The Cleansing

On a Monday in history, Jesus presented Himself to the Jewish nation for inspection as God’s Lamb for sacrifice.  One event of that day was His anger expressed over the worship mechanism on temple mount.

Mark 11:15-17, So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? [Isaiah 56:7] But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ [Jeremiah 7:11]”

“A den of thieves!”  It was God’s means for His people (and those who converted) to show their belief in His coming sacrifice, Jesus (a perfect lamb sacrificed), a means to show repentance for rebellion and sins, and a way to say thanks for His many blessings.  What God intended was far different than what Jesus had seen the day before and now.  That day it was a place infested with crooks.  Some background:

Exodus 23:17, Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

Exodus 30:13, This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

Exodus 34:20, And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Leviticus 5:6-7, He shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord for his sin…from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats…If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring…two doves.

Acts 8:27, A man of Ethiopia…had come to Jerusalem to worship (Jews in other nations – Acts 13:5, 14)

So, at Passover, Jerusalem was full of faithful Jews with some traveling a great distance and needing to exchange their native land’s currency for a temple shekel or purchase a lamb for their required offering.  To facilitate worshipers, the priests had permitted exchanges and markets on the temple grounds.  This was all good, except it was not good per Jesus.  Why?

Why?  There was profiteering taking place along with corruption!  Those selling or exchanging were overcharging and the priests were making large profits by selling spaces to the merchants.  Furthermore, the priests were prone to condemn a lamb brought for sacrifice forcing the purchase of one of the lambs they offered through a temple merchant.  It was a huge money-maker by exploiting God’s will.

Jesus was NOT happy!  For the second time (John 2:15) He fashioned a whip and lit into the sellers, buyers, and booths bringing an abrupt end to markets for that day (amazing that Rome didn’t intervene, being right there).  Jesus was “zealous for God’s glory” (Psalm 69:9), passionate for God’s name (character) and fame (honor).  Are we?

Five points to ponder:

1. “Jesus drove out those who bought.”  Strange – Jesus was angry at the buyers!  Why?  Apparently, they were amiss in that they shrugged their shoulders at the corruption.  Rather than bring an acceptable lamb or the half shekel, they accepted “easy believism.”  They found it easier to go along with their dirty leaders.
2. “Jesus drove out those who…sold doves.”  Understandable.  They were rich at the expense of people obeying God’s directives.  Rather than serve, they were self-serving.
3. “sold doves”.  Doves were the offering allowed for the poor.  What was even more troubling than the general financial abuses, was the abuse of the poor.  God gave the poor a break but the priests and merchants did not.  Jesus was not happy!
4. “a house of prayer for all nations, but you…”  I think the “you” is specifically directed at the priests – the spiritual leaders who were to point all men to God in humility and worship.  Rather, they had made worship and ministry into a self-gaining bonanza.
5. “He would not allow anyone to carry wares through.”  One more corruption addressed – disregard for God’s name and fame.  Even the locals had made the temple gates and Gentile court a shortcut to the other side of Jerusalem.  They “attended” church but not for worship or learning, but to expedite life.  They “attended” to find a plumber, to connect with a friend, or other as a shortcut to a better life for themselves.

And today:  SSB today?  You today?  Shortcutting, exploiting, indifference or a lack of zeal for God?