Reflection
Jerusalem had become the center of religious collaboration with imperial power. The
high priest and his circle of aristocratic families ruled the Jewish homeland on behalf
of the Roman Empire. They owed their positions of power and wealth to appointment
by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. On Monday, Jesus performed a provocative
public demonstration. In the courtyard of the temple, he overturned tables where
money was being changed into appropriate coinage for paying the temple tax. His
words as he did so indicted the temple as “a den of robbers.” The phrase does not
refer to the moneychangers in particular, as if they were “robbers” who charged an
unfair rate of exchange. The reference is to what the temple had become: the center
of religious collaboration with imperial power, including imperial taxation. The
authorities wanted to arrest Jesus but feared doing so in the presence of the crowd
of pilgrims who were at the very least sympathetic with what Jesus was doing. The
theme of conflict and confrontation continued through the rest of the week and soon
became deadly.
Marcus Borg
Prayer
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
Action
Are there times when our principles should conflict with the actions of those who
collaborate with injustice? What can we do? What do we do?
Suggested Reading
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who
were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money
changers and the seats of those selling doves. And He declared to them, “It is
written: “My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of
robbers. ”
Matthew 21:12
Jesus’ cleansing of the moneychangers from the Temple is a reminder to Christians
of the need for authentic worship and conformity between liturgy and life.
Pope Francis
Some things you must always be unable to bear. Some things you must never stop
refusing to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame.
William Faulkner
Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the
indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of
justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.
Haile Selassie
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace and the norms and notions of what just
is, isn’t always justice.
Amanda Gorman
It’s not that I’m not willing to compromise. But I won’t compromise on principles.
Ann Marie Buerkle
Never compromise a principle or relinquish a vital truth.
Alfred Armand Montapert
Whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the
fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles.
Ayn Rand