Then He began to teach them and said, “Is it not written:
‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have
turned it into a den of robbers!” – Mark 11:17 (NET)
Mark reports that when Jesus
spoke these words that “The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it
and they considered how they could assassinate Him, for they feared Him,
because the whole crowd was amazed by His teaching” (11:18). Why did they
want to assassinate Him? Primarily because the words that Jesus was
employing were those previously used by the prophet Jeremiah. All who
heard Jesus, including the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the crowds,
knew that Jesus, who had gained quite the reputation as a prophet, teacher and
healer, was leveling words of judgment and accusation against those who were
responsible for the operations of the Temple.
The Temple was the place from whence they derived their livelihood and
their power.
At the same time, one should not forget that Jesus also
speaks in the hearing of crowds which, though amazed at His teaching, also
stand in purview of His judging words, as they effectively hear Jeremiah speaking
and saying “Listen, all you people of Judah who have passed through these gates
to worship the Lord. Hear what the Lord has to say. The Lord God of
Israel who rules over all says: Change the way you have been living and do what
is right. If you do, I will allow you to continue to live in this land”
(7:2b-3).
So Jesus is not merely quoting
Scripture. By taking up the words of Jeremiah, He not only calls to mind
that which Jeremiah accused the people and the priestly establishment of doing
in his own time, but He also reminds the Temple authorities that the Babylonians
destroyed that very Temple to which Jeremiah made reference---thus breaking the
authority of the priests associated with that Temple. If Jeremiah’s words
came true, how much more should they concern themselves with what is being
implied by the words of Jesus, who has proven Himself to be greater than
Jeremiah.
When it comes to the words of Jeremiah, it is known to be
the case that a fair amount of the people, especially the leaders and the
wealthy, were carried off into exile in Babylon. As it relates to Jesus, it
is known that within the lifetime of many of those who heard His words, the
Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, slaughtering many in
leadership and driving a large number of people from their ancient land of
promise.
Though this is necessary
background, this study is not designed to focus on what is to be gleaned from
the accusations and the comparison. Rather, it is designed to highlight a
degree of historical continuity and congruence within Scripture. Jesus
cannot be limited to bringing new teaching and new ways of thinking. His
words and ministry had to be rooted within the history and covenant by which
Israel was defined in order for it to have any conceivable impact and
permanence.
Jesus, as said, quotes from Jeremiah. When He does He
not only calls attention to the specific phrases, but also to the words of
Jeremiah that led up to, surround, and follow that which was quoted. In
conjunction with that which was mentioned by Jesus, Jeremiah also says “Stop
putting your confidence in the false belief that says, ‘We are safe! The
Temple of the Lord is here! The Temple of the Lord is here! The
Temple of the Lord is here!’ You must change the way you have been living
and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly. Stop
oppressing foreigners who live in your land, children who have lost their
fathers, and women who have lost their husbands. Stop killing innocent
people in this land. Stop paying allegiance to other gods. That
will only bring about your ruin” (7:4-6). Presumably, Jesus was desirous
of communicating such things as well.
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