“Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: “My house was designated a house of prayer; But you have made it a hangout for thieves.”
Now there was room for the blind and the crippled to get in.
They came to Jesus, and He healed them.”
— Matthew 21:12–14
“Jesus didn’t flip tables instead of healing—He flipped tables so that healing could happen.” Rev. Sheila P. Spencer
During this past Holy Week, I took time to revisit this scripture. I have read it so many times, yet for some reason the last portion of the reading struck me differently. I just had to continue the conversation. The last verse ……
Now there was room for the blind and the crippled to get in.
They came to Jesus, and He healed them.
Jesus didn’t flip tables instead of healing—He flipped tables so that healing could happen. His boldness cleared the way for those who had been pushed out to enter in and be healed. Jesus was not passive when He saw injustice or corruption. He disrupted the systems that distorted the sacred. Jesus made space for those who were on the outside, he cleared the pathway so there could be healing,
The message I received from the passage is this:
The Jesus who flipped tables still exists.
He was able to recognize injustice and discern
the tables that must be overturned.
Jesus still walks into our lives, discerning what doesn’t belong and lovingly—but firmly—turning over what gets in the way of God’s presence.
The question is:
What tables need to be overturned in us? Is it fear?
Is it unforgiveness, pride, or shame?
Is it fill in the blank?
What tables need to be overturned by us?
Maybe the tables we need to flip are the ones that make it hard for others to belong—unspoken rules, biased systems, or even everyday habits that keep some people out while letting others in. I recently thanked a colleague in ministry for he does in advocating for the marginalized and his ministry that truly flips tables in the face of injustice. His commitment to those who are often overlooked is inspiring, and I thanked him for all that he does, often unrecognized. Not that he does it for recognition, but I had to acknowledge how he flips tables.
Are there patterns, mindsets, or distractions that have taken up sacred space in our hearts?
One of my reminders from the passage is this:
The Jesus who flipped tables still exists.
He flipped tables because of injustice discerned.
What in our lives needs to be overturned?
I believe this is one of the messages from the scripture today:
To examine what in our lives needs to be cleared away.
What tables in your life need to be flipped so that God’s healing presence can move in more freely?
Remember, the Jesus who flipped tables still walks among us—loving us enough to disrupt what no longer serves our purpose. Calling us to address injustices.
