On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “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.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

In the United States, we are living in a transformational time in our country. Specifically, we have people auditing the government and eliminating waste. Waste is what we throw out as unuseful and unhelpful in supporting our households. And in the government, billions of dollars of waste have been found. Regardless of politics or passions, taking money from a populous who hired you and spending it on wasteful things is not good.

The interesting thing is … I think many people in our country have known about this waste for a long time. And we might have different responses: 1) Some tried to curry the favor of those in power to get their share of the spending on wasteful things, 2) Some just looked the other way and ignored the wasteful spending, hoping it would not have a big impact and it would eventually go away by itself, 3) Some recognized it and spoke out, but had little personal power to impact it, and 4) Finally some saw it, and having skills and abilities and power, they have attacked this wasteful spending to eradicate it and spend money in an honorable way. To use the money collected by the populous to directly benefit the populous.

Jesus was entering the Temple of the Jews. He was entering the place built to worship God and give him glory and honor. And they were dishonoring God with their wicked activities. They were selling and profiting off of the worship of God. They were conducting commerce in the middle of people praying. They were taking advantage of the spiritual requirements to sacrifice and getting rich off of it. How spiritually wasteful, to do these things in place of worshipping God with a pure heart.

I can see it now, those who curried favor with the Pharisees gained access to the most prominent tables to sell their sacrificial goods. Those who spoke out against them could not sell in the temple. Some were promoted. Maybe they hung signs with their logos up at the temple?

This infuriated Jesus because the hungry, the poor, the destitute were not being prayed for and cared for, they were being passed by for the almighty dollar (or gold coin). Along with disobedience, greed had entered the Temple. Jesus drove it out. He cleaned house.

What do I rob God of in my life? He has given me his Holy Spirit in my heart. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (I Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬) And since my body is a temple according to this verse, I must not let waste and sin grow in my heart. I must allow Jesus to clean it out and restore a right relationship
with God.

Lord, I repent of the waste I have let take over parts of your temple, my body. I want to be holy and loving to you and full of your truth and hope. Clean me out and purify my heart, I pray. Keep me fully dedicated to your work and your ways!