09/07/2025 SHAKING UP CORRUPTION
5 Day Devotional
Day 1: Recognizing Righteous Anger
Devotional
Anger is a complex emotion. We often view it as negative, something to suppress or avoid. Yet Scripture shows us that even Jesus experienced anger. The difference? His anger was righteous, purposeful, and transformative.
When Jesus entered the temple and saw it corrupted by merchants and money changers, he didn't simply shake his head and walk away. He took decisive action. This wasn't a momentary loss of temper but a deliberate response to injustice and corruption in his Father's house.
Jesus' anger reveals something profound about God's character. He cares deeply about how we treat sacred spaces and vulnerable people. His anger wasn't self-serving but aimed at restoring what was broken.
In our own lives, we experience anger regularly. The question isn't whether we should feel anger—it's a natural emotion—but rather what kind of anger we cultivate. Is our anger like a destructive wildfire that consumes everything in its path? Or is it more like a controlled burn that clears away what's harmful to make room for new growth?
Today, consider the difference between destructive human anger and the purifying, righteous anger of Jesus. One tears down; the other builds up. One divides; the other ultimately heals.
Bible Verse
"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts." - Mark 11:15-16
Reflection Question
What situations in your life or community might warrant righteous anger rather than passive acceptance? How might you respond in a way that reflects Jesus' example?
Quote
"Unlike our human hissy fits, the salty anger of Jesus is different. It purifies instead of pitching fit, it heals instead of hitting the roof, it seasons instead of seeing red, and it preserves instead of popping off."
Prayer
Lord, help me distinguish between selfish anger and righteous indignation. Give me wisdom to know when to speak up and when to remain silent. May my anger, when necessary, be directed toward injustice and never used to harm others. Amen.
Day 2: Making Room for the Marginalized
Devotional
One of the most revealing aspects of Jesus' temple-clearing wasn't just what He drove out, but who came in afterward. Scripture tells us that after the merchants fled, the blind and lame—those typically excluded from temple worship—immediately approached Jesus for healing.
This powerful sequence reveals the heart behind Jesus' righteous anger. He wasn't merely upset about commercial activity; He was indignant about a system that prioritized profit over people and excluded those who most needed God's presence.
Jesus' actions transformed the temple from a marketplace back into a house of prayer. By driving out what didn't belong, He created sacred space for those who did belong but had been pushed aside.
This pattern challenges us to examine our own communities of faith. Have we allowed certain practices, attitudes, or traditions to create barriers for those seeking God? Are there people who feel unwelcome or unable to access the healing presence of Jesus because of how we've structured our worship or fellowship?
Righteous anger should ultimately lead to greater inclusion, not exclusion. When we become angry about the right things—injustice, exploitation, barriers to God's presence—we participate in Jesus' work of making room for all people to encounter God's love and healing power.
Bible Verse
"'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.' But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" - Isaiah 56:7b-Jeremiah 7:11b
Reflection Question
Who might be feeling excluded from full participation in your faith community, and what barriers could you help remove to make space for them?
Quote
"The scammers and the sinners flood out. The children, the blind, the marginalized come flooding in. Jesus shakes up the space to make room for those who need the hand of God."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see where I might be contributing to systems that exclude others from experiencing Your presence. Give me courage to stand against injustice and to help create spaces where all people can encounter Your love and healing. Amen.
Day 3: Confrontation with Care
Devotional
Confrontation is uncomfortable. Most of us avoid difficult conversations, preferring peace—even if it's a false peace—over potential conflict. Yet Jesus shows us that sometimes, loving others means confronting what's wrong.
When Jesus overturned tables in the temple, He wasn't having a tantrum. He was practicing what we might call "carefrontation"—confrontation motivated by deep care for God's honor and for those being harmed by corrupt practices.
True care sometimes requires correction. Think about it: if someone you love is heading toward danger, the most caring thing you can do is warn them, even if that warning isn't welcomed at first.
