Ch. 52, Monday in Jerusalem
“Son of Man: Urantia,” 2nd edition
Monday in Jerusalem
Early Monday morning as prearranged Jesus and the apostles met at Simon’s house in Bethany, and after a quick meeting they set out for Jerusalem. The twelve were silent as they walked to the temple: they had not yet recovered from the preceding day’s experience. They were fearful, expectant, and deeply troubled by a feeling of detachment that had grown out of Jesus’ sudden change in tactics coupled with his orders that they were not to do any public teaching during the Passover week. As this group walked down Mount Olivet, Jesus led the way and the apostles followed closely behind. There was just one thought uppermost in everyone’s minds—at least everyone except Judas Iscariot—and that was “What will Jesus do today?” But for Judas the questions were “What will I do? Will I go on with Jesus and the other apostles, or will I quit?” And “if I am going to quit, how will I do it?”
They arrived at the temple about nine o’clock. After greeting the believers who were waiting for him Jesus took his place on one of the teaching platforms and addressed the gathering crowd. The apostles went a short distance away by themselves and waited for whatever was going to happen.
Cleansing the Temple
A huge business had developed around the ceremonies involved in the temple worship. Gradually the people had grown into the custom of selling many different types of sacrificial animals inside the temple courts. A worshiper could provide his own animal for the priests to kill, but there was a catch: the animal had to be free from all blemishes according to Levitical law, and as that law was then interpreted by the official temple inspectors. Many people who had come to worship had been humiliated by having their supposedly perfect animal rejected by the temple inspectors. So it had become the general practice to buy the animals right there in the temple, and an extensive business with enormous profits had been brought into existence. Some of the profit was reserved for the temple treasury, but the larger part went indirectly into the ruling high-priests’ pockets.
The business of selling the animals in the temple worked well because although the price was somewhat high, no more fees had to be paid and the person could be sure that their animal would not be rejected for having a real or technical blemish. At various times of the year, especially during the famous national feasts, the common people were hugely overcharged for these services. One time the priests were so greedy that they demanded the equivalent of a week’s labor for a pair of doves that should have been sold to the poor for a few pennies. These sons of Annas had established their markets in the temple courts, and they stayed there up until they were finally overthrown by a mob three years before the temple itself was destroyed.
But selling sacrificial animals was not the only way that the temple courts were being dishonored. There was also an extensive money exchange and banking system being conducted. During the Asmonean dynasty the Jews had coined their own silver money, and it had become the custom to require that the temple dues—one-half shekel that was supposed to be paid by everyone except women, slaves, and minors—and all other temple fees had to be paid using this Jewish coin. This regulation made it necessary for money changers to be licensed for all of the different currencies that were in circulation in Palestine and the Roman Empire. By Jesus’ time the priests had also exempted themselves from having to pay the temple dues. From the fifteenth to the twentieth of the month before the Passover, licensed money changers put up their booths in the main cities of Palestine to provide people the right currency for paying the temple dues after they reached Jerusalem. After this ten-day period, the money changers then moved to Jerusalem and set up their exchange tables in the temple courts. They were permitted to charge a thirty to forty percent commission to exchange of a coin valued at about ten cents, and if a larger coin was offered for exchange they could charge double. In a similar way the temple bankers profited from all of the money exchanged for paying vows and buying animals to kill. Both the temple rulers and the temple treasury made huge profits from these commercial activities: it was not uncommon for the treasury to hold upward of ten million dollars while the common people languished in poverty and continued to pay the unjust taxes.
On this Monday morning in the middle of this noisy group of merchants, money changers, and cattle sellers Jesus attempted to teach the gospel of the heavenly kingdom. Jesus was not alone resenting how the temple had been disrespected. The common people, especially the Jewish visitors from foreign lands, also resented this desecration of their national house of worship. At this time the Sanhedrin itself held its regular meetings in a chamber surrounded by all of this trade, barter, babble, and confusion.
As Jesus began to speak two things happened at once: at a nearby table there was a violent argument over a Jew from Alexandria being overcharged, and there arose a thunderous bellowing from some one hundred steer being driven from one section of the animal pens to another. As Jesus paused and silently contemplated the confusion, he saw a simple-minded Galilean close by—a man he had once talked with in Iron—being ridiculed and roughed-up by arrogant and would be superior Judeans. All of these events combined to produce one of those strange and periodic times when Jesus’ soul became outraged.
