Matthew 21:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Jews deserve greater scrutiny since Christ performed these acts multiple times, yet they persisted in conducting business within the temple and accused Him of opposing God. They failed to recognize the reverence He demonstrated toward the Father and His divine authority. They witnessed His miracles and the consistency between His words and deeds, yet remained unconvinced and even grew resentful, despite the prophets’ declarations and the praises of the young men, who had not yet reached maturity. Consequently, as He admonished them, He invoked the words of the prophet Isaiah: "My house shall be called a house of prayer."

Those who sell ecclesiastical titles are akin to merchants of doves, trading the grace of the Holy Spirit, who once descended in the form of a dove. They are expelled from the temple for their unworthiness to hold the priesthood. Reflect upon how to avoid transforming the temple of God—your mind—into a den of robbers, which are akin to demons. Our thoughts become a cradle if we allow ourselves to dwell on material concerns such as buying and selling for profit, causing us to gather the smallest of coins. In a similar fashion, we create a den of robbers for ourselves if we engage in the commerce of doves, suggesting that we lose the spiritual discernment and understanding inherent within us.

People journeying from afar often lacked animals for sacrifice, prompting the priests to create a marketplace where they sold various sacrificial animals on-site. In providing a service to the poor, the priests also sought to profit from these transactions. However, transactions were frequently unsuccessful due to the buyers’ lack of means, as many were struggling financially and could not afford even inexpensive offerings. Thus, to address the needs of the impoverished, the priests employed money changers who offered loans under collateral.

Yet, since the law forbade charging interest, it was crucial not to profit from borrowed money, which not only lacked benefit but could potentially be lost. Consequently, they devised a system involving something akin to what we term "Collybistas." While there’s no appropriate translation in Latin for this term, collywas referred to small, inexpensive gifts provided to guests — items like roasted peas, raisins, and various fruits. Since they couldn’t legally accept extra money, the Collyvites accepted other items in exchange for their services, evading the restrictions imposed on them, much like what Ezekiel warned against, declaring that one should not take interest or excessive returns. Observing these corrupt practices in His Father’s house, and fueled by righteous zeal—as articulated in the Sixty-eighth Psalm: zeal for your house consumes me—Jesus fashioned a whip of cords and expelled the multitude from the temple, stating, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” Truly, a robber is he who exploits faith for profit, transforming God’s temple into a place of commerce when service to God devolves into mere financial transactions.

This message has a plain meaning. In a sacramental sense, the Lord daily enters His Father's temple, driving out bishops, presbyters, deacons, laypeople, and all who gather there, deeming both sellers and buyers equally culpable, for it is written, "Freely you have received, freely give." He toppled the tables of the money changers, as the altars of God are likened to money changers’ tables due to the avarice of the priests. He also overturned the seating of those selling doves, symbolizing those who commodify the grace of the Holy Spirit, seeking to exploit the faithful, as it is written, “They devour My people as food.” The doves were housed in cages rather than on seats, which were merely occupied by their sellers. This distinction is noteworthy since the act of sitting symbolizes the honor of teaching, which loses its value when tainted by greed.

Each individual must reflect on what has been conveyed regarding the Church in relation to themselves, for the Apostle asserts, “You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Let there be no commerce, no buying, no selling, and no yearning for possessions within the sanctuary of our hearts, lest Jesus enters in His anger and cleanses our temple with a whip, transforming it back into a house of prayer from a den of thieves and a center of trade.

Thus, if you wish for your time in the sanctuary to reflect a genuine encounter with the Lord, it is essential to prepare by leading a life grounded in prayer and faithfulness. By engaging in this diligent practice, you will gradually learn to stand in reverent awe within the sanctuary consistently. This same reverence will then permeate your everyday actions, allowing you to ascend spiritually. May the Lord guide you as you begin this journey.

