Holy Week: Holy Monday

Jesus’ first “act” after entering Jerusalem happens the day after His arrival and He comes in with a bang. At this point in the story, Jesus has a significant following. For the three years leading up to this moment He has been laying a foundation for what the Kingdom of God looks like, what His Father cares about and more importantly, who His Father cares about. All the while, the teachers of the law and Pharisees are looking for an opportunity to trap Jesus, to catch Him. 

All comes to a head in Mark 11 when Jesus walks into the temple courts to find people buying and selling offerings, defiling it. After flipping tables, Jesus rebukes what is happening saying “Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). 

Two significant things take place at this moment. 1. Jesus reclaims His Father’s temple as His own, a prelude of what is to come. 2. The teachers of the law got the moment they’ve been looking for, Jesus disturbing the “peace,” so to speak. 

It could appear out of character for Jesus to react so severely after seeing story after story of His mercy and kindness, but His anger was righteous. Romans 1:18 puts it this way, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” What was meant to be a place where God’s people could connect with Him, worship Him and reconcile with Him had become a place where religious officials could make a profit off of the sins of the people, charging them for sacrifices. Its original purpose was perverted. Jesus’ anger reveals His devotion to His Father and His heart for His people. It was a moment of cleansing.

In reflecting on why Jesus would get so angry at what was taking place at the temple, it’s clear that the religious folks in Jesus’ day were often seen as barriers for others to meet the one, true God. This Monday of Holy Week, ask yourself…when you consider your life, would others say you are a bridge or a barrier to Jesus? It’s not an easy question to answer, but it is an important one.

Jesus cleansed the temple, as an act of both judgment and purification, a sign of things to come.