To his apostles’ amazement Jesus stepped down from the teaching platform, went over to the boy herding the cattle, and took his whip and quickly drove the animals out of the temple. Then before the wondering gaze of the thousands of people assembled in the temple court he majestically strode all the way over to the farthest cattle pen, opened the gates of every stall, and then drove out the terrified animals. The assembled pilgrims became riotous, electrified, and shouting hysterically as they attacked the markets and overturned the money changers’ tables. In less than five minutes all of the businesses had been swept from the temple. By the time the nearby Roman guards appeared on the scene everything was quiet and the crowds were orderly. Jesus, having returned to the speaker’s podium by then, looked out on the crowd and said “Today you have witnessed what is written in the scriptures, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.’”
Before Jesus could speak further the mass of people broke out in hosannas of praise, and presently a group of young people stepped out from the crowd and sang hymns of grateful appreciation that the profane businessmen had been ejected from the sacred temple. By this time some of the priests had arrived on the scene and one of them said to Jesus, “Do you not hear what the children of the Levites say?”
Jesus replied “Have you never read ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings praise has been perfected?’” All of the rest of that day while Jesus taught, the people set guards at every archway and they would not permit anyone to carry even an empty vessel across the temple courts.
When the religious leaders heard what had happened they were dumfounded. Now they not only feared Jesus more, they were the more determined to destroy him. But they were stumped. They did not know how to kill him because they were afraid of the masses who showed such approval when he threw out the thieving businessmen. For the rest of the day there was peace and quiet in the temple as the people literally hung on Jesus’ every word.
What Jesus had done surprised the apostles. They were so taken back by Jesus’ sudden and unexpected move that throughout the entire episode they stay huddled together near the speaker’s stand: they never lifted a finger to help cleanse the temple. If this spectacular event had occurred the day before when he was being wildly praised by the masses they would have been ready for it, but coming as it did they were wholly unprepared to participate.
The cleansing of the temple showed Jesus’ attitude toward commercializing religion, as well as his abhorrence for all forms of unfairness and profiting at the expense of the poor and the uneducated. Jesus expects people to use force to protect those that are being unfairly enslaved by unjust minorities who have managed to steal political, financial, and religious power. Shrewd, wicked, and designing people are not to be allowed to organize themselves to oppress and exploit people who, because of their idealism, do not want to resort to violence to protect themselves or to achieve their worthy life goals.
Challenging the Master’s Authority
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Sunday had so overawed the Jewish leaders that they held back from arresting him. In the same way this spectacular cleansing of the temple delayed Jesus’ arrest. Daily the Jewish rulers became increasingly determined to destroy him but they had two fears holding them back: that the masses would turn on them if they arrested Jesus in public, and that the Roman guards would be called out to put down a popular uprising.
Since no one attending the noon meeting of the Sanhedrin was friendly to Jesus, they unanimously agreed that he must be quickly destroyed and decided to send five groups out among the people to entangle him or otherwise discredit him in the eyes of his followers. About two o’clock, just after Jesus had begun his talk on the liberty of sonship, a group of these elders made their way up to Jesus and interrupting him like they usually did, asked “By what authority do you do these things?”
Given that Jesus had just thrown the merchants and money changers from the temple, and the extraordinary way that he taught the people while he was there, it was altogether proper for the Sanhedrin to ask him this question. The merchants and money changers had all been licensed by the highest rulers to conduct business, and of course a percentage of their profit had to go to the temple. Do not forget that authority is the watchword of Jewry. The prophets were always stirring up trouble because they went out and boldly taught without authority, without having been indoctrinated in the rabbinic academies and later ordained by the Sanhedrin. Just going out and climbing up on to a big rock and starting to preach without the Sanhedrin’s authority meant the person was either stupid or rebelling. At that time only the Sanhedrin could ordain a man and the ceremony had to take place in the presence of at least three men who were themselves ordained. This process gave the person the title of “rabbi,” and it also qualified him to act as a judge resolving whatever issues were brought to him for a decision. The Sanhedrin went before Jesus this afternoon challenging not only his teaching but his acts. Jesus well knew that these same men had been telling people publicly that he received his authority to teach from Satan, and that all of his mighty works had been brought about by the power of the prince of devils.
Jesus began his response to the Sanhedrin elders with a counter question. He said “I would also like to ask you one question, and if you answer me I will tell you my authority to do these works. Where did John get his authority to baptize people? Did he get it from heaven or from men?”
