Matthew 21:12-15 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 benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of robbers.” The blind and lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the Temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
Jesus spent Sunday night out of the city and on Monday morning He returned to the Temple. He was increasing and intensifying His public messages through parables that used simple imagery to explain the Kingdom of God. Jewish leaders were outraged by what they perceived to be blasphemous language, but their true resentment was the threat of Jesus’ popularity and influence out pacing their own.They angrily confronted him.
In this day of cancel culture, remember, Jesus made the Temple, corrupt as it was, His place of peace, because of what it legitimately was, a House of Prayer and communion with God, not what it had become at the hands of men.
In the scene it tells of children still singing praises this day after Jesus triumphantly arrived. Were the religious leaders irritated at the noise and ruckus that follows excited children? But, truly, what a precious window into that day. Surely these littles understood Jesus was clearing the temple of cheaters and abusers and speaking out against those who hurt rather than love.
There is great evidence that many early theologians came from the generation that were small children when Jesus walked the earth. Oh! How I love this reminder that a child’s time at the feet of Jesus is never wasted.