“The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.” (Matthew 21 v 14-17)
Jesus had driven out those moneychangers from the temple who had been exploiting the poor and now remaining there heals people.
But see who he heals. The very people who could not go into the temple because of their sicknesses.
See who are shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ It is the children who are mimicking what they heard as Jesus rode into the city a few hours ago.
Jesus uses Psalm 8 where Yahweh is the focus of the praise and so in referring the Psalm to what the children are doing to him in bringing their shouts of praise he is identifying himself with God, the incarnate God.
Now see the response from those who have witnessed all this. The religious leaders have seen the judgment in the temple, the Messianic healings in the temple and the praise of the Messiah there in the temple. Their response is indignation.
Greed, robbery, abusive power, shunning the outcasts was more acceptable to them than letting Jesus loose in their temple. When a person is full of pride then they only want honour for themselves and cannot stand others receiving what they greedily desire for themselves. There is no sharing of praise. Jealousy is close by even for these annoying little children.
And he left them … and for some churches and temples he doesn’t return. For unless we build a community of worship that welcomes the weakest, the smallest and the most insignificant, unless we build safe places for all, unless religious leaders surrender their pride and ego positions then what we build isn’t a place Jesus is at home.
Missions Paul 