(Mark 11:15-19)
15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all the crowd was astonished at His teaching.19 And whenever evening came, they would leave the city.
TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:
It wasn't wrong for anyone to sell what was necessary for making sacrifices, but it was wrong to be carrying out this business inside the temple itself. And perhaps, some of the sellers were making too large of a profit margin. For instance, for certain sacrifices, if and when people couldn't afford a larger animal, it was fully acceptable to God that they sacrifice a dove.
God was and is very practical in His expectations. Take tithing, for example. At the very least, only ten percent of one's income is expected. And understand that ten percent of nothing- is nothing. It is all about giving of the "first fruits" of all that God has given to us. This is a physical act of sacrifice, demonstrating our faith and trust in God, that He will provide. God even tells us to test Him in this.
God is not only faithful, reasonable, practical, and generous, but let's remember that He is love. Take notice in verse 17, Jesus claims that His house is to be called a house of prayer FOR ALL THE NATIONS!. Not just for the Jews.
Remember, within the Abrahamic covenant, God promised that through their seed (descendants)- all nations would be blessed! How so? To replace the symbolic animal sacrificial system which temporarily covered people's sins, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came in flesh to be the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin. He went to the cross to pay for all sins, of all time, for all people. He is our ultimate example of unconditional, sacrificial love!
