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. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
Mark 11: 15-19
After dramatically entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and very publically proclaiming his identity as a peaceful king, Jesus looked around and looking round the Temple Courts Jesus left the city knowing, I’m sure, what he intended to do the following day.
On the Monday of Holy Week he undertook what we call the cleansing of the Temple; the event that the Synoptic gospels suggest led to his arrest and crucifixion. John’s gospel suggests it was the raising of Lazarus that led to the Jewish authorities wanting Jesus dead. Perhaps it was both.
Mark’s gospel is the simplest and starkest account of the cleansing of the Temple and probably the first time the story was written down. We are simply told that Jesus entered the temple and began driving out those buying and selling there and overturning the tables ofbthe money changers.
His words tell us why he did it, “is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
The outer court of the Temple, where these traders operated, was the only place where Gentiles who worshipped the one true God were allowed to pray in the Temple. How could they pray in a loud noisy market with the blessing of sheep, the calling of birds and the shouts of the traders? How could people pray in a place that was used as a short cut to get from one part of Jerusalem to another (“and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.“)?
The market activity was also dishonest and a source of easy and plentiful income for the Temple Priests, hence the phrase “den of robbers”. The Priests would only accept animals sold in the Temple itself for sacrifice.
This dishonest commercial activity was preventing some people worshipping God, even though it was designed to aid people in worshipping God by providing animals for sacrifice.
Do we as Christians stop others from worshipping God today. Do our lives, our words and deeds show Jesus has made a difference in our lives or do we appear to live just the same as everybody else in our society? Are we putting people off coming to a knowledge of the saving power of the love of Jesus?
As we reflect on Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple, we perhaps need to reflect whether our lives and witness are a barrier to people worshipping God or are attractive and draw people to come to their Creator and Redeemer in trust, worship and love.
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