Money Changers!

February 19, 2024 Monday Message:

Mark 11:15b NLT: “Jesus knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.”

Many times Jesus showed a lot of patience, but this, after all, was the Temple! This was his Father’s house! He needed to stop the bad guys right away. Let’s look at what transpired.

This was still a time of animal sacrifices, and worshipers would bring farm animals to dedicate to the Lord. According to those who examined such, their animals were never good enough. The examiner always found some little defect or imperfection, forcing the worshipers to buy a different animal at the Temple, at a highly inflated price. The merchants made money from both selling the animal, and from changing the money with an outrageous rate of exchange. Transactions at the Temple had to be paid in the currency of the Temple.

The outer court of the Temple had been made into a commercial marketplace, a dishonest one, and Jesus wasn’t standing for it. He drove out the merchants and upset the tables of the money changers. God intended the Temple to be a house of prayer for all nations, but they had made it into a den of thieves.

Standing up for what is fair and right is a trait of Jesus that we should all emulate. And nothing – no lack of an animal and no shortage of money - should keep us from honoring the Lord.

By doing all this, Jesus had disrupted the Temple system, so the scribes and chief priests sought how to to destroy him. This would be tricky as most of the people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching. This is the beginning of the road to the cross. Jesus himself became our sacrifice, and we can pray directly to God, not having to go through a priest. Those who repent and believe in Jesus will be forgiven, and get to spend eternity in the Kingdom. That’s the purpose of all that we do, lining up believers with a heavenly destination!

Have a blessed week!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship