6/29/25
Faith Like a Child – Message 2
Matthew 21:12-16 (ESV)
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
1) My House Shall be Called A House of Prayer
Matthew 21:12-13 (ESV)
12 And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
“The temple contained the court of the Gentiles (that area beyond which Gentiles could not go), the court of the women (beyond which women could not go), the court of Israel (beyond which laymen could not go), the sanctuary (beyond which priests could not go), and the holy of holies. The traders would have been at work in the outermost court.”
Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 526.
“The Cleansing of the Temple (21:12–13)
Jesus enters the temple courts and drives out those buying and selling, overturning their tables and chairs. Jesus then provides scriptural rationale for his actions, quoting Isaiah and alluding to Jeremiah.
21:12 Jesus, just recognized as a prophet by the crowd, performs a symbolic act against the temple. In overturning the tables and chairs of the money changers and sellers of doves, he pronounces judgment on what they are doing within the temple.
21:13 Jesus now quotes Scripture to those who are selling in the temple, offering interpretation to his prophetic action. The first quotation is a portion of Isa 56:7, which speaks about the temple as a place of universal worship. This stands in contrast to the commerce happening, likely within the court of the gentiles. The second scripture alluded to is Jer 7:11, possibly used to indicate the unjust practices that are being followed.”
Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Mt 21:12–13.
Jesus, in the midst of cleansing the temple is quote Isaiah:
Isaiah 56:6-7 (ESV)
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
This is an indictment of the function of the Temple in the 1st Century. Though we don’t get a full sense of the specific issue from the text (many wrongly assert that this was the result of Jesus having an issue with the exchange of money or the selling of sacrificial animals)…but money exchange was necessary (Tyrian coinage was required to do business in the Temple–the city of Tyre was a business capital and it’s coinage was the most consistent currency in the 1st Century) and so too was the provision of animals for sacrifice (the Temple drew people from all over the ANE and they could not be expected to bring their own sacrifices from such varied and often long distances). The issue wasn’t either of these functions…the issue was that the functions were being performed within the Temple proper. Such activity distracted from the Temples primary focus…being a house of prayer for all people, all nations. Additionally, the reference to the “House of Prayer” being made a “den (cave) of thieves” points to unfair transactions within the Temple where the faithful pilgrims who have come to worship and pray are being taken advantage of by those who should be meeting a clearly defined need.
2) My House Shall be a Place of Healing
Matthew 21:14 (ESV)
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
It would be so easy to overlook verse 14, afterall in Mark and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ foray into the Temple to flip tables and expel money changers the story stops when the tables are turned (over).
But, for Matthew there is an addendum to the work that Jesus accomplished within the temple: quite simply the blind and lame seek him out in the temple and they are healed.
This would have been a common practice among the sick and those experiencing varying forms of physical impairment who would ask the priests to heal them or their infirmity…
The Temple priests often issued ritual cleansing commands to those that were sick, but they were not (at least typically or in recorded order) the conduits for specific/particular instances of healing. So why does this specific instance matter so much:
1) This is final act of healing performed by Jesus prior to the cross
2) This is the only mention of Jesus healing within Jerusalem
3) This healing was about more than restoring sight or function. This healing was about restoring status to the lesser members of society
“21:14 This is the final mention of Jesus’ healing ministry and his only act of healing in Jerusalem. Healing within the temple is significant, as healing would often be sought out from the priests. The evangelist also mentions specifically the blind and the lame, which is likely an allusion to 2 Sam 5:6–8. Finally, the act of restoring those with low status within the community is a further fulfillment of the temple’s function, as outlined in Isa 56:7.”
Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Mt 21:14–17.
Another point of interest regarding this verse and to the verse that it references further evidences the intended accessibility of the House of Prayer. In order to see this we must return to the old testament, namely the book of 2 Samuel:
2 Samuel 5:6-8
English Standard Version
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.”7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
This is not an indication of David’s dislike of those with physical limitations, but rather, it is evidence of the intended accessibility of the Temple to all nations.
When David dealt with the Jebusites (who lived in Jerusalem before it was established as the location for the Temple) as the first act of his kingship, he had to breach the city and overthrow them (via the shaft that was used to access water beneath the city). The city was such a stronghold, walled, with cliffs on three sides and a singular side that allowed for access. The Jebusites were so confident in their safety they said that even “the blind and lame will ward you off”. This was the historic equivalent of “I can fight you with both hands tied behind my back”. David leans into this jab and encourages his men to attack “the lame and blind”.
So, when we see the blind and lame, come to the Messiah, Jesus, who comes from the line of David, healing them in the Temple, we should understand that this is a statement of affirming access to all people that seek the Lord and that worship Him and submit to Him and that are redeemed by Him.
3)Do you hear what they are saying?
Matthew 21:15-16 (ESV)
15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
A story of contrast:
chief priests and scribes are in awe of what Jesus has done but their response is not what it should be. Rather than praising God for the accountability brought by Jesus and for the miracles that He has accomplished these religious men call into question both: 1) the praise of Jesus; and, 2) Jesus himself.
The children that are present on the other hand have an unfettered response to the Lord and all that he has done: they praise him, openly, crying out “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
ὡσαννά (Hosanna) – This is understood to be praise or worship, nut it literally means “Save us, Please”
…and this was a statement said to one who was perceived to be a Savior (Pretty appropriate considering that they were proclaiming this Jesus…the only Savior!)
Jesus understands the weight of this moment even more than the faithful children
Jesus is referencing Psalm 8 when he says this, and there is great beauty in reading the scripture that Jesus is reminding his hearers/readers of:
Psalm 8
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b] and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Do you hear this: Jesus (the Son of David) is referring to what David once said of Him, to make it clear we see this in Psalm 8:
-Praise and acknowledgement of the majesty of the Lord
-Praise from the mouths of children, infants, babies which stills the enemy of the Lord
-acknowledgement of the awesomeness of God’s creation
-revelation of the status of man (lower than the heavenly beings and crowned with glory), having dominion over creation (represented by the psalmists reference to animals, birds, fish)
-and again a proclamation of the Lord’s majesty.
And get this what is being said is not merely about what happened 2000 years ago in the Temple is is about what should happen within us as a result of what Jesus has done for us:
He cleanses the temple as His blood cleanses us
He expects that the Temple will be a place/people that honor God
He desires for the Temple to be a place of worship and proclamation so that all the nations may hear of the majesty and might of the Lord
He desires praise Him, in the mold of these innocent children, who, in the face of adversity become living and breathing sanctuaries that cry His praises
Questions:
1) Did you learn anything new in today’s message? If so, what? How might you share this with others?
2) How have you experienced healing as a result of the power and might of the Lord? Have you seen others experience such healing?
3) How does your praise compare to the praise of the children in the Temple?
4) Are you recognizable as a living and breathing temple of the Lord? Are you sharing your faith and your prayers with the people of the nations? What might we learn from this passage regarding the part that we play in this process?
