Previously, on Holy Week: Jesus rides into Jerusalem in what, to the Jews of the day, would be a clearly Messianic fashion . . . on the back of a donkey. Huge crowds gathered and welcomed Him shouting, "Hosanna, Save Us, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord . . ." Jesus went straight to the temple and confronted those who were making obscene profits in the name of God by selling sacrificial animals to travelers and the poor. He destroyed their kiosks and drove them out of the temple court with a rope whip, charging that they had turned His house of prayer into a robbers' den. .(See prior two posts for complete episodes, or better yet, get out your Bible and read it). Now to today's episode.
Like any good kindergarten teacher, Jesus knew that before He could be heard, it was necessary to get the attention of those to be taught. After putting the temple dove vendors out of business, he turned his attention to others in the courtyard. There were many in need. He healed the blind and lame. Their numbers grew as they marveled at what Jesus was doing, and to whom. Jesus left no doubt He was doing all these things as the Messiah, the son of God.
So all eyes and ears were on Jesus as He challenged the authority and actions of the religious leaders in the temple, the Pharisees and the Saducees, while at the same time giving importance and assistance to the poor, sick, and outcast.
This kind of thing was simply not done. The dove vendor kiosks were not the only thing Jesus turned upside down. Everything the temple goers knew was suddenly topsy-turvy.
Jesus life was in danger. Religious authorities conspired to find a way to destroy Him before He destroyed their way of life. But they had to be subtle. They were men of God, after all. So, like hunters stalking a wily prey, they spent the next few days setting theological traps for Jesus so that he could be charged under religious law.
There are a lifetime of lessons to learn from Jesus' few days in the temple courtyard. It was if Jesus was desperate to say all the things he wanted us to know in the space of a couple of days. But perhaps the most obvious is that you cannot win an argument with the guy. We can come up with the most clever questions for Jesus to justify ourselves, our actions, our petitions.
And then He answers us with one of those darn questions.
Should we pay taxes to Caesar? Whose picture is on the coin?
Who gives you the authority to say these things? Was the baptism of John from man or God?
If a woman marries several brothers in succession after each dies, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
Is this not why you are wrong, that you do not know the scriptures or the power of God?
The religious leaders failed miserably in their efforts to trap Jesus. The dialogues only revealed the truth about who they were, and who He was. And the huge crowds in the courtyard heard or heard about it all. It only made leaders more fearful, and more angry.
Then Jesus began to tell parables. He told of tenants who had been entrusted with a vineyard, but had murdered the owner's servants and son instead. He told of well to do folks who had been invited to a wedding feast by the master but did not RSVP nor did they come, so the invitations were sent to ordinary street folk. Story after story, dialogue after dialogue, Jesus' condemned the actions and failures of the status quo religious structure in carrying out the will of God and elevated the powerless.
And then he said it out loud. Many times. In different direct ways. But a couple of the briefest and most pointed were,
"Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."
and
"Beware the scribes, who go about in long robes, and love to have salutations in the market places,and the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Theirs will be the greater condemnation."
And then he heard a sound. The clank of a small coin being dropped against stone. At first all He could see were apparently rich people, dressed in their finery and enlarged phylacteries, proudly placing large sums into the temple treasury. But then he saw the source of the sound that got His attention . . . a poor widow who had dropped two small copper coins into the pile of money. It was worth about a penny.
"This poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, her whole living."
The temple court was buzzing. The religious leaders were fuming. And all were wondering, more than ever before, is He the Messiah?
And the buzz echoes even now. Is He the Messiah?
Who is a Pharisee?.
Oh crap. Here we go. Another question I probably shouldn't ask.
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