Jesus enraged

When Jesus saw what was taking place in the temple, He became enraged. To understand the reason, let us look at the following two Scriptures. The first is Isaiah 56:7: “Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” From this verse, we can see what the temple of God was meant to be. It was to be “a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Next is Jeremiah 7:11: “‘Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I Myself have seen it,’ declares the Lord.” From this verse, we understand that in the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the temple of God was being misused. Jesus saw the same kind of abominable things within the house of God that Jeremiah had seen, and He became enraged. (1) The only currency accepted within the temple was the Jewish shekel. Jews who came up to Jerusalem from all over the world to worship God had to pay high exchange fees to the money changers. (2) The sacrificial animals were sold inside the temple at high prices. The ones who controlled these businesses and profited from them were the priestly class. They had turned worship and prayer into a business.

People who missed the mark

God gave the people of Israel the mission to become “a kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). Their role was to stand as mediators between God and people, and to show the nations how blessed are those who obey God. The Old Testament contains many prophecies about Gentiles coming up to Zion (Jerusalem) to hear the teaching of the Lord (Micah Ch. 4). The people of Israel were given a great privilege. However, privilege is accompanied by responsibility. They forgot what that responsibility was and became a self-centered people – a people who missed the mark. By cleansing the temple and teaching the people there, Jesus sought to restore God’s people to what they were meant to be. Are you rejoicing that you have believed in Jesus Christ and become a Christian? Then, did you know that the mission of a Christian is to reveal the glory of God? Has your faith become self-centered? Now, let us ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts.