WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: What is going on in the world that makes you angry? Perhaps Jesus shares your feelings. Pray for justice and righteousness to come. Trade in the Temple The two events here show a different side of Jesus’ character. Today we’ll focus on just one of them. Mark sandwiched events together so that one explained the other. Today we have one slice of bread (vs 12–14) and the filling (vs 15–19). The final slice comes later. Today we’ll concentrate on the filling and look at the bread tomorrow! The Temple in Jerusalem is central to these readings. Jesus has looked around it (v 11) but now he returns (v 15). What a return it is (vs 15,16)! But what was the problem? Worshippers needed to buy sacrifices – that trade had happened on the Mount of Olives for many years. Business outweighed worship However in AD 30 the Temple authorities allowed trading to take place in the Court of the Gentiles. The demands of business (the market?) outweighed those of worship. No wonder Jesus was angry. Where can we see that kind of tension today? For those with eyes to see, however, much more was going on. This episode could be seen as a prophetic protest, Jesus asserting his authority over the Temple. Even more, by quoting from the prophets (v 17; see Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11), Jesus could be seen as prophesying its impending destruction. No wonder the authorities were disturbed (v 18). Respond: Take some time to pray for your church. Ask God to show up any activities in your church which are getting in the way of true worship. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-11-13