You are the New Temple

Mark 11:12–20 CSB

12 The next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard it. 15 They came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. 17 He was teaching them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!” 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was astonished by his teaching. 19 Whenever evening came, they would go out of the city. 20 Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.

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Temple

This was the house of God

The “Bayet”

This is where God resides in the minds of the people it is only here that God can be properly worshiped.

They had synagogues. Which were good for worship when you couldn’t make it to the Temple But only in the Temple could you make the sacrifices that the law demanded

So the temple is very important in the life of a Jew

Authority over the Temple and its revenues was vested in the High Priest and his aides. They are Sadducees not Pharisees

Sadducees don’t believe in such an ascetic life. A life of nothing. They fed well at the temple revenues. According to Josephus, Only a few years after Jesus’ death the priestly leaders seized all the tithes for themselves and some of the poorer priests were left to starve.

These Sadducees charged extortionate prices for the doves sold for the sacrifice. Their greed abused the purpose of the Temple.

It was also established that couldn’t use state money at the temple had to use temple money. Tokens at Chucky-Cheeses. Good way to rip people off.

Jesus came in and over turned tables. Driving out the money changers.

John tells us that he grabs a cord and makes a whip of it. To drive out these robbers. That might have been a separate event. Jesus may have done this a couple of times

Jesus Teaches from Isaiah

Isaiah 56:7 CSB

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and let them rejoice in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

My House shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. Instead you have made it a den of robbers. Not just polluted by stealing from those who came to worship but stolen the house of God for their own criminal home

This all equals a horrible scene But when we put it in relation to the fig tree which Mark has put in the story for a reason.

We modern readers might feel sorry for the tree. Just because it doesn't produce fruit at a time when it may or might not be in season (there are arguments over that one).

Is Jesus is just an ill tempered man in a bad mood over all that he sees is wrong?

Anger it self is not a sin. But often leads to sin thus we need to rid our selves of unrighteous anger and wrath

But the fig tree puts this story of the cleansing of the temple in a different light.

Was Jesus upset about all the wrong that was going on there, absolutely. But that is not all that is going on.

Jesus has been acclaimed as a prophet. Prophets do not simply make announcements. They act out their speech. This event is symbolic to teach that the glory days of the temple are coming to an end.

The temple was the central institution of religion, of politics, of economic life. It was the bank. Things are about to change. And the will about AD 70 the temple is destroyed.

Jesus knows that with His death the Temple will no longer be needed

You are the new temple

Unfortunately the church developed into the idea of the building in which the church meets. But the church is the body of believers and God lives with in us all

All who have ABC Have the HS living in them

They are the temple of God

1 Corinthians 6:19 CSB

19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Jesus blood sacrifice took care of the sacrifice system. We have is blood spilt for our sins we don’t need to sacrifice at the temple any more

His blood paid it all

But in response we live a live that is a living sacrifice to God. Living a life in accordance to his plan. Laying ourselves down at His feet.

But we don't treat ourselves as the Temple. We treat it like unclean. We treat it like evil. We treat it like its god. We treat it like it’s a way to make money. We treat it like its trash.

We treat it in a hundred different ways.

Do you treat it like a temple?

How would you treat a temple of God?

Does your idea of this make since with the idea of how you treat yourself

Love God and love the temple that he has chosen to live in don't make it less like the Jews did when they made it a house of robbers

Pray