Are there thieves inside your temple; the temple of you? Jesus cast money changers (thieves) from the temple in Mark 11. Not only that, he forbid carrying merchandise about. Something worth a ponder.

I wonder what the money-changers are inside my temple and what are they stealing from me? What merchandise am I carrying that has no place here?

Jesus went to the temple the day before casting out the money-changers just to look around. It was the next day that he called them thieves.

We assume dishonesty was the issue.  But history notes that money-changing was carefully regulated by the priests.  Interest wasn’t allowed however, a fee was assessed.  Were the rates too high? Is that what prompted Jesus to call them thieves?

To me, it doesn’t seem justified from that perspective. After all, in the parable of the wages, Jesus said the landowner had the right to pay whatever he offered and was agreed upon. So rates don’t seem to be a problem with Jesus as long as they are agreed upon.

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Therefore, why did he call them thieves?

Weren’t legitimate businesses able to charge whatever they choose?  Maybe the rates were exorbitant in the temple just as they are at a concert or fun park these days. And there were probably other money changers around who might have given a better deals if someone chose to compare rates. But that’s normal business.

So, I think He called them thieves for a completely different reason. I think it was because they were inside the temple.  He pointed out that it was a place of prayer.

In what way did that make a difference? Simply, a need to honor it? Maybe. But I see more. A place of prayer would be where people open their hearts and expose the deepest part of themselves.  They aren’t guarded like they would be in a business setting, i.e. a marketplace.

When people open their hearts without inhibition, they often want to give God everything that is theirs.  It’s that stance that puts the most distinct difference on the place, itself. It would be a place of extremely unfair advantage for business transactions.  Such a high degree of vulnerability in the customer would equate to stealing by the vendor. 

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Now, consider how this relates to our kingdom within. Our temple. What are the money-changers and how are they taking advantage here?

Our kingdom within according to scripture, relates to a few specific things. Father God is there, of course. And the O.T. describes various vessels or tools in the temple, made to facilitate worship. If you can relate the verses of Revelation 21 to your temple, then there are no tears, no darkness, no pain, and no death, only the spring of Life.

So, how do other things get within us? By our invitation? Or by our allowance?

Sometimes there might be worry and stress. Even a bit of fear of disease or death. Another could be confusions about decisions. Or heart-wrenching concerns over our nation, losing hold of traditional lifestyle, or inflation, or other political issues? And what about righteous causes and issues? Are they living there too? Should they be? They aren’t tools of worship and they aren’t embodied by our Father.

How often do they enter our kingdom… with our permission? Possibly even encouraged by our leaders. Consider a religious leader who could easily, even righteously, stir up a zealous passion within us toward a “cause”. Wouldn’t that be an unfair advantage?

Are we allowing “business” inside our temple? Wouldn’t that be stealing the peace from our kingdom?

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Jesus took another trip into the temple in Mark 11.  During this visit, he chatted with the priests, scribes, and elders about the subject of “Authority”.  He was somewhat elusive in this discussion, because, I believe he saw their lack of understanding of the Authority of Father God in this place. They hadn’t grown a relationship with Father so how would they know what Jesus meant when he spoke?

When I consider the things I allow to rent space inside my kingdom, I am appalled. None of the over-emotionalism about seemingly “righteous” causes were ever demonstrated by Jesus. And when I see it inside myself, I could, like Jesus, consider grabbing up a whip to drive a few things out.

The money-changers were doing the temple-goers a big favor in buying their animal and grain tithe. They turned it into money for the temple. It was a better form. So, their job wasn’t considered evil. It was actually a “nice” thing to do. Just as righteous “causes” generally are.

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Of all the “nice” things that vie for space inside me, which ones belong there? Which ones have authority there?

My kingdom, as is his Kingdom, is a holy place. It’s where we commune with him. And it’s where I live in paradise with him.

Ponder this. Se la.

Faith

“Stop trying to save the world …and save a few souls” – Jordan B Peterson, A Message to Christian Churches