30    The Bible and the Future of the World 

will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for 

us.'   (Mark 9:38 40). 

    The disciples had tried to stop someone from doing something good in 

Jesus' name because he was  not following us.  The Pharisees opposed 

Jesus partly for a similar reason. Jesus, though He did good things, was not 

subject to their authority and control. Jesus didn't get permission from the 

Pharisees before he healed and taught. The people followed Jesus instead of 

the Pharisees. The Pharisees didn't care if Jesus did good or not; they only 

cared if they were able to maintain their authority and control over the 

people. The disciples were behaving like the Pharisees, except for one thing; 

the disciples accepted Jesus' correction, whereas the Pharisees did not. 

    This is a lesson for the Church. The disciples' mistake foreshadows 

similar mistakes by future leaders in the Church, especially during times of 

conflict and division among Christians. Leaders in the Church should not 

try to stop people from doing good works, even when those people are not 

under the authority and control of the leaders. Jesus wants people to be 

allowed to do good works. 

Selling and Buying in the Temple (Mark 11:15 19) 

     And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began  to 

drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he 

overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold 

pigeons; and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the 

temple. And he taught, and said to them, `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.'   (Mark 11:15 17). 

    Jesus drove out both those who sold and those who bought in the temple 

because He objected to both selling and buying in the temple. Even if they 

were selling and buying religious items, and even if the selling and buying 

was done at fair prices, Jesus still objected and was angered by this. The 

temple of Jerusalem, and every Christian church and chapel today, is meant 

by God as a place of prayer, not commerce. 

    A robber is someone who places their own desire and need for money 

above worshipping God and following God's commandments. Those who 

sell and those who buy, in any place of worship, are doing the same thing. 

They are putting the material things they buy, even if these are religious 

items, and the money they receive for selling, above the worship of God. 

Whoever puts commerce, buying or selling, above praying to God, sins. 

    In Christian churches, sometimes people offer items  for free,  but request 

a donation. This is merely another kind of selling. It is wrong for people, 

even if they are nuns or monks or priests, to sell things in the sanctuary.