Jesus at the temple

·30 min·3 clips

How does Jesus' temple confrontation answer our distress over global power abuses today?

The episode is a sermon delivered on Palm Sunday, focusing on Matthew 21:12-17 where Jesus cleanses the temple. The speaker begins by linking global conflicts and personal authority abuses to the biblical narrative. He explains Palm Sunday traditions and the meaning of 'Hosanna' as 'Lord, save us.' The central question posed is 'Who is Jesus?' as explored through the temple incident. The speaker challenges the common image of Jesus acting violently, suggesting he may have calmly overturned tables to 'make room' in the temple. He then delves into Old Testament references: Isaiah 56, which promises God's house as 'a house of prayer for all nations,' and Leviticus 21, which excludes the blind and lame from temple service. Jesus healing the blind and lame in the temple is presented as fulfilling Isaiah's inclusive vision. The speaker also cites Jeremiah 7, where God calls the temple a 'den of robbers,' framing Jesus' quote as a warning to the authorities plotting his death. The reaction of the chief priests and teachers of the law is noted, along with Jesus quoting Psalm 8 about praise from children. The sermon argues Jesus was revealing his identity and authority through these actions and scriptures. It concludes by applying the story to listeners, asking if they will allow Jesus to exercise authority in their lives, heal them, and guide them. The episode ends with a prayer incorporating the Lord's Prayer.

As heard by us

A temple sermon on abused authority, prayer, and Jesus' challenge to old boundaries of belonging.

The episode begins with authority gone wrong, moving from public conflicts named in the sermon into the more private ways power can distort homes and workplaces.

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Why you'd press play

You can hear a sermon move from troubling world conflicts into Jesus' call for God's house to be a house of prayer.

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