Fear-Destruction's Motive

Mk. 11:18

"And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy Him, for they feared Him, because all the crowed was astonished at His teaching."

The scribes and priests wanted to destroy Jesus because they feared Him. Historically, it seems that whenever man fears something or someone, the only course of action involves destruction, war, or death. Man destroys what he fears because fear upsets the balance of security and control. When this balance is upset, change happens, and things spiral out of control. In this case, I think it had to do with religion as well as money. In the preceding verse, Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a den of robbers." There are three issues blended together in this indictment. The first deals with the 'house', the temple, and established religion. Jesus' changes were upsetting the priests and scribes. They liked the status quo, because they had established the status quo. They thrived on the control it gave them concerning the content of the law and concerning the participation of the people who participated in this religion. With their minds inflamed, they would consider no other way. So when Jesus exposed them, they did not examine their hearts for the truth of the matter, but instead allowed their fear to propel them into a cycle of destruction.

Their response was intensified even more by Jesus' accusing them of being robbers. They were stealing from the people and from God, misusing and altering the commands of God for the traditions of men, and changing the 'house' of God into a den of robbers. They had corrupted the entire system, and when their corruption was exposed, they had no recourse but to destroy the exposer. Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. These men did not want their deeds exposed by the intense light of the Son of Man.

The third thing that tipped the scribes and priests over the edge was the huge effect that Jesus was having on the crowd, the same crowd they had duped. Mark says that the crowd was astonished at His teaching, His authority, and His message. These religious leaders could read the signs and feel their control slipping away. They knew they must take action. Their Fear had conquered His Truth. How sad!

Father,

As Your Spirit exposes the condition of my heart, help me to respond in humility and not hold on to what I think is the acceptable status quo.

In Jesus name,

Amen