Text: Mark 11:15-33
When Jesus Christ arrived at the temple in the early morning of the second day, He entered it. As was often the case, big business was going on, especially so during the Passover week. Money changers had big business going on as people changed their monies into temple currency, the only one local tender acceptable
for the temple tax. Other merchants traded in animals for sacrifice and some, namely the poor who could not afford animals (Lev. 5:7) for sacrifice, traded in doves for the same purpose.
As some people came from far afield and a distance (e.g Cyrene now part of Libya), it was easier for them to change money to buy animals for sacrifice in the city rather than bring them along at the risk of rejection by the High Priests.
Most people were cheated in these exchanges, as the merchants, mostly related to High Priests, had monopolized the business, overcharged worshippers and enriched themselves. All this was done in the Court of Gentiles; so, the Gentiles had no where to worship God (v.17). Jesus drove out all these merchants and money changers. In the same chapter, Jesus Christ said that if one does not doubt in his heart and believes, he can order a mountain to be removed and it will be removed. He was, in effect, not referring to physical displacement of mountains, but for believers to sincerely believe in God. They would realise the
unlimited power through faith in Christ and be able to do mighty works to the glory of God (v. 23).
Meditate on verse 25. How are you going to apply it to your life?
Our Lord and Almighty Father, I pray in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that You send Your Holy Spirit to clean up and cleanse Your militant Church here on earth for we have compromised and defiled Your original bidding through disunity, to the extent that some sects even accommodate immorality in the Church. I pray that You forgive us all these sins and declare Your mighty blessings upon us so that we are enabled to forgive each other and do mighty work together, that glorify Your Holy name. Amen.