Overturning Tables: Following Jesus in a World of Exploitation
Scripture Reference: Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–18
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers (Matt. 21:12-13).
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers. 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (Mk. 11:15-18)
The Overturning of Tables
Jesus didn’t quietly protest economic injustice—he flipped tables. He didn’t write a letter to the temple leaders. He didn’t call for patience or gradual reform. He took immediate, disruptive action. And his fury wasn’t random. It was targeted at those who used sacred space to exploit others. So here’s a hard question: are we sitting comfortably at tables that Jesus would have overturned?
Economic Injustice in the Temple Courts
In both Matthew and Mark, we see Jesus confront those who profited from religious rituals. The money changers weren’t just vendors—they were predators. They inflated exchange rates and sold sacrificial animals at a markup, exploiting the poor who came to worship. The temple, meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, had become a pay-to-play religious racket.
Jesus didn’t just call this corrupt—he called it robbery. That word matters. Robbery implies force, deceit, and injustice. And by overturning the tables, Jesus wasn't just cleaning up a marketplace. He was making a declaration: God’s vision of justice includes economic fairness.
Are Today’s Churches Guilty of the Same?
If we apply this story to today, we have to ask uncomfortable questions. Have modern institutions of faith—our churches, nonprofits, and even activist organizations—become more invested in status and money than in justice? Are we upholding systems that enrich the few while burdening the many?
Sometimes, we want a seat at the table more than we want to change the table. We excuse exploitation because we benefit from it. We remain silent when policies cheat the elderly, the poor, and the disabled. We worship economic growth without questioning who’s being left behind or crushed in the process. But Jesus didn't flip the tables just because people were making money. He flipped them because they were stealing under the guise of religious legitimacy.
The Fear of Equity and the Gospel That Threatens Power
Mark tells us that after Jesus overturned the tables, the religious leaders wanted to kill him. Why? Because he threatened their power. His gospel was dangerous—it put the poor first, made room for outsiders, and challenged exploitative systems. His teachings called people to prayer, not profit. Inclusion, not exclusion.
Today, we still see powerful people fear a gospel of equity. They panic when diverse coalitions rise up to demand justice. They sabotage policies that would level the playing field. They fear a church—or a society—that welcomes all nations, because that means they must relinquish their monopoly on power, privilege, and wealth.
Overturning the Tables in Our Time
So what does it mean to be faithful to Jesus’ actions in our time? It means standing with the defrauded and the displaced. It means challenging the systems—whether religious, political, or economic—that use people’s faith or labor as leverage for profit.
We must confront trade deals that benefit corporate giants while devastating local economies. We must question tax codes and loopholes that let the ultra-wealthy hoard billions while basic needs go unmet. We must stop worshiping the stock market and start serving our neighbors. And yes, sometimes we must flip tables.
The rat race wants us to climb our way to a seat at the table. But Jesus calls us to turn the table over if it’s built on exploitation.
A House of Prayer, Not a Den of Thieves
If we want to be a house of prayer for all nations, we must start with economic justice. There’s no room for worship where there is no fairness. There's no righteousness in faith that’s blind to theft dressed up as business-as-usual.
Let us stand with Jesus. Let us stand with those who are stolen from. Let us refuse to sit at any table built on the backs of others. Let us make sacred spaces safe again—not for profits, but for people.
Amanda Golden-Peace, The Misogynoir to Mishpat Research Network © 2025