was always making the Pharisee (I don't know how to spell it) look stupid and full of themselves. The temple was a place were the glory of God was suppose to be and how could God's glory be in such a place and the Jews over the church allowed them tobe there to. You must remember, he didn't go killing anyone either like the crusaders did when they tried to conquer the Holy land.

Answer 6

Of course He was. The reason is simple. Throughout the Bible, you will find that God brought judgement on people according to their actions. In many cases, He simply punished them but when they really defiled themselves, He was harsh even unto death.

Remember when Moses came down from the mountain and found the people worshipping the idol? What happened to some of the people there? Weren't they slain? They were. Why? Because when defilement is taken to an extreme, it leads to death. God did not destroy Sodom until they had let evil permeate their very beings.

Same with Jesus: He had to whip the people because they had lost all direction of what the Temple of God was for. It is a very dangerous place to drift to in life. Even though you do not live a righteous life, do not ever let go of God.

Answer 7

Decidedly, yes. And if you think that is something, read about what He will do to His enemies at Armageddon in Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 thru 21. He truly IS the Prince of Peace! And He shall reign forever and ever! Yeah!

Answer 8

Yes, he was still the Prince of Peace and he was performing righteous judgments when took authority over the money changers from the temple.

Peace,

Hope

Answer 9

absolutely, also the Bible tells us to be angry and sin not.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Ephesians 4:26

Paul is commanding us to have a righteous anger which is not sin. Jesus got angry without sinning and we should too, We are commanded to hate evil (Ps. 97:10; Prov. 8:13; Amos 5:15; Rom. 12:9). Paul is speaking of a good type of anger-anger which is not directed at people but at evil. And we need to keep this righteous type of anger stirred up. Don't ever let it take a rest or go to sleep ("let not the sun go down upon your wrath"). We have to work at not being passive.

Answer 10

I'm not sure how Jesus got the title of prince of peace except he baptized in spirit and one living in spirit has this great peace within their heart, this does not mean they can not be extremely fierce when called for. also he said, "my peace I give unto you." Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace on earth and goodwill to men, he said i am come to bring emnity between father and son, daughter and mother. There are several stories that show Jesus as a man growing in spiritual awareness during the course of his life.