You often hear christian people use this as a reason for their anger. So let's look at how we should respond when we are angry.
(Regardless of whether or not our anger is justified our response should be one which kneels under the authority of Scripture).
Do not sin
Psalm 4:4 says "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your hearts on your beds, and be silent."
Speak in Grace
Colossians 4:6 says "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Speak in Love
Ephesians 4:15 "Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ..."
Slander vs Kindness
Ephesians 4:31&32 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you".
To summarise it is a mark of your (and my) immaturity when we respond in anger and/or with words of slander and malice; when we hit out against the person with hurtful words. Rather we should take at least a night to calm down. And then with words of kindness and tenderness, with attitudes and mannerisms that show our maturity in Christ; speak truth.
So what about Christ in the temple?
Well if you read the Gospels you will find Jesus is very harsh to a particular group of people. Not just on the occasions when He put them out of the temple. The religious people of the day are who Jesus was angry with in the gospels. These guys should know better - as you and I should know better. These were religious guys who spoke truth, but with no love. They spoke truth, but that truth did not penetrate their hearts, rather it was used as a club or as a podium for their pride.
Jesus has no time for the religious person calling them white washed tombs.
Grace for Sinners
But he did have time and tender truth for sinners. Like the woman caught in adultery or the woman at the well who's adulterous and promiscuous life was shunned by society. Religious people of the day had no time or grace for such sinners, indeed they once asked why Jesus was spending time with sinners.
Rebukes Anger in Apostle
On another occasion when James and John wanted to call down fire (Luke 9:51-55) because a village wouldn't receive Christ. People receiving Christ is something we should feel deeply over, but we should not respond the way these guys did. Jesus "rebuked them".
Call to Repent
In all occasions dealing with people Jesus called for repentance. Time and again we read how he tells people to go and not to sin any more. Yet we see tenderness in His heart and in His words towards sinners.
On the other hand we see time and again of how he calls religious people to repent of their hard-hearted, judgemental, self-righteous and angry attacks on others. Of their abuse of Scripture and position.
Who's the religious person in any argument?
So when we use the example of Jesus cleansing the temple as an excuse for unloving words, we should also ask who, on this side of the argument is the religious person. Is it me? If so Jesus would probably rebuke us and have words of tenderness for the other party.
