Holy Week
Monday, March 17, 2008
A House of Prayer or a Den of Thieves?
15When they [Jesus and the disciples] arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
18When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. Mark 11:15-18
Jesus’ actions on this “Holy Monday” as some call it were extreme, to say the least. He had been acclaimed by the crowds the day before, but now as He entered the Temple and saw all the crowds who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover, He saw something else: money changers and those selling animals for sacrifice. Both took advantage of the Jewish pilgrims who came from other places, which were too far to bring animals for the required sacrifices. Thus, they brought their money, and the money changers gave them “legal tender” for their purchase of sacrificial animals, but of course they inflated the price and gave them an unfair exchange rate. Those selling the doves and other animals charged exorbitant rates. Jesus couldn’t stand what He saw, so knocked over their tables—tables made of STONE! He reminded them that the Temple was a HOUSE OF PRAYER, not a den of thieves. As the religious leaders saw this they took a side in the matter—not Jesus’ side. In fact, they saw Jesus actions and started plotting His death, because once again He had shown His zeal in “unacceptable” ways. Here Holy Week takes its first major turn toward Good Friday!
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
Picture yourself in the crowd at the Temple. Who would you be? A money changer? A priest? A disciple? One of the pilgrims who had traveled from a distant land to celebrate the Passover?
How would you respond to Jesus actions and His words? Do you think you would have seen Jesus’ point or would you have been like so many in the Temple that day who didn’t give a second thought to the money changers and animal sellers?
Why do you think Jesus took such a strong stand on this matter? Why was it so important to Him?