Jesus Enters Jerusalem and Clears the Temple

Matthew 21:12-13

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

It’s Monday after a beautiful and exciting Palm Sunday. Jesus is now in Jerusalem and events begin to unfold that are walking us closer to the cross. When Jesus entered the temple area after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he began driving out everyone who was buying and selling there.

What had stoked the fires of his divine wrath and anger? We know from Scripture that the “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus knew that too. Jesus became angry because religious schemers were using God to make extra money. You see, people traveling into Jerusalem for the Passover needed to buy animals for the sacrifices they would offer to God during this festival. Most of those people also needed to exchange their money for temple currency in order to buy the animals. The trouble, though, was that the money changers and sellers were often dishonest and took advantage of those travelers.

We’ve all met people who were turned off by the church. My father was one of these people. He often said he had quit gathering for worship because the church didn’t care for him—they just wanted his money. I don’t know if that was true or just an excuse. But I do know that many people have been turned off because they’ve been fleeced by some unscrupulous person who claimed to be a Christian. When that happens, Jesus gets angry.

Prayer

Lord, what needs to be cleansed in my life? Is it a love for money? Is it a desire to exploit people for our own purposes? Help me to look deeply into my life to identify what needs to be cleansed. I know, Lord, you are not happy with these areas and I need help turning away from any and all things that distance me from you. Lord, cleanse what is offensive in me. In your name, Amen.