Mark 11: 15-19…..Now, that sounds important.

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “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 the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.

Comment: So many think that Jesus fits into the ‘namby-pamby’, kindergarten, little kids’ type of person. Here we see the real ‘gutsy, manly ‘ character of Jesus. The business people, whether they were religious or secular, had made the entrance into the temple the centre of a major money making project, which enabled them to rip off the worshippers buying from the worshippers, cheaply, the sacrifices. Sacrifices which they claimed were not up to the standard God required and selling, at great profit, those which they had somehow obtained and declared worthy! This MAN, JESUS, overthrew their money tables, released the pigeons, and stopped the flow of traffic through that area. Truly a man of great character! And He shouted above their objections and the ensuing clamour the true purpose of the temple – A Place of Prayer not profit!

Prayer: Put Your finger, Lord Jesus, on the things which displease You in me, and give me the strength the change!