After Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), He went into the temple to see the market of stalls selling animals and birds; and the money changers. Why were they there, in the temple? Well, the temple authorities decreed that people could not use the common coinage to give to God or to buy sacrifices - because the Roman money was 'unclean'. So, worshippers had to buy temple money from a moneychanger who added a large commission. They then used that money to purchase ceremonially-clean doves or lambs for sacrifice at an inflated price.

Jesus Christ had come to earth to bring people back to worshipping the true God. He found that the worship-place had become a market-place where traders conspired together to defraud the worshippers of their money and God of His honour. Jesus knew what He would see and what needed to be done. He had to expose greed dressed up in religious clothing and demonstrate that the traders were worshipping a false god, Money (Matthew 6:24).

The Lord Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 as He pushed over the trading tables - spilling their corrupt earnings onto the floor. Then He released the live animals, making the dealers run out in fear. He spoke the truth about their activities, and nobody denied it. He spoke the truth about God's house which had been consecrated to the honour of God, and not the greed of humanity. Although they thought that sacrifice was a business opportunity to make them rich, Jesus on the cross would show that true sacrifice is a willingness to lose everything (Matthew 16:24). His vigorous display of indignation was a small foretaste of God's wrath on all who seek their own greatness at the expense of His glory (Colossians 3:5-6).

Greedy Christians are a disgrace to the gospel (which is rooted in the grace of giving). This ranges from theft of money, fraudulent requests for charitable giving, to unfair trading and pricing. This thought may not be well received by those who make money from their involvement with spiritual ministries; but neither was Jesus well received by the temple traders. The key questions for all ministries are, 'how does it honour God, give to God and serve the purposes of God?', not ‘what can I get out of it?’ God does supply the needs of His servants, but when people serve Him for what they can gain, they are in the wrong job. This is a sobering passage which demands careful personal consideration, however well you have previously justified your financial activities.