Temper in the Temple - Jesus Righteous Anger
Just one day after Jesus’ Triumphant
Entry into Jerusalem, we find Jesus suffering with more than just a 'Case of the Mondays'.
On this particular Monday, he enters the Temple, and he finds God's House of Worship reduced to a first-century Holy Land mini-mall.
Of course, my cartoonist brain has imagined and illustrated in living ‘Crayola-Color’ a few of these temple ne'er-do-wells from my Back Pew perspective.
There were the Temple …
Money Changers / ATMs!? (with a $5 service charge per transaction!)
BirdSalesman, (for the ‘temple-goer’ looking for just the right bird to sacrifice.)
Slinky and Pet Rocks(the gift for the easily amused temple-goer), and a…
Bible Bobblehead vendor - (a special on the Great Men of God collection),
So, outraged at the merchants of greed in the Temple, Jesus overturned the merchant tables and chased them out into the street, where they no longer compromised the Temple's purpose while declaring
The Gospels record Jesus’ words at this time. “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.’” Matthew 21:13
So after spending the night in Bethany, Jesus heads back to the city and sees a fig tree, but it has no fruit. I imagine still disturbed over this Temple mess. He was not amused by this 'fig-free-fig-tree,' and so Jesus cursed this tree, “May you NEVER bear fruit, and it immediately withered. The disciples took note of this, and an inter-office-disciple memo circulated between the twelve that simply said…
Note: Do not make Jesus mad.
Jesus, fully God, fully man (He 2:17)
I cannot fathom Jesus’ mindset, of course. But I believe Jesus experienced the elation of his triumphant entry that first Palm Sunday, all while knowing that would happen over the next week. While his crucifixion and resurrection later this week shocked his disciples, this was all a part of the Father's Gospel Plan of Salvation for mankind (see Isaiah 53).
Side Note: If I were Isaiah and had just finished writing Isaiah 53, I would.. DROP THE MIC!
So, Jesus, knowing what this week would bring, the shameful conduct in the Temple, and the fig tree bore no fruit were the realities of this sinful and broken world just one day removed from that first Palm Sunday celebration.
Holy week is …
one of those times when my silly cartoon images feel out of place as a medium for communicating God's Heart and His truth. My prayer is that these sketches and comments convey the absurdity of man when compared to what is Holy, and NEVER distract from the message of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
May God find us faithful while living in a world of barren fig trees and churches whose tables need flipping. In all things to God be the Glory. And may God bless and speak to you this Holy Week with Faith, Family, and Friends.
Blessings
Jeff
