Evening star., 1924-08-16
Sunday School Lesson

| atcnement money for his soul" This
tax of half a shekeI had to be paid
In coins of Hebrew mintage, because
the coins of the Gentiles were defiled
with heather inscriptions and SYM
bols. The money changers charged
for exchanging foreign coins and ex-
ira for furnishing q Jewish coin for
the tax. This business, with the noise
and tumult from the traders and live
that ought to prevail in any place of
divine worship.
Jesus recognized that His messianic
mission called for Him to make an
end of the soriid, selfish business in
terest that was destroying the spirit
Of worship by permitting the sacred
courts to be filled with the tumult
of traffic and to reek with the filth Of
trade. Moved by q determination to
preserve spiritual religion. Jesus
gathered some rushes from some lit
ter upon the floor, and binding them
into a scourge that He used az an
emblem Of authority, He cleansed the
temple without striking single
blow.
His Authority Questioned.
No psychology has explained the
origin AID nature Of His overwhelm-
In His speech and spirit that destroyed
any effort at resentment or resist
ance. When the sellers Of doves had
removed their stock in obedience to
His commands, the money changers
gathered up their coins which He had
scattered upon the temple area, and
the employees were seeking the cattle
that He had driven from tho temple,
some questioned His authority. The
d. ~E h~A ~Y,v
challenged the worldly priests, who
fought back in a never-ceasing con-
fict, that ended with His crucifxion.
The secret OF their fight against
Christ Jesus was that He had opened
up His ministry by interfering with
the financial profits of certain Jewish
religious leaders
The question as to His authority
may have been due to their recalling
Zachariah's words that in the days of
the Messiah trade would no more
be in the house OF the Lord" Godet
has pointed out that Malachi said to
Israel that "the Lord whom ye seek
shall enter into His temple. - .
He shall purify the sons Of Levi"
which predicted that the Messiah
would announce Himself not by q
miracle Of power, but by an act of
holiness They challenged the Lord
to prove by a miracle that He was
the Messiah.
Jesus by His anwer revealed that
He knew not only that the conflict
which He had started would result in
His death, but also that He knew
concerning the outcome Of His life.
He pointed to the greatest miracle of
His ufe-the resurrection-by point
Ing to His body. which He promised
to build up, If they would destroy it,
in three days. His answer had q
threefold meaning, which His disci-
pies did not understand until after
His victory over the grave, when they
recalled His words. The Jews did
not understand. He knew that they
would not because no sign could con-
vince them. Some were convinced
that He came from God, yet the Lord
understood that the nrst efforts to
preserve the temple, as house Of
prayer for all nations, would have
to be repeated in the closing hours
OF His life because His efforts to
reform the conditions Of the temple had
failed to reach the conscience Of the
nation. A change Of heart would be re-
Quired to make His efforts permanent
and preserve His Fathers house as a
place Of prayer for all nations. He i'm
parted to the world by His spirit upon
that occasion an Unsuitable craving for
reform, and also made possible the suc-
ceesful accomplishment Of every project
advanced for the establishment Of
spiritual feilcwship in worship and sery-
ice among all natonA