9
destruction
32
for in Jesus' taking of his cup
33
the Temple, its worship (the sacrificial
system), worshippers, and worship leaders were doomed soon passé in the light of the
Cross, resurrection, a veil-rending `new age,' and the coming physical destruction of
Jerusalem just four decades hence.
Jesus charge against the lestoi (thieves) is no indictment of petty merchants
minding shop in the Temple courts. His indictment was leveled against those of higher
moral and spiritual accountability the power brokers of the Temple and Israel's worship
traditions. For they were not only robbing of YHWH's place but were organized brigands,
rebels holding the Lord's House hostage like it was a Zealot hold out.
34
In this cacophonous scene Jesus began to heal and teach while children's jubilant
Hosanna song continued to resound in the courts. In verse 15, however, the chief priests
and the scribes
35
are incensed by Jesus' violence and are indignant at the children's
chants due to the messianic overtones. The chief priests and the scribes correctly viewed
this as a challenge to their legitimacy. They demand of Him, "
ajkouvei" tiv ou|toi levgousin
?"
(v. 16), thus marking the first challenge-riposte scene in chapters 21-23.
36
Jesus'
enemies operate out of a clear sense of his claim to role and status and have posed a
hard question intent on undermining or proving his claims false. As dauntless challenger,
Jesus' riposte is in the form of his own question. He will not play the part of a hapless
defendant; but rather, as the accusing plaintiff. Jesus asks, "
oujdevpote ajnevgnwte o{ti
jEk
32
N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Fortress, 1996), 419; et al.
33
Matthew 27:27-28; 39.
34
It is would be better to render
lh/sthv~
"brigands" except for its archaic sense in modern English, so
"insurrectionists or revolutionists" is superior to "petty thieves," since the connotation of their wicked grip on
power is likened to a Mafia-esque picture of organized corruption. Josephus indeed used the term for Zealots.
BADG, 473; NIDNTT, 377-78.
35
Throughout the Temple conflict narrative various factions of Israel's leadership united against Jesus
making for strange bedfellows .; e.g., the Pharisees and the Herodians in 22:15-22. Here (v. 15) the Chief
Priests oppose Jesus with the Scribes. The term
oiJ grammatei`"
is often rendered "teachers of the Law" and
the group was most frequently associated with the party of the Pharisees. Yet, some scribes come from a
priestly, Sadducean aristocracy. Therefore, it is unclear if here these were scribes of the Pharisees or those
allied with the high priests of the Sadducean cast. Where Mark disparages both the scribes and the
Pharisees, Matthew more often discriminates between the groups and saves his venomous rebuke for the
Pharisees in chapter 23. See G. H. Twelftree, "Scribes," in Dictionary of Jesus and Gospels , 734-35.