Holy Monday Devotion March 25, 2024

Jesus Clears the Temple

“My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
(Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46)

When pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, they encountered merchants and money changers around the Jerusalem temple. Both the merchants and money changers provided key services to meet the needs of the pilgrims who traveled from great distances to offer sacrifices and to pay taxes. The merchants sold animals for their sacrifices and the money changers provided currency exchange services for the pilgrims to pay their required taxes and for doing business on the local market.

While there are different opinions as to whether or not the anger of Jesus was caused because these activities occurred inside the temple and not outside, I believe that we can at least surmise that this action by Jesus was a protest of the politicized and the unfair and unethical commercialization of the temple. Merchants took advantage of the pilgrims by charging exorbitant prices and money changers charged excessive fees for trading currency.  Jesus being very knowledgeable of the political climate, as well as the unscrupulous practices of the priestly aristocrats in controlling the fiscal affairs of the temple, he directly attributed these influences on the unethical and non-religious commercial practices occurring in the temple.

The temple was intended to be a sacred place where God would reside. The temple was dedicated to the service and the worship of God. Jesus expected to see people praying and worshiping.  Instead, he saw a marketplace of greed and God’s people being taken advantage of. He saw corruption and abuse of God’s intended purpose for the temple. His temple, which was meant to be a house of prayer, had become a den of thieves.

This Holy Week, we should recall and reflect that God has called all believers to be temples. 1 Corinthians 6:19, emphasizes that our bodies are temples and the Holy Spirit resides within us as believers. We are purposed for the service and the worship of God, and to be witnesses through our faithful living of God’s grace to the world. This is our purpose as temples of God.

If Jesus entered our hearts today, would Jesus find us not fulfilling our temple purpose? Would Jesus drive out the distractions and overturn the things that do not serve God’s purposes?  As Christians, we are called to recognize and embrace the truth that we ourselves are temples of God and are set apart to serve God. We are to strive to live out this truth in our daily lives, honoring God and seeking to carry out his purpose for our lives.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, you entered the Jerusalem Temple to clear it of corruption and abuse. Greed and disregard for worship settled into your house of prayer. As this week commences, search my heart. Drive out and overturn that which does not represent you. Remove any corruption or opposing thoughts or ways to which you purposed for my life. Lead me by your residing Holy Spirit in the way of service and everlasting life. Amen.

Contributed by Rev. Dwight O. Peace