Den of Thieves
-- Matthew 21:12-17
Back in biblical times, Jews were
required to journey into Jerusalem several times a year to bring an
animal sacrifice. It may not have always been feasible to travel long
distances with the requisite animals to be sacrificed, so it’s possible
some would wait until they arrived in Jerusalem to purchase the
sacrificial animal or dove.
As we know today, the principle of
supply and demand can often drive up prices. During natural disasters
such as hurricanes, when necessities such as water and gas are in short
supply, price gouging can occur. These items along with
building materials needed to board up buildings prior to a hurricane
and for rebuilding after the damage has been done become overpriced.
No doubt that’s most likely the
scenario Jesus encountered at the temple after He triumphantly entered
Jerusalem just days prior to His crucifixion. Thousands of
Jews would have been coming into the city to observe Passover, and many
travelers would have been in need of purchasing a sacrificial
animal. Knowing these travelers wouldn’t have too many
options available for making their purchases, I imagine many of the
merchants would have been asking exorbitant prices or tipping the
scales in their favor.
No wonder Jesus reacted as he did.
The temple was more than just a beautiful edifice. Up until His death,
burial and resurrection, the temple was the holy place for the Jews to
worship His Father. So, when Jesus walked in and saw the unethical
selling and bartering going on and His fellow Jews being manipulated
and cheated, not to mention it was all happening in a place deemed holy
by the Jews and a place of prayer, Jesus pretty much lost it.
The biblical accounts of this scene reveal that He overturned tables,
threw out the merchants and accused them of making the temple a “den of
thieves.”
Today, we are no longer required to
sacrifice an animal to ceremoniously cover our sins because Jesus
became our eternal sacrificial lamb on Calvary. We need no
man or priest to approach the Father on our behalf because Jesus became
our intermediary. We no longer gather in a building that is
deemed sacred. The buildings we gather in are just wood or stone and
mortar, and there is virtually nothing holy or special about them.
However, we are told in scripture
that believers in Jesus Christ are now not only a temple, but we are to
be “living” sacrifices for the Lord. In essence, that means we are to
use our God-given gifts and talents to His glory and honor, and we are
to give ourselves in service to Christ with our whole souls, hearts,
minds and strength.
This coming Sunday is a day known as
“Easter.” It’s a special day for Christians to celebrate the
resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, for many,
it’s primarily perceived as a day to dress up in new clothing, or it’s
one of only a couple of Sundays some folks even attend a church service
during the year.
Though much has changed in how we
approach God in our worship, unfortunately, the hearts of man have not.
Even today, we can be as guilty as the money changers of 2,000 plus
years ago if we don’t have a purity of heart or a holiness of spirit
when we gather on Sundays (or Sabbaths). We can be dishonest and
deceitful in our actions and dissenters and gossipers in our
conversations.
God’s expectation is that we ALWAYS
approach Him with a purity and holiness of heart, and that we hide
nothing in our heart that is offensive to Him or to others. So that
leads me to ask the question, what type of worshipper will you be this
Easter?
Other References: Mark 11:15-19;
Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-17.
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