Holy Week Tuesday

Jesus Cleanses the Temple – You are back in a noisy and crowded scene. We need to clear our minds of notions of ethical trading, these were not stalls that sold religious souvenirs or simply acted as a ‘bureau de change’. The selling of animals for sacrifices and the payment of Temple Tax, using the Tyrian shekel, were central to the function of the Temple. It was a very lucrative source of income for the Temple and the High Priests and open to abuse. It was this abuse within the Temple that angered Jesus.

You should also clear from your mind images of our cathedrals and cathedral worship and its quiet worship.

Make sure you are sitting comfortably, take a few deep breaths. A guide is to breath through your nose for the count of two, then breath out through your mouth for count of four.
Open yourself to the Gospel, experience the words, enter into the story and
read through the verses two or three times slowly.
Imagine you are just a few feet away from Jesus.
Imagine you are a witness to this event and the other events as the week unfolds.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he over turned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers.’
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. (Mark 11:15-18)

o You watch the scene unfold in front of you, there is a moment when the noise subsides then there is angry shouting.
o You see Jesus overturn the table, there was no mistaking his anger, he hated what was going on.
o Did you see people picking up money and animals and notice the look on their faces?
o Were you shocked by Jesus’ behaviour?
o Stop and think – why did Jesus pick this time? He had been to the Temple before, what was special about this time?
o How do you feel about having witnessed this scene?

Sit quietly for a while and thoughtfully reflect of this event, take your time and then pray the Lords Prayer followed by

Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship if the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen

Rev Derek Akker

Image by Antonio Garcia Prats from Pixabay