If the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, the question is: “Are there still good men in our country today? What exactly are you doing to end corruption? How zealous are you for righteousness?” The book of Sirach in today’s first reading says: “I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for good, and I shall never be disappointed.” (Sirach 51:18). They were silent because they had nothing to say against Jesus. “Where did He get such audacity?” Since they could not tell the source of John the Baptist’s authority, Jesus refused to tell them the basis of His authority. Jesus knew his action would ultimately lead to his death, but he was ready for the outcome. Wherever corruption becomes institutionalised, one must be ready to pay the ultimate price to restore sanity. Externally, they gave the impression of holiness, but their hearts were devilish. They exercised both spiritual and economic power over the people. Evil triumphed because good men did nothing. Many people knew about the corruption going on in the temple, but they said nothing. Imagine exchanging your money at a crazy rate and then using what you get to buy so-called approved animals only to still offer these animals to the people in charge of the trade. Also, the religious leaders refused to accept the local currencies of pilgrims.
As these pilgrims could not travel with their animals for sacrifice, they had to buy at highly exorbitant prices in the temple.
The House of Prayer had become reduced to a den of robbersĪt the time of Jesus, the temple attracted pilgrims from all over the world. “The scribes and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” (Mark 11:27-28)Īccording to Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.” For far too long, evil triumphed in the temple such that persons possessed with demons could go in and out of the temple undetected.
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