Immediately following the party of the Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus' story turns slightly darker. Jesus enters the temple and sees injustice. People were making money by taking advantage of foreigners. Many foreigners arrived at the temple to worship without an animal to sacrifice, so they needed to buy doves. Well, thoses selling doves often sold them for rediculously high prices. In order to buy anything in the temple the foreigners needed to exchange foreign coins for temple coins. Well, those exchanging money often gypted people on the exchange rate. This made Jesus mad, mad enough to do something.
Do we get angry when we see injustice? I believe that what made Jesus most mad about this injustice was that it was being done in His dad's house. His father was being associated with crooks. In my humble opinion, I believe one of the things that makes Jesus most angry is when He or the other parts of the Trinity are misrepresented. We are often guilty of misrepresenting God.
Have you ever made a claim on God's behalf without knowing for sure that it is what God is saying? Remember, we are CHRISTians. We have the name of Chirst in our name. We are always representing Christ and we need to start acting like it because people associate our life-style with that of Christ.
Finally, I have a question. In verse 17 it says Jesus spent the night out of Jerusalem in Bethany. Why? Is there some importance to that verse that I don't grasp?
Anyway, remember that you are a representative of God. Act accordingly today.
Matt, this is what my study Bible says about Bethany:
ReplyDelete"Bethany, two miles east of Jerusalem and the home of Lazarus, was a frequent stopping place for Christ (Luke 10:38-42, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-35, John 12:1-8). With no other place was the human Christ so tenderly associated. Here also was manifested His divine power in the resurrection of Lazarus."
It appears that only a few significant stories came from this, but Jesus must have found it comforting with this being the home of his good friend Lazarus and then also Mary and Martha. It may have been a good place of comfort to Him while His time of death was drawing near.
If that's the case, I really think that's significant...because even though Jesus is God...this shows His human side. He wanted the comfort of His close friends while this burden became heavier and heavier. It helps to relate to our lives and encourages me that even Jesus needed reassurance.
Thanks. That makes sense... all I knew is that it wasn't a throwaway line. He doesn't inspire those.
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