The group of elders went to one side to talk. Their intent had been to embarrass Jesus before the crowd, but now they found themselves confused and embarrassed. Their discomfort was even more apparent when they returned to him and said “Concerning John’s right to baptize people; we do not know.” If the elders had said John received his authority from heaven, Jesus would have asked why they had not believed him. If they had said that John received his authority from men, it would have angered the people because they believed that John was a prophet. So this group from the Sanhedrin had to tell Jesus that they did not know, or maybe they would not say, from where John had received his authority.
Jesus looked down on the elders from the teaching platform, and said “Neither then will I tell you my authority for doing these things.”
Jesus never intended to go to John for his authority, and John had never been ordained by the Sanhedrin. Jesus’ authority was in himself and in his Father’s eternal supremacy. Jesus did not mean to dodge their question. At first it may seem that he was guilty of a clever trick, but that was not the case: Jesus never took unfair advantage of even his enemies. In this apparent evasion he actually supplied his listeners with the answer to the Pharisees’ question concerning his authority to conduct his mission. They had stated that he performed his works by the authority of the prince of devils. Jesus had repeatedly stated that all of his works were by the authority of his Father in heaven. The Jewish leaders refused to accept that answer, and they wanted to corner him into admitting that he was an irregular teacher since he had never been licensed by the Sanhedrin. While Jesus claimed no authority from John, he satisfied the people so much by inferring he did that his enemies’ efforts to trick him backfired and discredited them in the eyes of everyone present.
It was the Master’s genius dealing with his adversaries that made them so afraid. The people were not slow to see the insincerity in the questions the Jewish rulers were asking. Even the common folk could not fail to see the difference between Jesus’ moral majesty and the hypocritical plans of his enemies. But cleansing the temple had brought the Sadducees over to the Pharisees side when it came to finalizing the plan to kill Jesus, and the Sadducees now were the majority in the Sanhedrin.
Parable of the Two Sons
The Pharisees that were scattered throughout the crowd stood in silence in front of Jesus. He looked down at them and said “Since you are in doubt about John’s mission and joined in hate against the Son of Man, listen up while I tell you a parable: a certain respected land owner had two sons, and wanting his sons to help him manage his large estates he went to one of them and said ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ This unthinking son replied ‘I will not go.” But afterward he repented and then went. When the father found his older son he said the same thing to him, ‘Son, go work in my vineyard.’ And this unfaithful and hypocritical son replied ‘Yes my father, I will go.’ But when his father left he did not go to the vineyard. Let me ask you, which of these sons did his father’s will?”
The people were all in agreement and said “The first son.”
Jesus said “That is so. I am telling you that even though prostitutes and tax collectors now appear to refuse the call to repentance, they will see the error of their ways and go on into the kingdom of God before you people who make an impressive show of supposedly serving God while you refuse to do the works of the Father. It was not you—the scribes and the Pharisees—who believed John, it was the sinners and tax collectors; neither do you believe my teaching, but the common people gladly hear my words.”
Jesus did not despise the Pharisees and Sadducees personally. It was their way of teaching and their daily religious practices that he wanted to discredit. Jesus was not hostile to any person: what happened here was the inevitable clash between a new and living religion of the spirit and the older religion of ceremony, tradition, and authority.
The apostles remained silent this afternoon. Each one of them was dealing in his own peculiar way with the events closing out Jesus’ ministry on Earth.
Parable of the Absent Landlord
The scribes and Pharisees who had tried to trick Jesus went off by themselves to deliberate while Jesus told the people another parable. He said “There was a good man who owned a house and who built a vineyard. He planted a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower for the guards. Then he rented this vineyard out to tenants while he took a long trip to another country. When the harvest drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to receive his rent, but they had decided among themselves to not give these servants their master’s due. Instead they attacked them beating up one and stoning another and sending the rest away empty handed. When the landlord sent other and more trusted servants to deal with these wicked tenants, the tenants also treated these men shamefully. Then the landowner sent his favorite servant, his steward, to collect his rent and they killed him. Still, with patience he sent many other servants but the tenants would not pay them. Some of them they beat and others they killed. Then, the good man sent his son to deal with these ungrateful tenants saying to himself ‘They may mistreat my servants, but they will surely show respect for my beloved son.’ But when these wicked and unrepentant tenants saw the son they reasoned among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come on, let us kill him and then the inheritance will be ours.’ So they grabbed him and after casting him out of the vineyard they killed him. When the lord of that vineyard hears how they have rejected and killed his son, what will he do to those wicked and ungrateful tenants?”
