Holy Monday 11am

Monday

11am  

Turning the tables

They came to Jerusalem and Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, ‘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.’  And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching (Mark 11: 15-18)

 

It was in the outer courts that the selling would be done and the money-changing and the business.  Holy places tend to attract that kind of thing, but here it was not simply the first-century equivalent of the selling of postcards, but selling access to God and fleecing those who wished to make their offering.