SCRIPTURE:
12 “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 ‘It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:12-13
REFLECTION: (written by David Hazelip)
Thousands of out-of-town visitors came to the Temple during Passover, and they were charged excessive fees to exchange their foreign money for local currency to pay the Temple tax. Because of the long journeys, many travelers could not bring their own animals, and many of those who did bring their own had them rejected for imperfections. As a result, the people were charged exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals by the merchants. When Jesus entered His Father’s House, He found no room for worshipers in the Court of the Gentiles because of the dishonest money changers and greedy merchants. Jesus was grieved. In His grief, He acted
His actions in the Temple were motivated by a heart of righteousness. In righteous indignation, Jesus cleared the way for dignity to be restored to all people, and He cleared the way for all to enter into His father’s House
RESPOND:
- How does God call us to respond when injustice and sin in our world cause harm to others?
- How might God be calling you to advocate for the marginalized and persecuted?
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for blessing us every day in so many ways. As we study during Lent, please give us the wisdom to understand the love and grace that You bestow on us. Protect us from anger and instead, help us to give love and grace to others, to fight evil with goodness, and to be a light in the darkness. Come, Holy Spirit, come! In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, Amen