The people said “He will destroy those miserable men, and rent out his vineyard to other honest farmers who will pay him the fruits in their season.” After some of the people realized that the parable referred to the Jews, their treatment of the prophets, and their upcoming rejection of Jesus and the gospel they said in sorrow, “God forbid that we should go on doing these things.”
Jesus saw a group of Sadducees and Pharisees coming toward him through the crowd, and when they were closer he said “You know how your fathers rejected the prophets and you well know that you are set in your hearts to reject the Son of Man.” Then after searching the eyes of the priests in front of him, Jesus said “Did you never read in the scripture about the stone that the builders had rejected, but that when the people discovered it was made into the cornerstone? Once more I warn you that if you continue to reject this gospel the kingdom of God will soon be taken away from you and it will be given to people who are willing to receive the good news and bring forth the fruits of the spirit. And there is a mystery about this stone, because he who falls on it while he is broken into pieces will be saved; but on him whom this stone falls, he will be ground to dust and his ashes scattered to the four winds.”
The Pharisees understood that Jesus referred to them and the other Jewish leaders. They wanted to arrest him right then and there, but they feared the crowd. However, they were so angry at Jesus’ words that they again went off by themselves to come up with another plan to kill him. That night the Sadducees and the Pharisees shook hands on a plan to trap Jesus the next day.
Parable of the Marriage Feast
After the scribes and Pharisees left, Jesus returned his attention to the crowd and told them the parable of the wedding feast. Jesus said “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who planned a wedding party for his son, and then sent messengers out to everyone who had been invited to now come, saying ‘Everything is ready for the wedding party at the king’s palace.’ But many of the people who had before promised to attend now refused to come. When the king heard this he sent other messengers and said ‘Tell all of those people who were invited to come, because look, the dinner is ready. My oxen and my fatlings have been killed, and everything is prepared to celebrate my son’s upcoming marriage.’ But again the thoughtless people made light of their king’s invitation and they went on their way, one to his farm, another to his pottery, and others to their businesses. And there were still others who were not content to just slight the king’s call, but in open rebellion beat up and shamefully mistreated the king’s messengers, even killing some of them.’
“When the king realized that his invited guests, even those who had promised to come, had refused his invitation and beat up and killed his messengers, he was furious. This insulted king then ordered his armies and the armies of his allies to destroy the rebellious murderers and to burn down their city.’
“After the king had punished those who refused his invitation, he set yet another date for the wedding feast and told his messengers, ‘They who were invited first to the wedding party were not worthy, so now go to the parting of the ways and into the highways and even beyond the borders of the city and find as many people as you can and invite these strangers to come and attend the wedding party.’ The servants went out into the highways and all of the out-of-the-way places and they gathered together all of the people they found—good and bad, rich and poor—so that at last the wedding chamber was filled with willing guests. When everything was ready the king came in to admire his guests, and much to his surprise he saw that there was a man without a wedding garment. The king, since he had freely provided wedding cloths for all of his guests, went to this man and said ‘Friend, how is it that you come into my guest chamber on this occasion without a wedding garment?’ This unprepared man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Throw this thoughtless guest out of my house to share the lot of all of the others who have spurned my hospitality and rejected my call. I will have none here except those people who delight in accepting my invitation, and who do me the honor of wearing those garments so freely given to all.’”
Jesus was about to dismiss the crowd when a sympathetic believer made his way through the mass of people toward him, and asked “But Master, how will we know about these things? How will we be ready for the king’s invitation? What sign will you give us so that we will know that you are the Son of God?”
Jesus said “Only one sign will be given to you,” and then pointing at his own body, said “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The people did not understand and as they all left they said among themselves, “For almost fifty years this temple has been standing here, and yet he says he will destroy it and raise it up in three days.” Even his own apostles did not comprehend his meaning, but later after his resurrection they better understood.
About four o’clock in the afternoon Jesus and the apostles left the temple and returned to Bethany for the night. As they walked up Olivet, Jesus told Andrew, Philip, and Thomas that the next day they should build a camp closer to the city for everyone to use during the remainder of the Passover week. Following Jesus’ orders, the next morning everyone pitched their tents on a plot of ground that Simon of Bethany owned on a hillside ravine overlooking the public campground at Gethsemane.
These twelve men sensed the looming tragedy ahead. While the dramatic cleansing of the temple early that morning had raised their hopes of seeing Jesus assert himself, the events of the entire afternoon all pointed to Jesus’ certain rejection by the Jewish authorities. The apostles were gripped with suspense and they were terribly uncertain. Even the Alpheus twins were at last realizing that the events in Jesus’ life were moving quickly toward their final conclusion.