What made Jesus angry?

Elaine Storkey unpacks New Testament passages to show us that Jesus’ anger went hand in hand with His compassion – and so must ours today

Study passages: Matthew 21:12-13; 23:1-36

When you read the Gospels, what words best describe for you Jesus’ relationships with people? Most of us would probably say words like ‘loving’, ‘compassionate’, ‘kind’, ‘gentle’, because all the Gospel writers give us so many examples of these. We read of Jesus’ kindness to those struggling with burdens too heavy for them, His compassion towards those who have lost their way in life and His gentleness to people rejected by others. Jesus’ empathy and love shine through in the Beatitudes, in His teaching and healing, His conversations with people at the margins, and His own self-giving. He shows us how to be truly human in our relationships with people. But Jesus is not only human. He is God the Son. As He explained to His disciples, anyone who has seen Him has “seen the Father” (John 14:9). So these qualities of compassion are a manifestation also of His divine nature. They take us into the very heart of God.