In the 2010 movie Toy Story 3 a series of mishaps leaves Woody separated from his friends, who find themselves imprisoned at Sunnyside Daycare, and at the mercy of the cruel and bitter teddy bear Lotso. This is his domain and he rules it with an iron fist, (well paw to be more exact). When Woody finds his way to Sunnyside with a message of freedom and a plan of escape for all who wish to follow, he quickly incurs the wrath of Lotso, who decides that his only course of action is to have Woody destroyed. Vested interests just don’t like to be challenged.
And so as Jesus walked away from the Temple courts having overturned the tables of the market-traders and driven them out with a whip, storm clouds quickly gather. Jesus’ message of freedom and forgiveness centered on himself enrages the religious rulers because it threatens their position. They complain bitterly that the “whole world has gone after him!” As with so many vested interests they conclude that their only option is to kill Jesus, on the assumption that with him out of the way, things will return to normal. But this is no normal story – this is God’s story, and as always things will turn out the way he has planned.