Easter Day 2: Jesus Cleanses the Temple Market

Description: Temple Steps (PC: Wendi Oliver)

As we move through Holy Week, we see that it begins with a bang! After the celebration of Palm Sunday there is confrontation in the temple. Three things come to mind from this passage in Matthew 21.

Although he has no official role in the temple hierarchy, Jesus assumes authority and throws out those who were buying and selling. Of course he had authority as the One who, with the Father and Spirit, were worshiped in the temple. The Old Testament made provision for certain sacrifices and those buying and selling animals for sacrifice were making a profit from the people who came to worship. A ministerial colleague recently sent me the notes he had taken from a course about “hybrid worship” in a time of coronavirus. It had many good suggestions about how to appeal to people to attend your church (rather than the one down the street). It seems our contemporary attractional churches cater to the consumeristic impulses of our modern culture to the degree that we are dangerously close to the buying and selling that Jesus condemned so forcefully.

Description: Temple Market (PC: Wendi Oliver)

We get that the temple was a house of prayer, but notice the qualification that is given by Jesus: it is a house of prayer for all nations. This was the temple in Jerusalem, the holy place for the people of Israel, but they had lost sight of the fact that they were to be a light to the nations. The temple was a house of prayer for everyone. In the challenging times of the past year we have seen dramatic political division including violence. But one thing is perfectly clear, we are all God’s children. There is no place for racism of any kind in God’s kingdom. Our churches must be houses of prayer for all nations. One day people from every tribe and nation will be gathered around the throne together. We had better embrace one another now to get ready for heaven.

Notice that the crowds were astonished and the religious leaders were jealous. In fact they were so jealous that within a few days Jesus was nailed to the cross.

Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. The landowner is going away but will return. He gives five talents to one steward, two to another and one talent to a third. One remarkable takeaway is that the steward who had five talents and made five more and the steward who had two talents and made two more received exactly the same reward when the master returned. “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Some of us may be five talent people and some may be two talent people. The reward for using our talents is the same, so there is no reason to be jealous. And the exciting conclusion is that the parable is really a story about what awaits us at Jesus’ return. When he comes back, the only place for us to be set over much is in heaven, so we can look forward, not to clouds and harps, but more amazing, meaningful participation in God’s kingdom and the joy of the Lord.

Immerse Yourself

Listen to “Jesus Expresses Emotion | Easter Drama Day 2” on Spreaker.

Description: Temple (PC: Wendy Oliver)

Prayer

Lord, with the anger and violence we have seen this past year, we are hesitant to confront others the way you addressed the money changers in the temple, yet we are called to be agents of truth. In the days ahead may we learn how to speak the truth in love. And may confrontation begin with us individually as we consider our love for you and for others by our engagement with your family, the church; rooting out any racism or hate in our hearts, and using the gifts you have given us for your kingdom without comparison to others. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Questions

1. When asked by someone what church they should attend, Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message, responded. “Go to the closest smallest church, and if that just doesn’t work, go to the next smallest closest church.” Am I attracted to a church because of the programs and services they offer or because of a relationship with people who will challenge me to grow?
2. Paul confirms what Jesus says about the church being a house of prayer for all nations when he writes in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female. Do I live out this guidance in my relationship with other races, other “classes” of people, and the other gender?
3. Comparing ourselves to others is always a bad idea. If we feel better than them we develop pride and if we feel worse than them we develop low regard for ourselves. Do I compare myself to others? If so, how can I change, recognizing I am only responsible for the “talents” I have?

by Barry Crane, Senior Pastor at North Sound Church