Judas, to Jesus, over a cup of wine: "You know, I have to tell you, I was very impressed with what you did at the Temple today." Jesus replies, somewhat chagrined and regretful, "Well, don't be. You know, I was trying to make a point and lost my temper. You can't change a man's heart by yelling at him, by humiliating him, by taking away his livelihood." The one interesting aspect of the production is that it works overtime to avoid the perceived anti-Semitism of a literal reading of the Gospels, creating a bizarre conspiracy scenario in which Pontius Pilate (Tim Matheson of Animal House fame) orchestrates the events leading up to the crucifixion in order to pin the blame for Christ's death on the Jews.
If this is true (and I see no reason to doubt it, World is a good source as far as I know) this film is blasphemous and Colson has really, really screwed up by promoting this film. Jesus was sinless, He never "lost His temper" for Pete's sake!
Jesus was sinless, He never "lost His temper" for Pete's sake!
Oh??
Matthew 21:12
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
Mark 3:4-5
4. Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
Mark 11:15-16
15. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area 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,
16. and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
John 2:13-17
1 3. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
16. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17. His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
Ephesians 4:26-27
26. "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27. and do not give the devil a foothold.
Hebrews 3:7-11
7. So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,
8. do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
9. where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'
11. So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'"
Hebrews 4:3
Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.