Do the temples need cleaning?
Upvote:0
A key point here is where they were, although I certainly have my reservations about commercial activity at church (with the exception of really good books).
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:15-17 ESV
Jesus notes that the Temple was to be a house of prayer for ALL nations. It seems that they may have set up these tables in the court of the Gentiles--the outer court. Gentiles were permitted to come into this part of the Temple, but no further. The Jews were permitted to go further into an inner court, then only priests could go further, and then the High Priest alone could enter into the Holiest place, and that only once a year.
So, if this is correct, the fact that they set up tables in the court of the Gentiles turned what was to be a place where Gentiles could worship the true and living God into a marketplace.
From the very beginning, God's heart was for all the nations. Israel was chosen to be a light to all nations, that the whole world may know God. Jesus' anger demonstrates just how much God loves all nations. That the Jews were excluding the Gentiles from the worship of God by using the Court of the Gentiles as a market was what enraged Jesus so much.
Upvote:2
This story is told in all four of the gospels:
Matthew 21:12-13 (ESV)
12 And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”Mark 11:15-17 (ESV)
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”Luke 19:45-46 (ESV)
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
As you can see they all add the phrase "den of robbers", Jesus' focus was on the motives and heart of those doing the selling. In a place of prayer and worship they were taking advantage (and perhaps even worse) of worshipers. I don't know your pastors or the guest speakers you've had so it's impossible for me to tell you whether what they are doing is wrong or not, so I'd encourage you to talk with them (your pastors) about your concerns if you can.
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