Cleansing the Temple
Students may read Matthew 21:12-17
During Jesus’ final week of life, he went to the courtyard of the Jerusalem temple. The courtyard was filled with animals for sale and tables of money-changers. Jesus had seen this before, but this time he became filled with righteous indignation. And he took action. Before long, all evidence of buying and selling was gone. Then, Jesus quoted from the scriptures, saying, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Discussion Questions
The temple was supposed to be a beautiful and holy place. Why was it allowed to become the opposite of beauty and holiness? As we think about this story, we should remember that each of us is a temple of God. How can that be?
