Two days later, the preparations for Passover were ramping up. Ezekiel once loved this time of year; however, this time he had a feeling. An awful feeling. Like when a parent knows their child is guilty of something and the truth has not come out in the open. Something was wrong. Try as he might, he couldn’t hide behind his fake smile and be charming like his grandfather. How does he do it? he thought. He has the whole world listening to one of his crazy stories, and their troubles melt away. Ezekiel wanted to be like that, but he just couldn’t. His face couldn’t hide the trouble in his heart.
Still early in the morning, the sunlight was peaking its way through the buildings. Somehow the air felt fresher in the morning. In the city people moved quickly to set up their stands and bring their goods to market. Ezekiel felt a little better. Each breath felt like new life in his lungs, and he was able to push his troubles to the recesses of his mind. The way to Herod’s Temple was relatively quiet as this was a somber week for the Jews—a reminder that the death angel had “passed over” every Hebrew house marked with the blood of a lamb, and a celebration that Yahweh had led them out of slavery and into the Promised Land.
He had grown accustomed to doing his own thing, working hard and having all the time in the world to himself. Now, with so many people in the household, he felt smothered. He walked along alone with his thoughts for quite some time. He didn’t know what to do now that he didn’t have to be out early in the morning to fish. Work was his outlet. With that out of the way, he felt lost. The work of the household seemed meaningless.
He thought it might not hurt to buy the animal that would be sacrificed for the sins of the family that week, so he went to the front gate of the Temple. There he saw Yeshua taking vines and braiding them. He was visibly angry.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”
“Why not?”
Yeshua just looked straight ahead and walked through the gates shouting and turning over the tables. His disciples who had already entered the Temple tried to calm him down.
“It was written that this is supposed to be a house of prayer! Now you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Yeshua shouted. The merchants who were buying and selling began to pick up their coins and merchandise. Some left them there on the Temple floor, too scared to stay. Doves flew from the tables in a circle. Their clipped wings kept them at eye level and they seemed to find the face of everyone who was trying to catch the lambs that were released. Other venders tried to stand in the gate but the sheer number of animals that were released overwhelmed them. Curse words flew as the men tried to redeem the flocks. Ezekiel just stood there amused at the spectacle.
Yeshua pushed past him, saying, “See, I told you that you don’t want to go in there.” Ezekiel was so surprised that a chuckle came from under his breath. Most of the Jews resented the moneychangers for charging their high prices and taking advantage of the lower classes. Ezekiel decided to go to the outskirts of Jerusalem to buy his animals. It would be the first time in a long time that Elyam, as the head of the family, presented the lambs. Most of the time they had to present doves for they were less expensive.
It was not long before Ezekiel found a farmer who was selling lambs suitable for the Day of Atonement. He paid his four coins and walked back to their house with the new animal.