When Jesus Isn't Nice

   Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
John 2:13–22 (NKJV)  

The cleansing of the Temple can seem a little shocking. Jesus throwing over tables and literally whipping people goes against the kind (and sometimes effeminate)  portrayal of Jesus in popular media. But the media is not to be blamed. This is the very same way Jesus is most often portrayed by his own people. The worlds nicest man. But sometimes Jesus wasn't nice. Jesus was confrontational. He offended people, and hurt their feelings. He insulted them sometimes. He was uncompromising. In fact the religious elite conspired, bribed, rigged, and manipulated to have him killed.

What can we conclude from this? That nice isn't godly. That getting along isn't the same as good. Being liked isn't the same as being loving. Remember Jesus perfectly executed the Father's will. Sometimes being obedient to God means that people aren't going to like what you say... or what you do... or what you think. In fact, the Lord said we ought not be surprised when the world rejects us and even hates us. Maybe the opposite idea is true also. When the world loves us and no one is offended or insulted and everyone thinks of us as night, we should ask ourselves if it's because we are not in the Father's will.