12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
13 “It is written,” he said to them, “`My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a `den of robbers.’ “

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
 

A. Robbers who entered God’s house

1. Temple merchants and pilgrims (12, 13)

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
13 “It is written,” he said to them, “`My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a `den of robbers.’ “

2. Chief priests and teachers of the law (15)

15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

B. Inhabitants of God’s house

1. The blind and lame (14)

 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

2. Children (16)

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “`From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’ ?”

Summary

Jesus taught us how a church should be when he took two contrasting actions in the temple, the center of religious life at the time. The church is one big family, made up of Jesus’ followers with Jesus as the head. In God’s house, people who use others for their own gain or judge others using the Bible are not inhabitants but trespassers.

For Discussion

1) Why did Jesus behave in such a violent manner?
2) What should Your Church strive to be?