GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 11:15
Merchants in the Templet
Religion in the United States has become a vast business enterprise. Huge auditoriums house thousands of worshippers, massive television productions reach millions of viewers, and giant publishing operations disseminate countless books and materials. None of this is inherently wrong, but it does raise a question: how does this trend compare with the life and ministry of the early Christians? Many prominent religious leaders have amassed multimillion-dollar fortunes, enjoying palatial homes, private planes, and opulent lifestyles. There is no doubt that they maintain grueling schedules and work diligently. At the same time, many of these leaders manage extensive philanthropic portfolios, supporting disaster relief, education, and healthcare.
In Jerusalem, the outer court of the temple—the Court of the Gentiles, the one place where anyone could come to worship and pray—had been transformed into a marketplace. Merchants exchanged currency for the coins acceptable in the temple at a profitable rate, while others sold pigeons for ritual use. Some scholars believe these merchants rented their spaces from temple officials—the high priest and his family—giving them a share of the profits. With buyers and sellers alike, the outer court would have buzzed with the chaotic energy of a marketplace. Describing Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem, Mark writes: “And they came into Jerusalem. And when he entered into the temple, he began to throw out those selling and those buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.” (Mark 11:15)
Jesus’ wrath may have been kindled by the exploitation of pilgrims, who were treated not as worshippers or even as human beings, but as objects to be exploited. Or perhaps his anger was directed at the desecration of God’s holy place—a space where one should sense the Father’s presence. Pilgrims arriving at the temple in search of God were instead surrounded by sellers whose sole aim was to extract the highest possible price, arguing with the pilgrims with equal fervor. The result must have been a noisy and unholy uproar.
Anyone reading this story today would do well to ensure that his or her worship of the Father is not derailed by the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.
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