MATTHEW 21:12-16
And Jesus entered the temple and drove
out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the
tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.
And He said to them, "It is
written My House shall be called a House of prayer but you are making it
robbers den."
And the blind and the lame came to Him
in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw
the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in
the temple "Hosanna the Son of David," they became indignant and said
to Him, "Do You hear what the children are saying?" And Jesus said to
them,
"Yes, have you never read, 'Out
of the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have ordained praise for
Yourself?'" (NASB)
INTRODUCTION
A little boy was saying his bedtime prayers with his
mother: “LORD, BLESS Mommy and Daddy, and God, GIVE ME A NEW BICYCLE!!!” Mom:
“God is not deaf,” son. Boy: “I know, Mom, but Grandma is in the next room, and
she is hard of hearing!”
BACKGROUND
The temple in Jerusalem was already rich with history.
There had been three temples on the same site. The first, Solomon’s glorious
temple, had been built in the tenth century B.C. and was destroyed in 586 B.C.
when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem. The second, Zerubbabel’s temple, was
much smaller than Solomon’s temple and had been built on the same site by the
exiles that had returned from captivity in the sixth century B.C. The second
temple, the one Jesus entered had been enlarged by Herod the Great.
Construction on this magnificent structure, much larger and more elaborate than
the others, was begun in 20 B.C. and may not have been completely finished
before the Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70 in response to a Jewish revolt.
In verse 12, what were the people selling and buying in the temple? People came to the temple in
Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, where Jewish sacrifices were only to be offered.
The high priest and his associates run the temple. All adult male Jews were
required to go to Jerusalem for three annual celebrations: Passover in late spring, the
Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) in the fall, and the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) in early summer. God had originally
instructed the people to bring sacrifices from their own flocks (Deut. 12:5-7).
However, the religious leadership had established four markets on the Mount of
Olives where such animals could be purchased. To put it in plain words, the
religious leaders were involved in black market. Some people did not bring
their own animals and so they had to buy one at the market. Even those who
brought their own, the priests would manage to find some fault with the animals
and therefore rendered them unacceptable for sacrifice (it was supposed to be
an animal without defect, Leviticus 1:2-3). Worshipers were then forced to buy
another animal. The priests and their sons were taking financial advantage of
the people in an economic move that surely lined many pockets and enriched the
temple coffers.
The high
priest had authorized a market to be set up right in the Court of the Gentiles,
which was a huge outer court of the temple. The Court of the Gentiles was the
only place Gentile converts to Judaism could worship. They could not go further
into the temple, because they were not “pure” Jews. However, the market has
taken the place of the Gentile Court so that those who had traveled from long
distances found it impossible to worship. This lack of worship atmosphere did
not seem to bother the religious establishment who were making lots of money at
the expense of the worshipers.
The moneychangers exchanged
all international currency for the special coins—the only money the merchants
would accept. The moneychangers did big business during Passover with those who
came from foreign countries to worship in Jerusalem. The inflated exchange rate
often enriched the moneychangers, and the exorbitant prices of animals made the
merchants wealthy. The moneychangers also exchanged Hebrew shekels for the
Roman drachmas for the temple tax. Because the drachmas had the stamped image
of Caesar, who was an idol worshiper on them, the Jews considered the money a
blasphemy to God.
The poor people who did not have enough money to buy the
big animals bought doves for their
sacrifice. Doves were also sacrificed for the cleansing of women and lepers
(Lev. 12:6; 14:22). Imagine moneyboxes spilling and clattering across the floor
as doves escaped from their overturned cages and scattered above the crowd.
Jesus became angry because God’s house of worship had become a place of
extortion and a barrier to Gentiles who wanted to worship.
I.
A HOUSE OF PURITY V. 12
Many people including liberal theologians have accused
Jesus of a violent behavior because of this event, which took place in the
temple. These critics are wrong because they do not have any clue to the
background of this passage. Jesus took this drastic measure, because both those
who bought and those who sold were going against God’s command regarding the sacrifices.
