Holy Monday

“Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there…” – Luke 19:45 (NRSV)

On Holy Monday, we remember Jesus entering the temple and turning over the tables of the money changers. It is a jarring image—Jesus, the Prince of Peace, taking bold and disruptive action.

This moment is not about anger for anger’s sake. It is about love—God’s fierce love for justice, for truth, and for people who are being exploited in holy spaces. Jesus wasn’t just flipping tables; he was flipping the expectations of what religion should look like. He was clearing space so that the temple might once again become a house of prayer for all people.

Holy Monday reminds us that sometimes love disrupts. Sometimes love says, “This is not okay.” Sometimes love speaks truth to power, even when it’s costly. As we journey through this week, we are invited to examine our own lives and the institutions we’re part of. Are there tables in our hearts that need overturning? Are there practices in our churches or communities that keep others from drawing near to God?

Let us walk with Christ into Holy Week not just as observers, but as participants—willing to be changed, willing to be challenged, willing to be made new.