Cleansing The Temple

 "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not permit that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying to them, Is it not written, "My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?"  but you have made it a den of thieves." Mk:11:15-17

When Jesus and his Disciples came to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, they entered the Temple of God which was the very center of Israel relationship with the Great God. Here, in this place which was meant to be Holy, they find instead that many were capitalizing and merchandising the people for their own gain.

 Jesus is moved by this sight to confront and drive out those who were using God's house for their own materiel gain.

The zeal of God burned within Jesus, as he and aggressively moved to confront the merchandisers and those who used their position to get where they wanted to go socially and economically at the expense of the people.

Placed Early in St. John’s Gospel

When we look at what Jesus did here at the Temple, his actions speak to us about the very reason that our Lord has come.

If we turn to the Gospel of St. John’s account in Jhn: 2:13-22, we see, that, unlike the other accounts found in the synoptic Gospels, this event is placed at the very onset of Jesus' ministry rather than at the end as is recorded in Mk:11:15-17, Matt:21:12-13; Lk:19:45-46.  Many have wondered if these accounts describe one or two different events.

Some Biblical Scholars view St. John’s account, as St. John, by way of a literary device of placing the Cleansing of the Temple at the onset of his Gospel account, as providing us a glimpse into the whole mission of our Lord.

For St. John, it is not important when the event occurred, but rather, what it means to us.  That is, St John is telling us what Jesus’ whole ministry and mission was and  continues to be, that of Cleaning the Temple courts of our lives. Restoring us by Grace into a right relationship with God.

 In the Outer Courts 

What did Jesus do? The Temple at Jerusalem was the focus of Israel's relationship with God. This relationship was being used by some of the religious leaders for their own gain, and in doing so, others were being kept out. They had turned religion into a business.

St. John tells us that this event occurred at the time of the Passover, which was the commemoration of the people of Israel being set free from Egyptian bondage. This was a time when the people should have been reverently worshiping the Great God that was born out of a right relationship with Him.

"When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover" Jhn:2:13

Jesus however, what he finds in the courts of the Temple is that it is filled with men who were engaged in the buying and selling of sacrificial animals.  This religious "market place” was found in the very outer courts of the temple which was the Court of the Gentiles, the only place that Gentiles were permitted to pray at within the Temple complex.

The Temple complex which was sectioned off by a barricade from the other courts   and the Court of Woman. These two groups were given only limited access to the Temple under this system.

These two courts were the furthest away from the Sanctuary, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Gentiles and woman were not permitted to go any closer to the inner courts, these areas were reserved for men and the Priest alone.
 
 " In the temple courts Jesus found people selling cattle, sheep and doves"(14a)

Consider, what the effect having livestock penned up would have had. Animals produce waist, the smell of dung would be in the air. It would have created a rather offensive situation and would have diminished the sanctity   of the Temple and what it was intended to be. This offensive smell and would keep others way because of the stench.
 
Jesus also witnessed men who had set up tables and were engaged in exchanging the legal money for the Temple coinage which had no value outside of the courts. The  rule was that only Temple Coins could be given in the Temple offering pots, the legal coins needed to be exchanged, in the process there was deflated value, people would trade in valued currency for near worthless coins.

" and others sitting at tables exchanging money."(14b)

 The only ones who profited were the money changers and their religious host who authorized the exchange.

Driven Out Over Turned 

Jesus' reaction is one of righteous indignation and he acts upon it, Jesus chases the money changers and scatters their coins as Jesus declared that, for the sake of profit they have distorted the relationship which they were meant to have with God.

 "So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (15-17)

 Jesus is not just being "theatrical”, but Jesus is showing that a change is now to come. The whole system, which was a distortion of the Covenant that God had made with Israel which was in place, was to come to an end.

The religious establishment had "abused" the system for their own gain and good at the expenses of the very people, whom they were to be serving.

  St. Mark adds to the account giving us a better understand. St. Mark tells us that somewhere using the Temple as a shot cut to get where they wanted to go. If we walk in courts of the Temple, it should be for the purpose of worship not our own social or economic advancement, that is to, "get where we want to go".

 "Jesus would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts". Mk: 11:16

Jesus does not want anyone using Temple as a short cut to get to where ever they want to go.

That selfish distortion of "performance” based religion, stank as did the dung of the animals penned up in the courts. That tells us that when we have this type of "religion" it stinks and keeps people away, keeps them in the "outer courts", far from the Holy of Holies, or worse,  keeps them out of the Church which is the Temple itself altogether that is ,  a religion of legalism  can turn people off.  

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"1Cor3:16

  Church the Temple

We, Christians are to be a Holy Temple, where no stench of dung and exchange of money is found, that is using religion for our own gain and good. .

We are to be walking in the Grace of God, and that is, the same Grace that is shown to us should be shown others, that there is nothing keeping any from drawing near to the Holy of Holies.  They should not be kept away by "merchandising activity" which is selfishness, in the Court of our hearts, they should see pure hearts transformed by God's place in our lives. 

 Our lives should proclaim that Jesus has entered the courts of our lives and cleansed the Temple of our hearts, that we are washed clean and have experienced the forgiveness that he has for any and all who will but freely receive it.

"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."Matt:26:28

Jesus' sacrifice sets us free to walk in forgiveness. We can live under the New Covenant, that new relationship that is for all people, not just Israel. This New Covenant is for people all nations. There are no receding courts that limit any from coming near, no boundary that admits only a few select ones. But God has opened the way through Jesus and his death on the Cross and now  none need stand afar off in the outer courts.

   "And as Jesus taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" Mk:11:17

 Jesus was in so many word "truing over the tables of the covenant"  , so that none be limited of prevented from knowing the great God but come to him.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,  by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, "Eph:2:13-15

 Jesus did this by his perfect sacrifice and his following resurrection. Jesus speaks of this in response to the religious leaders inquire as to by what authority he acted in the Temple.

Jesus has authority to bring any and all near, to stand within his courts of his Temple of his church and worship, to have the money changers of our natures driven out, forgiven and washed clean by his blood.

"The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken” Jhn:2:18-22

Jesus' resurrection is the evidence that he has come to cleanse the Temple court of our lives and dispose of an abused system of religion, and restore us to a proper relationship with the Great God bringing any and all near to Jesus that we might be a Cleansed Temple in which the Lord God is worshiped and honored now and forever.

Benediction: May we each and all, have our hearts made pure of all the money changes of our nature driven out, today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen.

 Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma