That explains why the merchants were there selling doves, goats and cattle but who were the moneychangers? Well, the temple tax which everyone had to pay was required in local currency, not the currency of the lands the people came from. Additionally, purchasing the animals must also be in local currency. So the role of the moneychanger was to change the foreign currency into the local currency. But they routinely charged an exorbitant profit margin. Additionally, prices set for the animals were also dramatically increased so as to make as much money as possible. This is what caused Jesus to refer to them this way:
He said to them,
"The Scriptures declare, 'My
The reference from Jesus here to thieves indicates His anger was specifically about the injustice being carried out in the house of God. So when we are trying to consider if our anger is a righteous anger we need to first ask if there is an injustice we are seeking to correct. But not a self seeking righteousness beloved. Jesus was not upset because He was offended but because God was. The injustice being carried out was being carried out against those seeking God. The victims of the moneychangers and greedy merchants were people who were seeking the Lord and those seeking to reconcile with the Lord. THAT is why the anger was righteous.
All one needs to do is look at the landscape today in the modern American church and we still see the spirit of the moneychangers is alive and well. People come to the man of God seeking to atone in their relationship and they are sold a bill of goods that is designed for the profit of the preacher not the eternal gift from God which is free. Jesus warned us:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7: 21-23 (NIV)
Secondly, righteous anger can also be in response to something that is damaging to the witness of God.
To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!" John 2: 16 (NIV)
Once again, the anger is outwardly focused. It is not based upon a personal hurt. The indignation Jesus was expressing here was related to the use of the temple as a market. The taking of something that is supposed to be holy and profaning it by making it ordinary. By bringing the things of man and mixing them with the things of God. The Apostle Paul teaches:
