All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus' expelling
merchants and money-changers from the Temple.
The cleansing and purifying of the Temple shows how much
world evangelism was on Jesus' mind in the days before His crucifixion.
When we lightly pass over the last three words of Isaiah 56:7
-- "for all nations" -- we may miss a key reason Jesus was upset at the merchants and
money changers in the Temple.
Thieves had "stolen" from the Gentiles their assigned place of worship in the Temple at
Jerusalem.
Missions: The Heart of God
Commentary on Mark 11 -- How is Jesus driving the money-changers out of the Jerusalem
Temple related to world evangelism?
"[Jesus] said to them, 'The Scriptures declare, "My Temple will be called a house of prayer
for all nations,1" but you have turned it into a den of thieves.'" -- Mark 11:17
Rarely does the story of Jesus driving merchants and money changers out of the Temple
prompt reflections about world evangelism. That is lamentable given that Jesus quoted Isaiah
56:7 as the reason for His actions: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all
nations."
Conversations on the cleansing of the Temple almost never mention Isaiah's "for all nations"
phrase. One reason may be that only Mark records the entire verse from Isaiah. However, by
ignoring those last three words of Isaiah 56:7, we may well miss what was really going on that
day.
The core issue that day in Jerusalem may not have been just corrupt and abusive commerce,
as bad as that was. The central issue may have been that the Court of the Gentiles had been taken
over by such activity. This essentially evicted non-Jews from the Temple, meaning that the
Temple could no longer be "a house of prayer for all nations."
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all place Jesus' purifying of the Temple on Monday of Holy Week.
On Friday of that same week, Jesus died as a sacrifice "for the sins of the whole world" (1
John 2:2). Thus, as Jesus entered the Temple at the beginning of Passover Week, a concern for
all peoples on earth was likely weighing heavily on Him. Maybe He was already formulating in
His mind the exhortation He would give His followers about preaching the gospel "to all
creation" (Mark 16:15) and being witnesses "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
What thievery had the money changers in the Temple committed?
Given what Jesus was going to face later in the week, isn't it logical that His heart would
have been focused that Monday on "all nations"? That would have made Him especially
sensitive to the Court of the Gentiles being occupied by money-changers and sellers of animals
and birds. The price-gouging and currency-exchange fraud certainly desecrated God's holy
Temple. However, what may have pushed Jesus to the boiling point was seeing the Gentile area
usurped and turned into "a den of thieves" (a phrase from Jeremiah 7:11). With the
Gentiles effectively squeezed out, the Temple could no longer serve as "a house of prayer for
all nations." Their place to worship had been stolen from them.
Jesus' life on earth begins in Bethlehem with a plaintive "no room in the end" story. Isn't it
ironic that at the end of his earthly life, Jesus faced another "no room" sign?
The "No Room for Gentiles" sign put up in the Court of the Gentiles not long before Jesus'
arrest and crucifixion barred the way to the Temple for many of those for whom He was about to
die! Is it any wonder that our Savior's emotions boiled over that day? Shouldn't ours do the
same when something hinders "all nations" from hearing the call to worship their Creator?
Discussion questions
What is the significance of the phrase "for all nations" in Isaiah 56:7? Can it be said that
Jesus' reference to Isaiah 56:7 reflected His passion for world evangelism?
Why do you think that conversations about Jesus' cleansing of the Temple frequently omit
the phrase "for all nations" from Isaiah 56:7? How important is the phrase "for all nations" in
reflections on the cleansing of the Temple?
What was the ultimate result of the Temple Court of the Gentiles being taken over by
money exchangers and sellers of animals and birds? How does this relate to the call to
evangelize people in all nations?
Should the "no room" sign at the end of Jesus' earthly life evoke the "no room" sign at the
beginning of his life? What do these two "no room" messages in Jesus' say about the cause of
world evangelism?
1In the Bible, the word "nations" does not mean political entities like
China, India and the USA. Rather, it means people groups or societies in which people speak the
same language, have the same culture, and live in or have originated in the same area. "Nations"
is synonymous with the plural word "peoples." In other words, nations in the Bible means all of
the people groups of the world other than the people of Israel.
-- Howard Culbertson,
This mini-essay on a world missions Bible passage is one of more than three dozen
articles in the "Heart of God" series
published in Engage, a monthly online magazine.
Background" The presence of money-changers in the Temple area
The money-changers described in Mark 11 were there in the area of the Temple to provide a
necessary service for the Temple worshipers. Here are two reasons why:
Temple Tax: Every Jewish male was required to pay a half-shekel Temple tax
annually. This tax had to be paid in the sacred currency, not in the Roman or other local
currencies in use at the time. The money-changers provided the service of exchanging these
currencies into the required Temple currency.
Purchasing Sacrificial Animals: People came to the Temple to offer sacrifices, and it
was often more practical for them to purchase the animals needed for sacrifices at the Temple
rather than bringing them from their homes, especially if they were traveling from afar.
Money-changers were often involved in these transactions as well.
Background: The Court of the Gentiles
The "Court of the Gentiles" was a significant area in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem
during the Second Temple period. It was the outermost courtyard of the Temple complex and
was accessible to non-Jews or Gentiles.
Access for Gentiles: The Court of the Gentiles was
was a place to accommodate Gentiles who wished to visit the Temple but who were not
permitted into the inner courts reserved for Jews.
Size: This outermost courtyard of the temple
complex was big. It is estimated to have covered an area of approximately 35 acres (about 14
hectares). By way of comparison, the Lincoln Memorial Landscape and Reflecting Pool in
Washington D.C., covers 30 acres and Lincoln Park Zoo in New YorkCity covers 33 acres.
Place of Worship and Prayer: Gentiles who were
drawn to the monotheistic beliefs of Judaism or who wished to pray to the Jewish God could do
so in the Court of the Gentiles.
Symbol of Inclusivity: The Court of the Gentiles
served as a symbol of openness, conveying the idea that the Jewish God welcomed all people,
regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Educational Center: The Court of the Gentiles also
functioned as a place for teaching and learning about Judaism. Jewish scholars and religious
leaders would often engage in discussions and debates with Gentiles who visited there.
Meeting Place: It served as a meeting point for people from various cultures and
regions. This cultural interchange was not only significant for the individuals involved but also
reflected the cosmopolitan character of Jerusalem as a center of religious and intellectual
activity.
Thus, it should be no surprise that Jesus was very upset when the money changers and sellers
of sacrificial birds and animals took over this special space, leaving no room for "all
nations.".