Jesus Clears the Temple

 Monday

Jesus Clears the Temple

“He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer’, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

Mark 19:46

Before the sun made its debut in the morning sky, He rose and wandered outside. He liked rising early for it gave Him time to pray to His Father before the day began. He prayed for the day before Him, for the people He would encounter, and for the tasks that needed to be done. He cherished these moments. Soon, He and His disciples would leave Bethany and go to Jerusalem. There was still work to be done.

As Jesus and His followers neared Jerusalem, Jesus spotted the city in the distance. He felt a deep sadness well up within Him. A tear slid down His cheek. If only they would have realized who He was. If only they would have understood that He was the way to peace, but now it was too late. The peace they longed for was hidden from their sight (Luke 9:41-44). They longed for a Messiah to deliver them from Roman rule. They couldn’t see that He was trying to save them from something far worse than Roman oppression.

The city was alive with activity. As Passover drew near, people came from near and far to celebrate this special day. Jesus and His disciples approached the Temple entrance. He saw the merchants selling animals for sacrifice. The sadness that filled His heart turned to righteous anger. The Temple, a place of worship and prayer, had become a common marketplace. With determined steps, Jesus began driving out the people who were buying and selling sacrifices. He turned over the tables of the money changers. The leading priests looked on with surprise, and anger. Jesus' gaze rested on them as He said, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all the nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” (Mark 11:17, NLT). 

Jesus turned and walked away. His followers trailed behind Him, until he stopped on the Temple steps by a lame man. Jesus talked to Him quietly. A smile creased the corners of His eyes as the lame man began jumping up and down in excitement. He had been healed. He would no longer limp through life. Soon Jesus was surrounded by the blind, and the lame. They came to Him broken, and left completely healed. His followers rejoiced, and children ran around shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” (Matthew 21:15, NLT) 

Overhearing the praise of the children, the leading priests  and  teachers of the law knew they had to find a way to stop Jesus. The leading priest walked over to where Jesus sat, and asked, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus looked at him, smiled and said, “Yes. Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” (Matthew 21:16, NLT) The leading priest didn’t know what to say, so he and his companions turned and walked away. They began plotting how they would put an end to this madness that threatened their power. They would find a way to kill Jesus. 

The story of Jesus clearing the Temple is one that most people are familiar with. It isn’t a story I often linger on. I tend to read through it, and move on to something that feels more significant or relevant to my life. As I have been writing these words, the thought that has kept crossing my mind is the purity of my worship. Is my worship pure, and pleasing to God or is my heart more like the religious leaders? Do I realize who I am bowing before or do I come half-hearted, focused on other things? Sadly, my heart is often divided. I often lack the sense of awe, and wonder of this God that allows me to approach Him in all of His holiness, while my heart is full of sin. I hope that today will challenge you to realign your heart with His so that you can worship Him in the manner that is due Him.

Scriptures to Read:

Matthew 21:12-22, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:41-48, John 2:13-17