Disruption and Teaching
Tuesday, April 15
Disruption and Teaching
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. Matthew 21:12
Holy Monday and Tuesday mark the days following Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem — and the tone shifts quickly. After being welcomed with shouts of “Hosanna!”, Jesus walks into the temple and causes a scene. He flips tables and expectations. He confronts corruption head-on, and in doing so, reveals a side of His character that might have shocked even His closest followers.
Imagine being one of the disciples. They hadn’t been with Him long, and up until that point, most of what they’d seen were quiet moments of healing, forgiveness, and compassion. Suddenly, Jesus is flipping over tables and driving out merchants with a whip. They likely felt confused — maybe even embarrassed.
And yet, Jesus wasn’t out of control. He was completely in tune with the heart of the Father. What the disciples witnessed that day wasn’t a tantrum — it was righteous anger.
Why was Jesus so upset? Because the temple, God’s house, had become a marketplace. Travelers had come to worship during Passover and were being taken advantage of by dishonest money changers and sellers. People were using religion as a business. They were profiting off the sacred, exploiting others in the name of God. And Jesus would not stand for it.
If there had been front-page newspapers or social media in that day, they would’ve had a field day with the headline: “Man Causes Chaos in Temple Courts!”
Jesus stood up for the holiness of His Father’s house. He stood against injustice, greed, and hypocrisy. And He calls us to do the same.
It’s possible the disciples even wrestled with their own anger — maybe at the disruption, maybe at Jesus Himself. But what they didn’t yet understand was that true discipleship means following Jesus into uncomfortable places — even when it means standing apart from the crowd.
Prayer for today: Lord, cleanse the places in me that have grown cluttered or distracted. Teach me to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind — and to love others as You do.