Passion Week – Jesus in the House of Prayer

The day after the triumphal entry, Jesus returned to the city, going straight to the Temple.  There, He found money changers and men buying and selling animals.  Not only were these practices contrary to the purpose of the Temple, but they were often sanctioned theft.  Those who examined the animals brought for sacrifices would frequently declare them “unfit”, forcing the worshiper to purchase a suitable animal at the Temple market at an unreasonable price.  Similarly, those who came to pay the Temple tax with foreign coins were charged exorbitant rates by the money changers. 

When Jesus walked into the Temple, He was ready to assert His authority, and He did so with power, overturning tables and driving out those who were buying and selling.  Then, with one sentence, He made His authority known.  He said, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13 NIV84 emphasis added).  Who else but God could declare the Temple “my house”?

The story didn’t end there.  People came to be healed by Him, and the children began shouting praises towards Him.  The Chief Priests and Teachers of the law were not amused.  They chastised Jesus for allowing the children to praise Him, but Jesus rebuked them, quoting Psalm 8:2. Then, He left the Temple to return to Bethany.

With Jesus’ one action of cleansing the Temple, the sides had been drawn.  On one side were the people, desperate for His healing power, and on the other were the Religious Leaders, threatened by His assertion of power.  Yet, the Scripture doesn’t tell us how many were still undecided about who Jesus was.  We don’t even know if the ones who sought healing were convinced that He was the Messiah or if they even cared one way or the other.  By Friday, they will be forced to decide.

Read: Matthew 21:12 – 17; Mark 11:15 – 19; & Luke 19:45 – 46

Food for Thought:

• Do you think that the people and the Religious Leaders reacted more to Jesus’ actions or to His statement that the Temple was His house?

• The Religious Leaders knew what took place every day in the Temple market.  Do you think they were angry because Jesus challenged their authority or because of guilt or both?

• Why do you think the people immediately came to Jesus for healing after He cleansed the Temple?

For a fictional account of the Temple cleansing and one’s family’s reaction, read Chapter 5 of The Shepherd’s Quest, by Elaine C. Duncan, available on Amazon.