Laura Elvington shares in today’s Holy Week devotional: An Unexpected Anger.
In Mark 11:15–17, we see something many don’t expect. The day after His triumphal entry, Jesus enters the temple and overturns the tables of the money changers, declaring, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (ESV)
This wasn’t uncontrolled anger: it was holy zeal. The outer courts — intended as a place of worship — had become a marketplace marked by exploitation and religious hypocrisy. The sacred space was filled with commerce instead of prayer and worship.
Mark tells us Jesus was teaching an important lesson. He still is.
This passage invites honest reflection: Do we treat worship transactionally? Have we allowed empty habits to replace reverence for God?
Jesus overturns more than tables—He restores true worship.
Scripture References:
- Mark 11
- Isaiah 56:7
Reflection Questions:
- What might it look like to open our hearts to the table turning hands of Jesus?
- What false comforts or empty customs might he want to clear away?
- How might God renew our sense of worship and wonder this week?
Related Resources:
- Listen to our worship music playlist to help prepare your heart this Easter.
- View our Holy Week services and plan to worship with us this week.
Additional Devotionals
An Unexpected Resurrection
An Unexpected Silence
An Unexpected Sacrifice
