Matthew, Chapter 21

- מ נ ק -

Jesus Angrily Overturns Merchants’ Tables in the Temple

12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, 16And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.(Matthew 21:12-17)

Jesus enters the Temple but realizes that rather than serving as a sanctuary and house of prayer, the place is filled with stands of merchants and money traders profiteering from innocent pilgrims. Overcome by rage, he overturns the  stands and heals the sick and disabled. Many at the Temple proclaim that he is the “Messiah.” After these events, Jesus leaves Jerusalem and returns via the Mount of Olives to Bethany. Jesus believes that this holy place should be a sanctuary of prayer and kind deeds, not one of pointless rituals and material exploitation. He sees a reality of moral corruption. For the Pharisees, every holiday is just another opportunity to increase their wealth and honor. Jesus takes responsibility and implements the necessary transformations in the face of great risks. For Jesus, truth supersedes everything.

Stability is achieved when we remain constant in our spiritual work, regardless of the volatility and disorder surrounding us.