Friday April 12

Matthew 21:1-17

Abby Matter

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written,‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;  but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Think of the last time you watched a parade, or perhaps the red carpet at the Oscars. This is like the entrance of Jesus into the Holy City. Jesus comes into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and is treated like royalty. People shout praise and lay their coats like a red carpet as he parades through the city.

Things quickly change, the temple becomes a marketplace, and Jesus drives people out. This is one of the only times that we see Jesus get angry. Jesus gets angry because those in the temple are treating it like a farmer’s market instead of a place of worship.

When I see injustice in our world, when I hear about victims of violence, when I learn about all of the hungry people in our city - I get angry!  Sometimes it is important to remember that getting angry is the correct response when people misuse what is truly God’s,which in this case was the temple.   It’s also important to remember that Jesus faced a lot of struggles and dealt with them calmly. Look to Jesus, he is the ultimate role model.

Questions for reflection:

• What in this world calls for getting angry?

• When is it important to remain calm and collected in the face of trouble?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to get fired up about important things in this world, and remind me to stay calm in the face of troubles. Amen.