45 Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” 47 And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, 48 but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.
Jesus' cleansing of the Temple follows his triumphal entry into Jerusalem where he is hailed as the Messiah. It marks the culmination of his public ministry. As he enters the Temple, Jesus confronts the corruption and commercialization of what was supposed to be the central place of worship for the Jewish people dedicated to worship and prayer. Parts of the Temple had become a marketplace where vendors sold animals for sacrifices and exchanged money, often at exploitative rates. Jesus quotes from Isaiah, "My house shall be a house of prayer (Is. 56:7)," which emphasizes that the Temple is meant to be a place of communion with God, and from Jerimiah, "den of thieves (Jer. 7:11)," who denounced the misuse of the Temple for personal gain, highlighting the corruption and dishonesty that had infiltrated the religious system.
Jesus resumed his daily teaching in the Temple, which was a direct challenge to the religious authorities because he was asserting his authority over the Temple. He was declaring that his interpretation of God's will superseded the authority of the religious leaders thus challenging the existing power structure. The chief priests and scribes saw him as a threat to their power and influence and sought ways to kill him. Despite their intentions to kill Jesus, they were unable to act because of his popularity among the people.
This act of cleansing was a prophetic gesture, recalling the actions of prophets like Jeremiah, who condemned the corruption of worship practices. By doing this, Jesus asserted his authority over the Temple and fulfilled the role of a prophet who called for true worship and justice.
Lord Jesus, cleanse our hearts as you cleansed the Temple, driving out all that separates us from true worship. Grant us the humility to recognize your authority in our lives and the courage to follow your teachings. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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