“During the time of the New Testament, Jerusalem was under Roman occupation, and Roman money was in common use. The Jewish authorities however required that only Hebrew money was acceptable payment for the Temple tax. So, money changers were allowed to set up tables and benches (the English word bank is derived from the word bench) for themselves in the court of the Gentiles where they exchanged not just local Roman money, but also foreign currency from distant travelers, for shekels. Along with them were peddlers who sold animals, birds and various items for worship and sacrifice.”
“The money changers profited greatly from the exchange rates that they charged worshipers for shekels to pay the priests, and then from the priests to convert it back into Roman money - they were “cashing in” from both ends. They also profited exorbitantly from loans that they made - with interest rates up to 300 per cent. While there is nothing wrong with capitalism, or providing a useful and convenient banking service, these particular “bankers” were greedy profiteers who cared nothing about using God’s Temple, and His worshipers, as a means to get rich.”
“It was the sight of this Temple “market” that triggered the only recorded incident in the human lifetime of Jesus Christ in which He reacted in a violent manner toward anyone -
“And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the Temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the Temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and He would not allow any one to carry anything through the Temple. And He taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:15-17 RSV)”
TheStateOf . . . The Money Changers. No wonder they executed Jesus. He struck directly at the heart of the hypocrisy of the day’s most powerful religious leaders. Can you a imagine such a gadfly living today? Interesting that every time I attend church, the pastor demands a donation of “not less than $25″ and he drives a $60,000 Lincoln Navigator and his house is valued at over $3M. Money has nothing to do with God. The black money changers need to go.
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