Matthew 21:12-16 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"

When you read this story, you get the impression how angry Jesus was. He was outraged! His anger was directed towards the people who had made the temple a trading place. This people were more concerned about selling their extortionately expensive doves and animals to be used for sacrifices than about respecting the value of the temple.

Jesus always directs His attention towards the motives of our heart. The traders and the money changers did not have the intention to please God in their business. They just wanted to make quick money by deceiving the people who wanted to make a sacrifice with overpriced animals. From this story the question could be asked: “What would Jesus throw out in your life?” Watch out what your interior motives are! sw

Additional verses to study: Psalm 8; 139:23-24; Isaiah 56; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 16:13; John 2: 13-17; Romans 2:7-9; Hebrews 13:5