Jesus drove them out. This is the second time that Jesus cleared the temple
(see John 2:13-17).
The action of Jesus as chronicled by
Matthew in this text was part of the reason the religious leaders masterminded
the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus has come to Jerusalem to observe the
Passover, and surely, this will be His last Passover.
The
house of the Lord, which should be a place of purity, has become a place of
merchandise. The house of the Lord, which should be a place of worship, has
become a black market center. The situation has not even changed today. There
are some churches where people carry their illicit drug business. Some hide
cocaine and other illegal drugs in the house of God. There are some people, who
join churches not because they want to worship the Lord, but because they want
to use the sanctuary as an outlet to promote their business. Some people have
entered into the gospel ministry not because the Lord has called them, but
because they think it is the easiest way to amass wealth. Therefore, today when
you go to some churches the gospel is not preached. People have to pay
consultation fees to see the pastor for prayer, healing, traveling documents,
marriage, and the promotion of their business. They have changed the purpose of
the call and work of God into selfish personal financial gain. The extortion
prices for doves exacerbated the plight of the poor. The poor people could no
longer come to the temple to worship and sacrifice their offerings to the Lord.
A similar thing is going on in some churches today that poor people cannot
attend services in these churches. There are some churches where the rich
people have their own special seats. In such places, poor people are not
welcomed. There is no written rule that the poor people are not welcomed, but
the reception the poor receive in such places speaks for itself.
There are some churches where members
and visitors cannot wear the same clothes or dresses for two consecutive
Sundays. Those who wear them are given names. While I cannot bar you from
wearing new clothes and dresses every Sunday, I do not want to hear any name
calling in this church because a person cannot afford them. We do not come here
to show our suits and dresses. We come here to worship the Lord because of what
He has done for us and in us.
The action of Jesus in driving out and
turning over the tables of those who were selling and buying also has a
spiritual application for us today. What corruption has been going on in your
life? Are you involved in pornography on the Internet or any kind of
pornography? Are you involved in some sort of illegal relationship? Are you
involved in drugs, using them either yourselves or trafficking them? Are you
involved in some smuggling? Are you involved in any credit card fraud? Are you
involved in any secret sins? You might have said to yourself, “nobody knows
this secret.” You are mistaken, because Jesus knows everything that you are
doing. He wants you to get rid of them and turn to Him for help. However, if
you persist in that sin, one day the Lord will blow your cover, He will expose
you for who you really are and your shame will become public knowledge. You see
the black market and the deception of the priests and their sons were not a
one-time event. It had gone on for several years before Jesus exposed them. Sin
does not just happen, it takes weeks, months, and years, and if you do not do
something about it, it becomes a disaster (James 1:13-15).
When you come to the house of God to
worship, your whole mind and heart should be focused on Jesus Christ. The house
of God is not a place to promote or transact business, whether legitimate or
illegitimate. Christians must allow ourselves to be cleansed from any
defilement of sin. You are to desist from any unwholesome act, such as
smuggling, gambling, bribery, or black marketing (Exodus 23:1-8). Every
Christian must live a life of purity. The Bible says, your body is the temple
of the Lord (1 Cor. 6:19). Without purity, you cannot see God (Psalm 51:10;
Matt. 5:8; 1 John 3:2-3).
