Mayhem In Bethlehem

[Jayhawker Soule]

If Jesus is here right now, he might have called them hypocrites. Oh well, perhaps he's having a face palm in heaven right now though.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, ... [Matthew 21:12]

Tradition?

 

[JMR105]

All very unedifying!

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Also, if I remember correctly, the Knights Templar gave custody of the keys to this church to the Muslims for safekeeping. They knew they'd fight about them if not.

 

[JacobEzra.]

Tradition?

That doesn't even make sense, since the meaning of the story, and this event are not even comparable.


12 *And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the chairs of them that sold doves: 13 And he saith to them: It is written, *My house shall be called the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves

[Ver. 12. And cast out all. Since the Jews came to the temple from all parts of Judea, such as came from a distance did not bring with them their sacrifices, but purchased them at Jerusalem. The money- changers were persons who lent out money to the poor, that they might purchase the victims, &c. But as the law forbade usury, they received other fruits, grapes, &c. in return. These persons, beyond a doubt, beheld a more than human brightness darting from his eyes, otherwise they would not have suffered him to act thus. In the same manner, the servants of the high priest fell down when they came to apprehend Jesus, at these words, I am he(Nicholas of Lyra.) ---Into the temple. Into that part of it called the court of the Gentiles, where pigeons were to be sold for sacrifices, where there were tables of money-changers, &c. St. Jerome here admires this as one of the greatest of Christ's miracles, that a poor man should be permitted to cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple, to overturn their stalls, their money-tables, &c. without any opposition. (Witham) Ver. 13. My house shall. That man is a thief, and turns the temple of God into a den of thieves, who makes religion a cloak for his avarice. Of all the innumerable miracles which Jesus performed, none appear greater in my eyes than this: that one man, at that time so contemned*and despised, who was afterwards nailed to the tree of the cross,should with his single power be able to expel from the temple that multitude of Scribes and Pharisees, who were so maliciously bent upon his destruction, and so greedy of gain. Something more than human appeared in his celestial countenance on this occasion, and the majesty of the divinity shewed itself in his looks and gestures. Igneum quiddam, atque sidereum radiabat ex oculis ejus, et divinitatis majestas lucebat in facie. (St. Jerome) --- Hence it is not to be wondered at, if in the utmost fear and consternation they fled away.(Menochius)]

Now you know something new, considering you wouldn't post just to insult folk