Mark 11:15-19

It is not surprising that Jesus became indignant at the situation that prevailed in the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem.

In building the Temple, the Jews had made one of the few gestures of a universal outreach that is to be found in the Jewish faith of that day. It was solemnly decreed that no heathen unbeliever might set his foot within the sacred inner courts of the Temple, but on three sides of the Temple proper there had been bult an outer court which was known as the court of the Gentiles. In this portico, the rabbis and the scribes were to teach Gentile inquirers concerning the one true God.

For the sake of the revenue they could derive from it, the Temple authorities had turned the court of the Gentiles area over to traders and money-changers, who enjoyed a profitable business. Every Jew was required to pay his Temple tax each year about the time of the Passover. This tax had to be paid in a special coinage. Visitors from remote places were obligated to exchange their money for the recognized coinage. Likewise, visitors coming from afar needed to procure the animals that were to be used by them as sacrifices during the Passover season. To meet these demands, the merchants and the money-changers had set up their stalls and their tables in the area which had been designed for teaching Gentiles the truth of God.

As a result, there was constant confusion in the Temple area, quite out of keeping with an attitude of reverence and quite contrary to the purpose for which this area had been designated. In fact, the people generally had made the court of the Gentiles a common thoroughfare.

Fearless of the consequences, Jesus began to drive out the traders. He turned over the tables of the money-changers, and took over the Temple court, declaring, Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. (Mark 11:17). Jesus became angry because God's house of worship had become a place of extortion and a barrier to Gentiles who wanted to worship.

A significant thing about this episode is the effect that it had on the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus was publicly denouncing them for allowing such a condition to exist. He was questioning both their spiritual discernment and their religious authority. In response, they must have murmured to one another, Who does he think he is? By what authority does he set himself over us?

From that moment, the issue between Christ and the religious leaders of Jerusalem was clearly drawn. They must get rid of Jesus or lose their place of leadership in the eyes of the people (Mark 11:18). Jesus left the Temple to spend the night outside the city with the twelve (Mark 11:19)