Traditionally, Holy Monday (day after Palm Sunday) is the day Jesus cleansed the Temple. “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers'” (Matt 21:12-13 ESV).
What amazes me about this is that Jesus’s anger or “holy indignation was neither a weakness or a sin” (Greig, BEB, 1985). I know anger all to well and when I perceive that an injustice has occurred, I respond in anger which is anything but righteous or holy.
I am challenged this week to step back and reflect on all that Jesus said and did leading up to His Crucifixion. Today I am asking God to search my heart when it comes to anger. I am asking God to reveal to me how I am treating His “House.” Ultimately, I am asking God to help me to see Him for who He is, what He has done and to respond in accordance to His will and character. I pray that you will join me.
Father God, prepare us to celebrate Easter. Lord God, work on our hearts and minds to see and focus on You and not on ourselves. Lord God, so much of our time is spent on looking at ourselves, changing ourselves, when we should be looking to You. Lord, may we respond with righteous/holy anger when it comes to injustice. May we meet the needs we see and not ask for You to send someone else to do it. Lord God, for the believer this is the week that we base our life and future on, may we live with our hearts and minds bent toward you. Thank You Father, reveal the sin that so easily trips us up, so that we may serve You more fiathfully and grow in Your likeness. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
Blue Collar Theologian 
Amen.
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Good reminder, Mandy.
Back in my radio days, I once had a chat with John MacArthur about righteous anger. At the time I was exhausted with rage over a cousin, a hardened criminal who was/is a con-artist, who blatantly was robbing our grandparents while playing on their sympathies, to extort from their bank account. I wrestled with my anger and why I could “sin” so easily in that way. Dr. MacArthur pointed out that to display righteous anger is to be a follower of God. The scripture is full of His transparency of displaying, acting, and responding in His perfect anger. He followed up with the verse which encouraged me to have righteous anger while holding back sinful words, or actions, as it bubbles up. That helped me greatly to separate the reality of righteous anger and acting out inappropriately. I now can manage it far better than I once did whenever I experience outrage over injustice and my own sins. Today, this special Monday, is a stepping stone to evaluate the indignation I feel when Jesus is misused in society, or slandered, or misrepresented this week by so many influenced by our adversary. Great post, Mandy. God’s grip to you. – Alan
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