“During the various religious feasts in which thousands of Jews traveled to Jerusalem, authorities allowed money changers and animal sellers inside the outer court of the temple. People bought animals to sacrifice, and they had to exchange foreign money for money acceptable to religious leaders.
These temple-sanctioned businesspeople were inside a place of worship. When people profane sacred things by trying to profit financially from them, they become dull and callous to the ways of God’s Spirit. The problem only compounds when they become ministry leaders.
The money changers were making it hard for common people to worship God. The outer court of the temple was full of bleating sheep and money changers. Jerusalem visitors had to exchange their money for the currency accepted by the temple priests. Everyone was focused on money…”
Carey Kinsolving in “Why did Jesus Drive the Money Changers out of the Temple?” in Kids Talk About God blogpost.
The temple cleansing as recounted in Matthew 21:12-17 and parallel passages comes into view today because many think it happened on Passion Week Monday. What would people say about the church you attend or the ministry you serve? Would they say: “All they want is money from me?”
May the Lord of the Temple convict and cleanse each of our hearts of any greedy motives through the power of the Holy Spirit so that we do not rob people of resources and the opportunity to pray and make offerings to Him as an act of worship.