Proverbs reminds us that "faithful are the wounds of a friend." A true friend will risk temporary discomfort to prevent lasting harm. This is precisely what Jesus did in the temple—He disrupted harmful patterns because He cared too much to remain silent.
As followers of Christ, we're called to this same ministry of loving correction. Not as harsh critics eager to point out others' flaws, but as caring companions committed to one another's spiritual growth and well-being. This requires humility, recognizing that we too need correction at times.
Bible Verse
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." - Proverbs 27:6
Reflection Question
Is there a situation in your life where you need to practice "carefrontation" out of love? Alternatively, is there correction you need to receive with humility?
Quote
"Salty correction is not confrontation, it's carefrontation. Somebody cares for you if they're willing to confront you."
Prayer
Lord, give me courage to speak truth in love when necessary, and humility to receive correction when offered. Help me to see confrontation as an act of care rather than criticism. May my words and actions always be guided by love, even in difficult conversations. Amen.
Day 4: Removing Logs Before Specks
Devotional
It's much easier to spot the flaws in others than to recognize our own shortcomings. Jesus addressed this human tendency with a vivid image: trying to remove a speck from someone else's eye while ignoring the log in our own.
Before Jesus cleared the temple, He had thoroughly examined His own motives. His anger wasn't hypocritical or self-serving—it was aligned with God's purposes and values. This is what made His correction effective and righteous.
As followers of Christ, we're called to a ministry of "log removal"—first in ourselves, then helping others with humility and care. This requires honest self-examination and a willingness to address our own failings before pointing out others' mistakes.
When we approach correction with humility, acknowledging our own need for growth, our words carry greater weight. People can sense the difference between self-righteous criticism and loving correction that comes from a place of genuine concern.
Righteous anger is teachable and open to truth. It doesn't assume it has all the answers or that it's beyond correction itself. This humble posture distinguishes godly correction from mere criticism or judgment.
Bible Verse
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" - Matthew 7:3
Reflection Question
What "logs" might you need to address in your own life before attempting to correct others? How might acknowledging your own shortcomings change your approach to difficult conversations?
Quote
"Christians are called to a ministry of log removal. That's what we're called to. We have to help remove the logs from one another faces."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grant me the honesty to see my own faults clearly and the courage to address them. Help me to approach others with humility and grace, remembering that I too am in need of Your mercy and correction. May I be quick to listen and slow to judge. Amen.
Day 5: Anger That Transforms
Devotional
There's a profound difference between reactive anger that simply responds to personal offense and proactive anger that seeks positive transformation. Jesus' temple-clearing wasn't merely a reaction to what He saw; it was a deliberate action aimed at restoring God's house to its intended purpose.
Transformative anger doesn't just tear down—it builds up. It doesn't just identify problems—it works toward solutions. When Jesus drove out the merchants, He simultaneously created space for healing and teaching to take place. His anger served a greater purpose of restoration.
In our own lives, we face many opportunities to choose between destructive and transformative expressions of anger. Will we use our indignation merely to vent frustration, or will we channel it into constructive action that addresses root causes?
God calls us to be salt in this world—preserving what is good, healing what is wounded, and bringing flavor to what has become bland. Salty anger, like Jesus demonstrated, doesn't corrode relationships but rather preserves integrity and promotes healing.
As we conclude this devotional series, let's commit to being angry about the right things—injustice, exploitation, barriers to God's presence—and to expressing that anger in ways that lead to positive transformation rather than mere destruction.
Bible Verse
"Has not my house been called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers." - Mark 11:17
Reflection Question
What issue or situation currently makes you angry, and how might you channel that anger into constructive action that brings about positive change?
Quote
"Salty anger is proactive, not reactive. Our anger should be transformative, not destructive."
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me to be angry as You were angry—with purpose, restraint, and love. Help me direct my indignation toward things that truly matter to Your heart. Transform my anger from a destructive force into a catalyst for positive change in my community and world. May I be salt and light, preserving what is good and illuminating what needs to change. Amen.