BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
THE ELITE, the elders, the chief priests and Pharisees, did not accept that message and rejected of Jesus of Nazareth and his mission. They would not or could not change. Their wealth and power was secured by their harsh system. He was feeling the rejection of his message by the religious and political leaders at that time and he challenged and criticized them. They became angry and wanted to kill him. Jesus and his disciples gave them an excuse to outlaw him and put a price on his head. After two years of trying to persuade them to accept the message of peace and justice, Jesus decided to challenge them openly with social action.
He knew the corrupt practices of the chief priests and rich elders. They owned the supply of sacrificial animals and sold them to worshipers through vendors in the market. The market was within the temple grounds. Although sacrilegious, the priests allowed the selling of their animals there and became super rich. They allowed money changers, for a high fee, to set up stalls. They had power and taught the people that to gain blessings from God, they had to buy an animal or even a dove, have it offered in the temple by the priest and slaughtered for a fee. The meat was given to the owner to cook for the Passover feast. It was a roaring business.
Jesus challenged this set up, called it a sacrilege and with his twelve and other followers, set out to close it down. He made a whip out of rope and they charged in swinging ropes and lashing out. Everybody scattered. Jesus kicked over the tables of the money changers and drove out the animals and traders. It was a victory. They had restored the sacred purpose of the temple. After that, they were hated by the elite and the priests for the economic disruption to their business and exposure of their corruption. Jesus and his followers left the city as fugitives and wandered Palestine teaching and doing good.
There was an opposition group in Palestine that was also against the Temple authorities because the chief priest and elders compromised with the occupying Romans. The opposition wanted a charismatic, popular leader to take over power in Jerusalem. They wanted Jesus to be their Messiah, to be King of the Jews. Four thousand of them met in the desert to proclaim him king. He refused and left the meeting and told his disciple to leave also. He wanted no part in a violent uprising.
The opposition used him, declaring him Messiah. His disciples, inspired by the temple action, believed he was the messiah, the one to free Israel from the Romans and the ruling elites in the temple. Jesus tried to dissuade them. They even argued who among them would be his ministers when he was crowned king after the revolution. The word spread he was the messiah, a descendant of King David, to be King of the Jews. Jesus and his followers believed they would be safe in Jerusalem with people supporting and proclaiming Jesus to be the messiah although Jesus did not make such a claim. They went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast and he was proclaimed Messiah as he entered the gates of the city.
There, confrontations with the Pharisees arose in the temple again and the Jewish authorities saw their chance and arrested him, put him on trial and condemned him to death on the false blasphemy charge. They got Pilate, the Roman procurator, to believe that Jesus was a rebel, that he was claiming to be King of the Jews. That was sedition and Pilate ordered him to be executed by cruel crucifixion. That was the false charge they hung him for on the cross. That was not the end of it. Jesus was resurrected, raised from death and walks with us in spirit today. We are expected to carry on his mission. (preda.org)
