This week’s readings are all from Matthew 20-21. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapters of Matthew 20-21. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading
21 Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
5 “Tell the people of Zion,
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!”
My Bible commentary suggests this was the second cleansing of the temple by Jesus. What are thoughts about Jesus cleansing the temple twice?
Since our body is the “temple”, it requires constant cleaning. A “physical” cleanse works with a diet of specific foods. A “spiritual” cleanse, for me, is to strengthen my self-control, and be more aware of Gods will in my life. Either way, once is not enough!
@vltaylor1136 you noted:
My Bible commentary suggests this was the second cleansing of the temple by Jesus. What are thoughts about Jesus cleansing the temple twice?
The reason for this is that in the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) the clearing of the temple takes place during the last week of Jesus' life. In the Gospel of John, this act takes place at the beginning of the narrative of Jesus' ministry (John 2), and based upon the festivals in John, it seems to be about 3 years before Jesus' death. However, the Synoptics and John differ on _many_ things in terms of both chronology and content of Jesus' life and ministry, as well as details about Jesus' last week (for example, in John Jesus makes many trips to Jerusalem over the course of his ministry, in the Synoptics he makes only one). Most scholars see Jesus as cleansing the temple one time, with the differences in narratives being about the goals of the gospel writers in how they tell Jesus' story rather than there being two clearing events.