Monday of Holy Week

Mark 11:15-19

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

The echoes of yesterday’s “Hosanna to the Son of David” are dying in the streets.

But the people are still riding high.

Especially Judas Iscariot and the followers of Jesus.

Finally, Jesus was acting like the Messiah, the Son of David, the royal heir to the throne.

Just as King David was a warlord, defender of the people of Israel and Judah, everyone expected Jesus to be the same.

They wanted freedom from Roman oppression.

Jesus was to redeem them from bondage--all of pieces fit, all of the prophecies had come true.  And now it seemed like it was all going to happen.

And so, that day after the Rally, when Jesus went to the temple, everyone was watching to see what he would do.

Jesus saw the corruption, the defilement of God’s house, and anger flowed through him.

He turned the tables.

He dashed the vessels of oil and money.

He broke the cages of the sacrificial animals.

Pandemonium.

YES!!!

It had begun.

Jesus was roused.

He had been on edge all day.

Earlier he cursed a fig tree because it did not bear any fruit (Mark 11:12-14).

The tree had withered on the spot.

The disciples tensed, ready.

Judas started to use the money he had hidden away to buy swords for the coming battle. 

The priests, Pharisees and Scribes were enraged and, inwardly, scared.

Herod laughed...he loved to see rebellions squashed, loved to see blood.

Pontius Pilate turned his head, annoyed by some Galilean fly pretending to be a governor.

But when the dust settled in the Temple that day, these people did not see Jesus standing triumphantly in shining armor.

He stood there tired and sad, weeping for Jerusalem.

There would be no more violence, not from Him.

They had all misunderstood once again.

Misunderstood his words, his actions, and his emotions.

They still wanted violence, thinking that was the road to victory.

God would, indeed, be victorious.

Christ would conquer all, and put everything under his feet.

But no one could imagine how.

He would be lifted up so that everything would be subjected under his feet.

And even as it was happening, no one would see...because it would all happen in darkness...

They were turning out the Light.

And the means of God’s victory would not dawn on humanity until...

“The light is with you for a little longer.  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.  If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going.  While you have the light, believe the light, so that you may become children of light.”   (John 12:35-36)