Passover was an incredibly lucrative time in Jerusalem. All adult Jewish males who lived within 24 kilometres of Jerusalem were required to make the journey to offer their sacrifices and pay their temple taxes. Those who lived further away were expected to make that journey at least once in their lifetime. All this seemed reasonable for people who wished to worship and honour God. Even
Jesus and his disciples had made the trip to take part.
But what angered Jesus was the corrupt system that had evolved around this practice.
Animals offered as sacrifices had to be cleared by temple inspectors, for a fee, to be without blemish. Animals sold in the temple courts seemed to be the only animals acceptable. These animals were sold at a substantially higher price
than those outside the temple courts. Furthermore, temple tax had to be paid in Galilean shekels, so money changers exchanged foreign currency at exorbitant rates. All of this happened under the banner of religion.
What Jesus saw was corruption on a grand scale, and those who suffered the most under this system were the poor and vulnerable. Jesus’ love for God’s children made it impossible for him to passively stand by and watch.
Perhaps as we look at this Gospel story in perspective, we need to be asking ourselves a few tough questions:
Is our world economy buckling under unfair practices?
Who controls exchange rates, imposes trade tariffs, and thus controls job markets and people’s sense of dignity? Who benefits? The poor?
Who protects the vulnerable
and the exploited?
As Christ’s temple, do we reflect this exclusive, cold, power-hungry thought process, or do we stand up with Jesus and say ENOUGH?