To this decisive act, the Lord added a powerful rebuke and teaching: He stated, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations; but YOU have made it a den of thieves, due to your selfishness," echoing the words of the prophets (Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11). The temple was meant to be a universal sanctuary, where all noble and virtuous souls, in search of the one Creator, could find solace, particularly at a time when polytheism was naturally declining, and more Gentiles were yearning to worship the One God. Many were coming to Jerusalem to witness Jewish worship and even to embrace the Law of Moses. In such times, the grandeur of the divine service conducted in the Jerusalem temple was significant, as was the outer court, which Gentiles could not enter. Reflecting on the Lord's stern remarks to the merchants, Blessed Theophylact cautioned: "Ensure that the temple of God, which is your heart, does not become a den of thieves, a dwelling for demons. This occurs when our minds are consumed by earthly concerns, fixated on commerce, or when our love of money leads us to obsess over the smallest coin. We transform ourselves into a den of robbers when we misplace spiritual gifts." St. Philaret remarked, "You hear God declaring to you that the temple is His dwelling." Contemplate standing in the house of the Lord, within the courts of our God (Ps. 133:1). Once you enter the sanctuary, remember how close the presence of the Almighty is! God is here, near to us, enveloping us with His glory. The heavenly hosts surround and dwell among us. How remarkable that the earth remains steady! How can the sinner bear the weight of His presence? Here dwells the Almighty: "let all the earth tremble before Him!" Let humanity bow in humility! Let the sinner cry out! Here is the all-good God. May every breath sing His praises! May those who find no solace in worldly things be comforted! Let the sinner never lose hope. God Himself calls the temple His abode, yet it must become a house of prayer through humanity. The prayers in the Jerusalem temple were persistently offered: the psalms of David were sung, and sacrifices were made, especially when our Lord was present. The presence of greed and secular concerns turned the temple into a den of thieves; the pursuit of profit in God's house rendered the vendors contemptible in the eyes of the Lord, akin to robbers claiming the spoils. Since every passion is contemptible in God's sight, and all worldly distractions are unbecoming of His house, reflect, visitor of the holy temple: how do you approach it, and what significance do your actions impart? What should we do if sinful thoughts continue to plague us even within the temple, akin to festering wounds, tainting its sanctity? Let us boldly and humbly lay our weaknesses before the Lord of the temple, imploring Him not to cast us away but rather to heal our afflictions, just as He healed all who approached Him in faith in the Jerusalem temple.

Additionally, they should have reflected on Jeremiah's prophecy: "Is not this house, over which My name is called, become a den of robbers in your eyes?" (Jeremiah 7:11).

The Jewish people were also aware that when Solomon erected the first temple, which was later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, he prayed publicly, asking God to hear the pleas of any foreigner who approached: "Even the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a land far away for the sake of Your great name... and prays at this temple, Thou shalt hear... and do all that the foreigner shall call upon Thee, that all the nations of the earth... shall know that this house is called by Thy name" (2 Chronicles 6:32-33). Yet now, that very temple, envisioned by its original architect as a sanctuary inviting foreigners to worship the one true God, has been degraded into a marketplace, giving the impression to outsiders of being a den of robbers instead of a house of prayer.

ony; 5) Some treat the church merely as a convenient location for socializing or, regrettably, even for more disgraceful activities; 6) Individuals bring and use trivial items, such as tobacco, within the church; and 7) They pass or drive by the altar with irreverence, accompanied by songs and shouting, whereas a God-fearing Christian approaches the altar with humility, uncovering their head and making the sign of the cross. The Scripture urges us, “set your heart toward the entrance of the temple” (Ezek. 44:5); “Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord” (Mal. 2:11); “they shall not approach the altar” (Num. 18:3); “my temple shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

He did not even permit individuals to disrupt the sanctity of the space by traversing it with their wares, treating it as a mere thoroughfare. The vast assembly of Jews, at times comprising two or three million, flooded the holy city during the festival week, making the court of the Gentiles a more disgraceful and noisy sight than usual, particularly as on that day the paschal lamb was selected and purchased by the worshippers in accordance with the law. Yet, nothing could excuse the transformation of the house of the Most High—a house of prayer for all nations—into a den reminiscent of darkened hiding places where thieves split their stolen gains. He did not commence His customary teachings until the temple had been restored to a state of respectability and tranquility. Fortunately, this task was made simpler as it had already been accomplished before.

The Lord compares the merchants operating in the temple to thieves because "the desire for greed is akin to a thieving passion" (Theophilus); those sellers motivated by self-interest mirrored the actions of robbers. This comparison emphasizes the impropriety of conducting such secular commerce within the sacred precincts of God's holy temple.