King of the Jews | Page 2

astonished merchants
in the temple, exclaimed, in words of imperious authority: "Away with
you from here, servants to Mammon! I command it. Take what belongs
to you and quit the holy place!"
One of the traders exclaimed in terror: "Come, let us go, that his wrath
destroy us not."
Then the priests, recovering somewhat their self-possession, stepped
forward to remonstrate. "Why troublest thou this people?" they asked.
"Everything here is for sacrifice. How canst thou forbid that which the
council has allowed?" And then the traders, led by one Dathan, chimed
in, in eager chorus: "Must there then be no more sacrifices?"
For answer Jesus stood forth and exclaimed: "There is room enough
outside the temple for your business. 'My house,' says the Lord, 'shall
be called a house of prayer for all nations;' you have made it a den of
thieves."
And then crying, "Away with all this!" with one vigorous movement he
overturned the tables of the money-changers.
A rabbi exclaimed: "This must not be--thou darest not do this!" but his
voice passed unheeded in the tumult. The earthenware vessels fell
crashing to the ground, the money was scattered over the floor. Some
of the dismayed merchants crying, "My money, oh! my money,"
scrambled for the glittering coins. Others stared in fury at the
unceremonious intruder. Half a dozen doves, released from their wicker
baskets, took to flight amid the despairing lamentation of their owners:
"Oh, my doves; who will compensate me for this loss?"
Their lamentations were rudely cut short. A small rope was hanging

near by. Seizing it in the middle and twisting it once or twice round his
hand, Jesus converted it into a whip of cords, with which he drove out
the traders. "Away! get you hence. I will that this desecrated place be
restored to the worship of the Father!"
The traders fled, but the priests remained, and, after muttering together,
they asked in angry tones: "By what miraculous sign dost thou prove
that thou hast the power to act in this wise?"
Jesus answered them: "You seek after a sign; yea, a sign shall be given
unto you. Destroy this temple, and in three days I will have built it up
again."
The priests replied, contempt mingling with indignation in their tones:
"What a boastful declaration! Six and forty years was this temple in
building, and thou wilt build it up again in three days!"
At this point the children who had been standing around watching the
altercation with the dealers, cried out in unison with their elders:
"Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord!"
The priests, shocked at their homage, were sorely displeased, and
appealed to Jesus, saying: "Hearest thou what they say? Forbid them!"
They paused for his reply.
Then Jesus answered and said unto them: "I say unto you, if they were
silent the very stones would cry out."
Encouraged by this emphatic approval, the children cried out once
more, louder than ever, the sound of their childish voices filling the
temple: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
Then the Pharisees, who stood by the overthrown tables of the
money-changers, spoke up and said angrily to the little ones: "Silence,
you silly children!"
Jesus turned to them and said: "Have you never read 'Out of the mouths

of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.' That which is hidden
from the proud is revealed unto babes?" And as the priests and
Pharisees muttered in indignation among themselves, he continued:
"For the Scripture must be fulfilled. The stone which the builders
rejected is become the headstone of the corner. The Kingdom of God
shall be taken from you and it shall be given to a people which shall
bring forth the fruits thereof. But that stone, whosoever shall fall upon
it shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind him to
powder. Come, my disciples, I have done what the Father has
commanded me, I have vindicated the honor of his house. The darkness
remains darkness, but in many hearts it will soon be day. Let us go into
the inner court of the temple that we may there pray unto the Father."
Thereupon Jesus, followed by his disciples, disappeared in the interior
of the temple, while the people cried aloud as with one voice: "Praise
be to the anointed one!" and the priests said angrily: "Silence, rabble!"
The Pharisees adding: "Ye shall all be overthrown with your leader."
To which the crowd responded by crying louder than ever: "Blessed be
the Kingdom of David which again appears!"
Then Nathanael, a leading man in the Sanhedrin, tall and well favored,
wearing a horned mitre, and possessing the tongue of an orator, stood
forth, and seeing Jesus had departed and that there was now no