Matthew 21:12-14
‘And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a DEN OF ROBBERS.” And those who were blind and those who limped came to Him in the temple area, and He healed them.’
The two contrasting uses for the temple are set side by side in these three verses. Man uses it for greed and profit while God uses it to meet people and healing. Man had been in charge of things in Jerusalem for a while. They had governed the temple, but also had the law and written explanations which were contrary to God’s intentions. Much of Jesus’ interactions with the religious rulers had them challenging Him about that. Here is a sample, “Why do You heal on the sabbath”, “Why do Your disciples pick grain on the sabbath?”, “Why does your Teacher associate with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus loved everyone. However, He was harsh with the religious rulers. Yes, He did love them, but they were teaching wrong content and keeping people from God. Matthew 23:15 says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” They aren’t drawing others closer to God, but the exact opposite. Luke 17:1,2 has Jesus giving a warning to those that lead others astray, ‘Now He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin.”‘
James gives a warning about the responsibility of those that would become teachers in his book, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly”, (3:1). The pharisees are the best example. Granted, they were way off the mark. That’s why churches have boards and accountability systems.
The beatitudes are good guardrails. They reveal much about God and His values. They are surprising. No one who doesn’t know God would have predicted them to be His values. Here are some of them, “Blessed are those who are poor in spirit”, “Blessed are they that mourn”, “Blessed are the meek”, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”, “Blessed are the merciful”, (Matthew 5).
2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test?” The evidence for God being in our lives is His fruit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control”, (Galatians 5). We also receive His guidance.
A problem is if we say no to God, we open ourselves up for deception. We become dull of hearing. It doesn’t mean we are lost, but we lose some sensitivity. Those who don’t follow God have bent logic. They are confident, but wrong. The pharisees were so self assured as they went about being at war with God.
Lord, help us to be open to You and Your ways. Help us to adopt the beatitudes. Help us to like Christ who ministered and healed.