Friday 04 March 2011
- Bible Book:
- Mark
"Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and seats of those who sold doves, and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple." (vv. 15-16)
Background
This passage begins very simply by stating that Jesus and thedisciples came to Jerusalem and entered the temple. It is easy topass over the significance of these simple phrases.
The journey to Jerusalem from Jericho was not a simple one. Itinvolved a long, hard climb of nearly 4,000 feet through dry, dustyand rocky terrain. Those who have been to the Holy Land will have apicture of these conditions in their mind. Then, as travellersreach the summit of the Mount of Olives, there is the view ofJerusalem shimmering in the sunlight, the temple at itscentre.
For Jesus and his disciples there was both exhilaration at thesight of Israel's most holy place, and apprehension.
Then they entered the temple. It is hard for us to imagine onesingle place in our country and culture that holds the samesignificance as the temple did for the Jews. It was at the verycentre of their national life, worship and hope for the future. Itwas St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Houses ofParliament, the Old Bailey and the Bank of England and more allrolled into one.
Some commentators have explained the incident in the temple, ofJesus chasing away of the traders, as his condemnation of thecommercialisation of the temple. There may well be an element ofthat. However, the fact that the 'cleansing of the temple' issandwiched between the strange story of the fig tree should make usalert to that fact that there is more to the story than that.
Jesus' actions both with regard to the fig tree and the temple arestories of judgement. They are signs that the present order will bereplaced by the new life of the kingdom where power is wielded forthe benefit of all, especially the poor, and the where the elite donot laud it over others.
To Ponder
We are living in testing times, where issues offairness are very much at the forefront of public consciousness. IfJesus were physically alive today, where might he wish to go and'overturn the tables'?
As part of our discipleship, how might we asindividuals and as church communities, work to bring about afairer, more just and generous society?