"There came to this feast those who were suffering, those who were in want and distress. The blind, the lame, the deaf, were there. Some were brought on beds. Many came who were too poor to purchase the humblest offering for the Lord, too poor even to buy food with which to satisfy their own hunger. These were greatly distressed by the statements of the priests. The priests boasted of their piety; they claimed to be the guardians of the people; but they were without sympathy or compassion. The poor, the sick, the dying, made their vain plea for favor. Their suffering awakened no pity in the hearts of the priests. DA 157.1"
"The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
The EGW passage describes the presence of the suffering and the poor at the feast, contrasting their needs with the priests' lack of compassion. This thematically parallels Matthew 11:5, which lists the healing of the blind, lame, deaf, and the preaching to the poor as signs of Jesus' ministry. While not a direct quote, the themes of poverty, suffering, and lack of compassion are strongly present in both passages.
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"
Both passages address the issue of neglecting the needs of the poor and suffering while professing piety. The EGW passage describes the priests' lack of compassion, while James condemns those who offer empty words of comfort without providing practical help. The connection is strong and relevant.
"As Jesus came into the temple, He took in the whole scene. He saw the unfair transactions. He saw the distress of the poor, who thought that without shedding of blood there would be no forgiveness for their sins. He saw the outer court of His temple converted into a place of unholy traffic. The sacred enclosure had become one vast exchange. DA 157.2"
"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,"
This is a direct retelling and interpretation of the event described in Matthew 21:12, focusing on the commercialization of the temple and Jesus's reaction.
"Christ saw that something must be done. Numerous ceremonies were enjoined upon the people without the proper instruction as to their import. The worshipers offered their sacrifices without understanding that they were typical of the only perfect Sacrifice. And among them, unrecognized and unhonored, stood the One symbolized by all their service. He had given directions in regard to the offerings. He understood their symbolical value, and He saw that they were now perverted and misunderstood. Spiritual worship was fast disappearing. No link bound the priests and rulers to their God. Christ's work was to establish an altogether different worship. DA 157.3"
"And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise."
Both passages describe Jesus's reaction to the commercialization of the temple and the misunderstanding of its true purpose. The EGW passage expands on the spiritual implications of the event, connecting it to the need for genuine worship.
"how the love of God will be concealed from sinners, and men will make merchandise of His grace. As He beholds the scene, indignation, authority, and power are expressed in His countenance. The attention of the people is attracted to Him. The eyes of those engaged in their unholy traffic are riveted upon His face. They cannot withdraw their gaze. They feel that this Man reads their inmost thoughts, and discovers their hidden motives. Some attempt to conceal their faces, as if their evil deeds were written upon their countenances, to be scanned by those searching eyes. DA 157.4"
"And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Both passages describe Jesus's reaction to the corruption in the temple. The EGW passage elaborates on the emotional and psychological impact of Jesus's presence on those engaged in the 'unholy traffic,' while the Matthew verse quotes Jesus's condemnation of their actions.