covered with leaves, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it, he found
nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Then Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no
one ever eat your fruit!” And his disciples heard these words. When they reached Jerusalem, Jesus
went to the temple, and began to drive away all the people he saw buying and selling there. He
overturned the tables of the money changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons. And he would
not let anyone carry anything through the temple area. Jesus then taught the people, “Does not
God say in the Scriptures: My house will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations? But you have
turned it into a den of thieves.” The chief priests and the teachers of the Law heard of this, and they
tried to find a way to destroy him. They were afraid of him, because all the people were astonished by
his teaching. (...)
Reflection:
Sandwiched in between the episode of the fig tree is Jesus’ cleansing of
the Temple. He drove those who are buying and selling within its perimeters.
These are ordinary people trying to eke out a living. Most of them engaged
in unfair trade practices like inflating prices of their goods, low rates in
exchanging foreign currencies, and bribing the priests to declare most of the
offerings not bought from them as unfit. This in turn would force people to buy
their overpriced animals as offerings. Jesus may be angry at these. This unjust
economic set up in the very shadow of the Temple rendered the holy place a
den of thieves. Yet it is not only the outside of the Temple but the inside as well
that needs cleaning. For people sometimes go there to make a commercial
transaction with God. They will do something for God to oblige God to do something
for them. These commercial prayers persist until now. The cleansing of the Temple
must continue until our very day.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021