RPG Adults
HOLY ANGER
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
John 2:13-22
Ezekiel 22:23-31
“…make not my Father’s house an
house of merchandise.”
HOLY ANGER
The Jerusalem Temple which was meant to be a worship centre had by this time been turned into a market place. The corrupt priests had converted the temple into a shopping centre. As Jesus said, they had turned His Father’s house into a house of merchandise. A lucrative cutthroat trade was going on. The priests and the traders were in cahoots. The former would only accept animals for sacrifice bought within the temple compound. Now the Old Testament law allowed for poor Jews to offer a couple of young pigeons (Lev 12:8; cf. Luke 2:24) in place of the usual sheep or ox which were more expensive to buy. But instead of selling these pigeons cheaply, those merchants inflated their prices. The worshippers were also exploited by the money-changers. The priests would only accept tribute money that was Jewish. Foreign currency was unacceptable. The priests granted licences to certain money-changers who exchanged temple approved coins for foreign money. A high fee was charged for every transaction. It was a money-spinner. Those merchants and money-changers in turn paid handsome commissions to the priests.
One can imagine the noisy and unruly atmosphere such activities must have created in the temple. The temple grounds must have become very dirty with all the animal excrement. The constant din of haggling and bargaining between sellers and buyers must have made the place impossible for worship. According to Alfred Edersheim, “The whole of this traffic — money-changing, selling of doves, and market for sheep and oxen — was in itself, and from its attendant circumstances, a terrible desecration.”
How could Jesus not do anything about it? Fired with holy indignation, Jesus as the only begotten Son of God had every right to purge His Father’s temple of all the filth that had invaded His house. He made a whip from the pieces of rope He found, and chased all the wicked traffickers including their animals out of the temple. The money-changers had their coins scattered, and tables overturned. What a lesson He taught by action!
THOUGHT: Beware of rice-bowl pastors.
PRAYER: Father, I am angry at my sins. I want to purge them all out.