In this episode, we look at the story of Jesus turning over tables in the temple, as told by John. Why did he do this, who exactly was he protesting, and what can his actions teach us about how we live our lives today?

In the podcast, we mentioned that we’re reading The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Domnic Crossan in Sanctuary Collective and that this story (as told by Mark) is one of the passages covered. If you want to join the bookclub and get in on an in-depth discussion about the politics of Jesus, you’re invited to join us!

Read the transcript (PDF)

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

Photo by natalielafuente

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