Day 2: Clearing the Temple

The ministry of Jesus was always edgy and slightly counter-cultural. This is nowhere more apparent than when Jesus clears out the market in the Temple. Read about it in Matthew 21:12-17; Mark  11:15-19; Luke19:45-48. This was a radical act by Jesus. He struck a blow at the very heart of Jewish religious life. The Temple was the center of Jewish spirituality, the one place where worship to God occurred.

By clearing the Temple, was Jesus condemning Judaism? No. He was condemning what Judaism had become, and the Jewish establishment that had allowed it to get to such a low point. No, it was not idolatry or blasphemy, not Baal worship or indecency that was going on. Rather, practicalities had crept in, obscuring and altering the purpose of the Temple. Some people were using the Temple courts as a shortcut through town. And a market had grown up in the courts to facilitate the worship services, selling the animals necessary for sacrifice and changing money used for offerings.

In some ways these practical additions were useful. For instance, when Joseph and Mary went to the Temple to present Jesus after his birth, they offered a pair of doves or pigeons. Where did they get those? Very possibly from the stalls near or in the Temple courts! Yet, the traffic and commerce in the Temple had gotten out of hand. It distracted from the real purpose of the Temple, the worship of God. Perhaps Jesus had gone there to teach in the Temple courts and couldn’t be heard over the loud noise of bustling and haggling! The focus on God was lost amid the clutter and busyness. The priests had not protected the Temple as a place of holiness and worship.

There is so much to do, so many demands on our time that practicalities have a way of overwhelming everything else. Have practicalities claimed your life and taken over your time? Is there any space or time left for deep worship?  We need both in our life: we need to deal with the practical concerns of daily life but we also need a zone of spirituality uncluttered from daily demands in which we can focus on God and the state of our own souls. Do you protect a zone of spirituality in your life untouched by the practical concerns of life?

Like Jesus we occasionally need to go in and “clear the Temple.” We must protect the zone of spirituality in our lives from the clutter that threatens to overwhelm it. Clear out a place in your home where you can focus on prayer. Clear out a time in your day when you push aside “practical” concerns to focus on God. Clear out a space in your mind and heart that you will keep free for worship and devotion to God. Holy Week, when we are preparing for Easter, is a great time to do this. Clear the Temple of your soul so Jesus can come in.