cleaning house

In Matthew 21, there is the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey, being proclaimed by a huge crowd of people, possibly numbering in the many thousands as the Messiah, the son of David. His entourage, however, wasn’t exactly made up of the cream of Israeli society. It was the rabble of Galilee, the downtrodden, past prostitutes, once beggars, people who had been healed from every sort of debilitating disease which had left them lying worthless at some city gate until Jesus had come along. He was attended by the homeless, the destitute, people once afflicted by demons who had now become clean. People who previously had no value to society were the ones whom he chose to attend his coronation.

And there standing on the steps of the temple were the chief priests and scribes, the religious leaders, indignant at the cries of the people. They were the epitome of righteousness and religious fervor. Who was this man that had risen outside of their ranks, without their approval, without attending their school of divinity? They scoffed at Him, His lack of pedigree and the mob of sinners that attended Him.

Jesus was the picture of humility. Riding into town upon this little beast of burden with the rabble throwing old clothes in his path certainly didn’t meet the expectation of the religious leaders that the Messiah would over throw the yoke of bondage of Rome and vanquish the enemies of Israel. No, Jesus was more concerned with religious reform than He was with social reform. He was more concerned about slavery to self and sin than He was worried about physical enslavement to government.

And so Jesus gets off this donkey and walks into the temple and begins to clean house – literally. He kicks over tables and drives out the vendors and the money changers. The Jews had taken what was supposed to be God’s house and made it into a money making business. Jesus said, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it a robber’s den.”

In just three or four days Jesus would be nailed to a cross. His anger and rebuke was the last warning to a religious system that had run amuck. I can’t help but wonder what Jesus would do if He were to ride up on his donkey to the front door of some churches today. Would He find a house of prayer? It’s noteworthy that Jesus had to remind the religious leaders that “It is written…” Would He find the church studying His word?

1Pe 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Before God sends a revival to the world, He must first have a revival in the church.