In today’s Gospel Jesus is challenged by some Jewish Temple authorities about His actions in the Temple, specifically His “cleansing” of the Temple. Jesus as a Jew recognized the holiness of the Jerusalem Temple and the presence of God in the Temple. Yet like the prophet Jeremiah before him Jesus prophetically challenges what is being done in the Temple: “My house shall be a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13; Jeremiah 7:11).
The prophet Jeremiah threatened the destruction of the Temple because the people failed to practice social justice:
“Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with your neighbor; if you no longer oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow after other gods to your own harm…” (Jeremiah 7:5-6).
The Jewish authorities wanted to put the prophet Jeremiah to death because of his Temple actions. In a similar way in today’s Gospel the Temple authorities challenge Jesus: “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus poses a counter-question concerning the authority of John the Baptist. Was his baptism from God or from human origin?
Some religious leaders, both Jewish and Christian, think they can control or restrict God’s authority and God’s actions. They do not like prophets because they challenge their views and authority. Usually, these religious leaders want to restrict this authority to themselves. This arrogance is really the height of folly since: “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).