The Passionনমুনা

Jesus’ first point of business in Jerusalem was to do away with business dealings in the temple court. He “drove out all who sold and bought in the temple” (Matthew 21:12, ESV). For travellers arriving in Jerusalem for Passover, the changing of money and buying of sacrificial animals was a practical necessity to participate in sacrificial worship. Why does Jesus drive out the traders from the temple?

Perhaps He was objecting to the extortive prices being charged to the poor for a simple pigeon. Perhaps He was angry that the one place where the foreigner and sojourner could worship God (in the outer temple court) was being filled with the racket of bartering traders. Perhaps He was also rebuking the temple leaders, who allowed commerce to draw attention away from true worship and were willing to profit from the people’s pursuit of righteousness. Perhaps Jesus was challenging the whole sacrificial system, knowing that soon He would make the sacrifice that no longer required the blood of animals, and that the religious leaders would reject it in preference for the old ways of worship.

Jesus shows us that right worship of God means honouring the poor and vulnerable, who are near to His heart. It means being more concerned with directing our hearts’ affections to God, rather than fixating on profits and systems.

Today, ponder this: What are we allowing to get in the way of our worship? Are we fixated on financial security or success? Are we in any way complicit in disrespecting the poor and needy, creating barriers to them meeting Jesus? Do we worship God with our lips, but neglect our responsibility to our neighbours? Jesus is full of mercy and compassion. Let us confess our shortcomings and pray that He would shape our hearts to be more like His own.