Mark 11:11-19
"And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again'. And His disciples heard it. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to DRIVE OUT THOSE WHO BOUGHT AND SOLD IN THE TEMPLE and OVERTURNED THE TABLES OF THE MONEYCHANGERS and the SEATS OF THOSE WHO SOLD DOVES. And He WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO CARRY WARES THROUGH THE TEMPLE. Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But YOU HAVE MADE IT 'a den of thieves.' " And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city."
Were buying/selling, money-changing, dove-selling and carrying of wares illegal in Jerusalem? If so, the Roman overseers had full authority to curtail that activity. Assuredly, those activities are a part of day to day living- not righteous, necessarily, neither illegal.
The temple was to be a place of refuge toward God. Prayer really is our approach to Him, FOR HIM! The Jewish people had to learn that somewhere - nowhere better then than the temple (for the born-again believer, our meeting-places where people come of free will to find Him). The scribes/chief priests approach toward God had waned as evidenced by their unwillingness to receive Jesus Christ as He came to them with correction. Their response: destroy Him. The opportunity for Jewish people to come to the temple to find "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" had been hindered. The hindrances were under the watchful eye of that "den of thieves".
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