Upon entering the temple grounds Jesus’ first encounter was with the Court of the Gentiles.  This was the area of the temple grounds where Gentiles could come to shop, to pay homage to the God of Israel, or satisfy their curiosity; but they were allowed to go no farther without obedience to all of the ceremonial law.

In the Court of the Gentiles the Jews had set up a marketplace, a mall of sorts, where all manner of sacrificial animals and offerings could be purchased.  Matthew records the event:

Matthew 21:10-14, "And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the multitude said, ‘This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.’  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’  And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them."

Remember that even though Jesus was the true expression of love and came to pay the full penalty for our sin, He also expressed anger at those who were dishonoring the Father.  Matthew records an angry Jesus which is different from the portrayal of His characteristics.

What do you suppose Jesus saw that day that caused so much righteous anger to rise up within him?

Surely these moneychangers and shopkeepers were no more frustrating to Jesus than so many of the religious leaders had been on the streets!  Remember, Jesus always addressed hypocrisy when He saw it.  Why did Jesus lash out with such force against these business people who seemed to be actually doing a service to those who came to worship at the temple?

The answer may be found in the scripture in 1 Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"  

God’s House is meant to be a house of prayer, a place set aside for the worship of God.  The church building is the sanctuary appointed by God to be a safe place where we can come together to meet with the Lord and to hear His Word.  The problem was that these business men, those who ran the tables, who bought and sold sacrificial merchandise, had absolutely lost their reverence for the temple and what it stood for.  They had turned something sacred and beautiful into a money-making scheme that took advantage of anyone who came into the temple area empty-handed.

Was it wrong for those who owned the shops to be there to supply the needs of those who came to worship?  Probably not.  Was it wrong that they had set up shop inside the temple complex?  A case could be made that it was wrong, but was this the point that caused such anger to rise up in Jesus?

Possibly it was the “Love of Money”, which is the root of all evil, that had found its place inside the very House of God.  The Love of Money, specifically, the love of huge profits from the sale of sacrificial animals and offerings for those who arrived without any was what made Jesus so angry.  The problem was that these men were price gouging everyone who came by.  They cared less for those they were supposed to be helping, and they only cared for their own welfare and profit margin.

So when Jesus walked into His own house that was designed, planned, and purposed for prayer and worship, it’s no surprise that His temper was displayed in such a manner.  Yes, Jesus got angry.

Jesus was coming into Jerusalem to freely give all that Heaven had to offer to purchase the souls of men at no cost to them, while the money-changers were charging those that came to make a profit.  The price of the simplest of sacrifices was extreme.  Doves were very expensive, not to mention the bulls, goats, and lambs that were necessary for some of the greater times of sacrifice.

God’s House was never designed for such shenanigans.  It was designed and commissioned to be a House of Prayer and a place where people could come together as a family and worship the Lord.

One point that this story illustrates is that “Judgment must and has begun in the House of God.”  Judgment in the House of God begins when Jesus discredits those who use His House for their own profit.  It begins when Jesus silences the voice of those who will misuse and abuse God’s own people.  It begins when Jesus exposes those who are living in unrighteousness while putting on a front of holiness.  It is important to remember that the guilty always try to silence [crucify]the messenger since they can not refute the message.

Now lest we point fingers at everyone but ourselves, there is an all important question for each of us to consider; what does Jesus need to cleanse from our temple right now?  Has He already begun the cleansing process?   1 Corinthians 6:19, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

God expects nothing less than complete obedience.  We must admit that partial obedience is still disobedience and God will not allow us to continue in disobedience.

So should Christians get angry at injustice?  What about getting angry when people blaspheme God with their actions, having lost their reverence for God’s ways?  Some think it is terrible when Christians become passionate about the state of things in Maine with the progression of the destruction of the family.

It makes one wonder if Jesus is angry with His church, even now, as He observes us compromising God’s truth in order to accommodate something that is socially acceptable.  The challenge before the Church today is the advancement of homosexuality in our society.  Christians believe in equal rights.  We believe everyone has the “right” to do as he or she pleases.  It is when that “right” to do as one pleases becomes the law of the land with  consequence for those who may disagree with that right. In Canada preachers are being arrested and put in jail for preaching from I Corinthians Chapter 1.  And that is where we are heading here in the United States and Maine, unless the Church and other people of morality will exercise their constitutional right to be heard. 

The signature gathering effort to give the citizens of Maine the right to vote on homosexual marriage is running out of time and needs many volunteers.  Can you help?

As a church leader, you could make petitions available in your church for your people to sign.  It is important to keep in mind that this petition signature drive does not overturn the homosexual marriage law, it just gives Maine citizens the right to vote on it, something our legislators and Governor should have done in the first place.

Thank you and God richly bless you for your help.

Petitions are also available for individuals to collect signatures.  For anyone interested in getting petitions and the training on how to collect signatures, click [HERE].  You can also call the Catholic Diocese of Maine at (207) 773-6471.

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