On Holy Monday, reflecting on Gospel of Matthew 21:12–17, we see Jesus cleansing the temple—not out of random anger, but to remove barriers that were making worship difficult and exploitative. The money changers and sellers had turned a place meant for prayer into a system that took advantage of people and hindered their access to God. This moment challenges us not to focus on what “tables” we want to flip, but to examine our own lives: are we, in any way, making it harder for others—or ourselves—to draw near to God? Holy Week invites us to remove those barriers, repent, and create space for deeper connection with Christ.

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Good morning. It’s good to be back with you as we begin Holy Week together.

I’ve taken a little break from Rooted—as some of you know, we took a trip to Ireland, and it’s been a busy season here at St. Matthew’s. I just needed a little time to reset. But I’m glad to be back, and we’ll walk together through Holy Week—one day at a time—and then we’ll see what the rhythm looks like after that.

But for now, let’s focus on this week.

Today is Holy Monday, and one of the key moments we reflect on is Jesus cleansing the temple. We’re reading from Gospel of Matthew 21:12–17.

Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who were buying and selling. He overturns the tables of the money changers and says, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Now, let’s slow down and really understand what’s happening here.

The temple system was built around sacrifice. People would travel—sometimes from far away—to worship. Let’s say you’re coming from Nazareth. You’re probably not bringing your own animals with you. So when you arrive in Jerusalem, you would buy animals for sacrifice at the temple.

That’s why the sellers were there.

But here’s where things go wrong.

First, you couldn’t use Roman currency in the temple because it bore the image of Caesar, who was considered divine. So you had to exchange your money for temple currency. And of course, the money changers took a cut.

Then you’d go to purchase your animal—but the sellers were overcharging. And worse than that, they were often selling animals that weren’t even suitable for sacrifice—animals with blemishes, which the law forbade.

So the system had become exploitative. People were being taken advantage of at every step—financially and spiritually. Worship had been turned into a burden.

That’s why Jesus reacts the way He does.

He isn’t just angry—He’s restoring access.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently removes barriers between people and God. And here, in the temple, He confronts a system that was doing the opposite—putting up obstacles, making it harder to worship, harder to draw near.

So yes, it’s tempting to read this and think about what tables we’d like to flip over. But I think there’s a deeper and more challenging question for us this week.

Where am I at the table?

Is there anything in my life—my attitude, my actions, my words—that might make it harder for someone else to come to God?

And then the second question:

What in my own life is keeping me from God?

What are the barriers I’ve allowed to stay in place? What do I need to let go of?

Holy Week is an invitation.

An invitation to clear the path.

An invitation to remove whatever stands between us and Christ.

Jesus is doing everything He can to bring people near. The question for us is whether we’re willing to do the same—both for others and for ourselves.

So today, take some time to reflect.

Not on the tables you want to flip—but on the tables you might be sitting at.

And ask God to help you step away from anything that hinders you—or someone else—from drawing closer to Him.

Thanks for being with us today. We’ll continue tomorrow with Holy Tuesday.

Have a great day.