Jesus Cleanses The Temple

TSJ 04-03-2018

John 2: 13-25: Jesus clears the Temple

This morning's Gospel reading blows a hole in our comfortable view of Jesus being "Gentle Jesus meek and mild.".

He was anything else but meek and mild

This morning we see Jesus clearing the money changers out of the Temple.

We read in verse 15 how he made a whip of chords to drive them out and said:

"How dare you turn my Father's house into a market".

Why was Jesus so violent?

I was always taught that being angry and using force is wrong. But is that correct?.

Can you imagine Jesus getting anywhere by going up to the moneylenders coughing discretely and saying:

"Excuse me, fellows - this is mean to be a house of prayer not a street market. Would you mind closing up shop and moving on!"

No, he would have been laughed out of court.

It needed firmer action.

You see I don't believe Jesus was out of control - but the money changers needed firm encouragement to leave.

I believe that Jesus shows us that there are occassions when we can be angry.

And there are times when we have to take physical action.

Story: I have the utmost respect for Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Liberal theologian who felt that Hitler was so evil that he had to join the conspiracy to physically kill Hitler.

Sadly the plot failed and Bonhoeffer was executed for his part in the July 1944 plot.

He prayed about whether he should take part and felt that God was calling him to join an armed conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler.

But back to our Gospel reading .

So what made Jesus so angry that he took a whip to the money changers?

1. Misuse of the Temple

The first reason was that those who claimed to be “children of God” were not living up to their calling.

They were abusing the people.

You might ask “Well, what they were doing was no worse than the Romans who taxed the people exhorbitantly.

So why didn't Jesus go and sort them out.”

But was it “no worse than the Romans”??

You see I think Jesus' anger was directed at the hypocrisy of those who called themselves God's people.

Jesus expects higher standards from people, who profess to love God and yet are living a contary lifestyle.

The Temple should have been

1.1 A place to pray

This passage from John’s Gospel does not tell us expressis verbis what Jesus thought about what the true use of the Temple should have been.

But if look in the Synoptic Gospels to another time when Jesus cleansed the Temple, we see what Jesus thought the Temple should be.

In Matt. 21:13 Jesus said:

It is written 'My house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves'"

The Temple should have been a house of prayer and not a market place - a house of merchandise.

Which brought me to reflect a bit on on "Prayer".

I must confess I don't find prayer easy.

Prayer on Sunday is fine, but the Scripture teaches that we must bring God into all areas of our lives.

In other words into my life on Monday to Saturday as well.

God is interested in all aspects of my life for example

1. When expenditure exceeds income.

2.When I go for “that really fantastic” job or

3. When I or my family become ill.

I tend to be a worrier and my wife Maddy has developed a super little saying:

"Why pray when you can worry!!"

Food for thought I hope.

The second correct use of the Temple should have been

1.2 A place where God’s people could come and learn about God and how he expects us to live

The Temple should also have been a place of learning – a place where the rabbis could teach the people what God’s laws mean

I find it fascinating how Jesus did that teaching himself.

Jesus taught – how he taught that God is more interested in what goes on inside your head and heart than on mere outward obedience to the LETTER of God’s Law.

Let me explain that a bit more.

Jesus taught his disciples that for example there was far more to the Ten Commandments than simply outward show

The Commandment were there to change not only how you behave in public but also how you are to think.

For example the sixth commandment says “You shall not commit murder”,

Jesus took this to a deeper level.

In Matthew 5:21 and 22 he said

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother[a] will be liable to judgment