A Holy Week Devotional, Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By Paul Steiner, Senior Pastor, Tree of Life Church

Tuesday, March 26

Matthew 21:12-13

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.“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.’”

When Making Money was a Higher Priority than Prayer

By Paul Steiner

JESUS DESTROYED PROPERTY IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE!

I read several articles with that sentiment in the summer of 2020. As cities suffered riots, entrepreneurs saw their dreams destroyed and families lived in fear, well-meaning Christian writers “baptized” the riots into Christ. It was difficult to read. Further, it was difficult for me to refute at that time. I was left wondering if “doing what Jesus did” means we too have the right to destroy businesses in the name of justice.

Quick answer, we don’t. Jesus never invited the disciples to join him that day in the outer court of the temple. That is important to remember. And the other times we see the disciples turn to violence Jesus rebukes them. For example, when Peter tries to kill Malchus and ends up cutting off his ear, Jesus gives Peter a rebuke and heals the ear (Luke 22:49-51). When the disciples asked if they could call down fire on a city that had rejected Jesus, he rebuked them sternly. But if Jesus rebuked his disciples, why did he enter the temple and flip tables?

One reason given in scripture is that those doing business at the temple were thieves stealing from the spiritual pilgrims coming into Jerusalem for the Passover festival. According to the Law of Moses, each pilgrim was required to pay a temple tax worth about two days wages for the purpose of upkeep and managing of the Temple. This wasn’t part of their sacrifices, but a separate obligation. To pay the tax pilgrims had to use temple currency that did not have an image of the emperor or any other god stamped upon it. When Jesus went into the temple that day he was challenging the money changers who were charging exorbitant fees that pilgrims had no choice but to pay. What he did wasn’t going to end their practice, but he was taking a stand against it.

In addition, Jesus knew that the High Priest and his family were complicit in the corruption. In one sense, it was as if the mafia was running the temple to make money wherever they could and sending out enforcers for those who would cause trouble. And sure enough, those enforcers came for Jesus a few days later.

Another reason given in the scriptures for Jesus’ action is connected to prayer. Jesus rightfully claimed that the temple is His Father’s house and as the Son of the house, he can and should restore it to its rightful purpose. Not that prayer wasn’t happening at the temple because of the merchants and moneychangers. But overt racism had made it so the outer courts that were reserved for non-Jews to pray had become a marketplace. How incredibly significant it is that Jesus would go to great lengths to state that the non-Jews had a right to a place of prayer just as the Jews did.

And this is the thought I’d like us to consider: Jesus was willing to turn over tables to restore an area for prayer. It mattered so much to him that he was willing to take on new enemies to make his stand. Prayer and a place to pray are a priority for Him. They’re not an afterthought and they shouldn’t be shoved to the side.

In my own life, I’ve had seasons when making money was a higher priority than prayer. I know prayer matters, but there is money to be made today. Which makes me more like those in charge of the temple than I’d like to admit. And so I’m once again confronted by the scriptures to reflect, repent, and change. Prayer is the priority and it should never be set aside for profit.

My prayer for myself and you:

Lord help me to recognize when my priorities are askew. Help me to recognize the priority of prayer for myself and to preserve its value in my life.