The Road to Easter: What Was Jesus Thinking?
(NIV)John 2:13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (Some translations say den of thieves.)
I can remember the first time I heard of this event. I was probably eight or nine and we went with our friends to their Vacation Bible School.
This particular VBS showed a film of Jesus overturning the tables and He was angry! So I went home and told Mama we saw the worst thing ever. The story we just learned could not be true.
Well, Mama assured me that Jesus had, indeed, put an end to men buying and selling in the Temple. At least for that day. But why?
Since people traveled long distances to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, they did not carry the required sacrifices with them. Instead, they bought them in the outer courts of the temple.
Here is the problem. Those needing to make their purchase used different currencies, so, exchange tables were set up and exorbitant fees were charged for the services.
When Jesus overturned the tables, He did not just upset a few business men. The Pharisees were also angry because Jesus was cutting into their profits. More importantly, Jesus was upending the social order and the Pharisees valued order almost as much as money.
As we meditate on these verses, perhaps we could consider if there are “tables” in our own lives that need to be overturned.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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