II. A HOUSE OF
PRAYER V. 13
Obviously, Jesus’ actions stunned the
many people, who had crowded into the temple area and probably drew spectators
from both inside and outside. Jesus chose this opportunity to teach some
spiritual truth. He quoted from Isaiah 56:7 and used it to explain God’s
purpose for the temple. God’s house was meant to be a house of prayer, but the merchants and moneychangers were using it
for other purposes. This was an indictment on Jerusalem and the corrupt system
that governed the temple. The temple was meant to be a place of spiritual
worship, but the Jewish leaders had allowed it to become a market where
extortion took place. Jesus’ indictment of the religious leaders is quite
revealing. What He is saying is that no organized band of robbers along the
treacherous stretch of road leading from Jericho to Jerusalem could possibly
match the robbery that is going on in the temple. The merchants have turned the
temple into their den. This was a
horrible desecration. Anyone who enters the gospel ministry or the church for
that matter with the intention to deceive or extort people of their money is
worse than an armed robber. No wonder Jesus was angry. Today, some people with
dubious practices and ulterior motives have invaded the church. I have great
concern for those of you who claim to be Christians but robbing God in tithes
and offerings (Malachi 3:8-10). If you use what belongs to God for yourself,
you are robbing God. Jesus said, “It is
written, My house shall be called a house of prayer.” This new building in
which we worship is a house of prayer. Therefore, we are to spend most of our
time here praying than arguing or criticizing others. The success of the early
church was their devotion to both the Word of God and prayer. Prayer changes
things. Prayer can turn a coward into a bold person. Prayer can set those who
are under the bondage of the devil free. Prayer can make a big difference in
your life. Where human efforts and persuasion have failed, prayer can make a
change. Prayer will revolutionize your life; it will set you on fire for
Christ. A praying church will stop sinning. A sinning church will stop praying.
A praying church will thrive, but a prayerless church will die. Constant prayer
will move the hand of God to act in this church. How much time do you devote to
prayer? The temple of God was not fulfilling its God-ordained role as witness
to the nations but had become a center of corruption and deception.
III. A HOUSE OF POWER V. 14
It
was significant that the blind and the lame came to Jesus in the temple. Before
the ministry of Jesus, the blind and the lame were barred from the temple.
Their exclusion from the temple was based on laws stemming from 2 Samuel 5:8.
However, with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Himself welcomed them in the
temple, and healed them, for He Himself was greater than the temple (Matt.
12:6). In this miraculous act, Jesus was saying, the Messianic Age has dawned
(Isaiah 35:5). When the church reclaims its purity, becomes a house of prayer,
then, the power of God can be released in people’s lives. When Jesus took care
of the corruption in the temple, supernatural healing occurred in people’s
life. Could you imagine the joy that flooded the temple when the healing took
place? This physical healing had spiritual application. This miracle means that
Jesus alone can heal you of your spiritual blindness. He alone can remove your
chronic spiritual deformities. Jesus has brought hope of forgiveness, healing
and restoration both physically and spiritually. Jesus wants to release His
power on His church but the church must remove everything that hinders the
power of God.
Perhaps you want to see a breakthrough
in your life, marriage, family, business, or career. Have you gotten rid of
anything that inhibits the power of God in your life? Jesus comes not just to
occupy your life, but also to take over completely. I want to warn you that
when Jesus restores power in the church and the church begins to thrive, there
will always be opposition. This brings me to the final point in this message.
IV. A HOUSE OF PRAISE VV. 15-16
When Jesus exposed the sinful
practices of the religious leaders, they resorted to criticism and the blame
game. These spiritually impotent leaders began to blame Jesus of noise and
pandemonium from the children in the temple. Their question indicated that they
objected to the concept of Jesus as “the Son of David.” They knew the
meaning and implication of that term, but they did not want to submit to Jesus’
authority and power. Have you noticed that always those who are not right with
God are the ones who criticize the work of God? Instead of criticizing the man
or woman of God, ask God for forgiveness and let Him have His own way in your
life. Those who are out of fellowship with God are quick to find fault with the
man or woman of God who is walking in the Spirit. Jesus rebuked them by quoting
from Psalm 8:2. The innocent praise of the children glorified Jesus.
God inhabits the praise of His people.
This Palm Sunday are you going to join the children in praising Jesus Christ,
or are you going to be with the religious and corrupt leaders who are
protesting and finding fault with Christ? The choice is yours to make.
*If
the messages from this blog have been a blessing to you and you want to
give to support this ministry, you can write your check to:
KENADARKWA LLC
Kennedy A. Adarkwa, PhD
6402 Redding Court
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KENADARKWA LLC
Kennedy A. Adarkwa, PhD
6402 Redding Court
Arlington, TX 76001
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