Wasn’t Jesus is supposed to be “meek and gentle?” Wasn't he so easy going that he wouldn't even break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick? (See Matt 12:20). Can we really imagine an indignant Jesus throwing around tables and cracking whips? Well, we’d better imagine it! Phrases like “the fear of the Lord” and “the wrath of God” are pretty common in scripture. A God who can never become angry in the face of injustice is not really God! How would we expect God to act when His house is being misused?
What is going on here that is so bad? Jews traveled to Temple from all over the world to sacrifice to God. If you were traveling from Toledo or Timbuktu, you would need two things-- an animal to sacrifice (you wouldn’t carry one with you) and the correct currency with which to buy it (they don’t tale American Express at the Temple). So a cottage industry was developed to sell sacrifices and exchange money.
So what was the problem? In the Synoptics, the problem seems to be dishonesty (Matt 21:13). What was meant to be a “house of prayer” had been transformed into a “den of robbers.” The “den of robbers” is a quotation of Jeremiah’s temple speech (Jer 7:11). The those who sold sacrifices and exchanged money had a monopoly—only one temple! Why do movie theaters charge $6 for popcorn and coke? Because they can! People were overcharging for animals and then sticking hefty service fees on the currency exchange. But in John, the problem is not their dishonesty, but the temple merchandising itself (John 2:16). “How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” (or “place of business” in NASB). People had come to God’s house for worship, and they got a shopping mall. The sounds of worship were drowned out by money clanging and sheep bleating. The temple had become a merchandise bazaar, and that made worship bizarre! People could not come into the presence of God with all that distraction!
When Jesus challenges this lucrative and distracting system, the people with the golden goose immediately want to know who died and made him God, “What gives you the authority to do this?” Jesus then comments in his authority in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Jesus goes from clearing the temple to destroying it! The Temple complex of Herod the Great had begun 46 years before—and Jesus will rebuild it in 3 days? Of course, Jesus was talking about his death and resurrection, a point his apostles would not understand until after the fact. They asked for His authority to clear the temple— His authority was the cross! You see, clearing temples was exactly what Jesus came to earth to do! Jesus came to show us God, but first he had to clear away all our distractions. His authority to clear temples is His Temple— the cross and empty tomb! When Jesus cleared the temple, he cleared away caused by two things.
- FIRST, he cleared the distractions of a RELIGIOUS SYSTEM. God designed temple worship to point people to His presence among them. To go to the Temple was to “come before the Lord.” (Lev 15:14). When Temple was dedicated, God’s glory (shekinah) filled it to the point where it had to be evaculated (1 Ki 8:10). How did Temple go from shekinah to a shopping mall with a chapel? They allowed a system to replace God’s presence as goal of religion. Maybe that is a warning for us. We can’t allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in our system we stop seeking God’s presence. That means rethinking what we thought we knew… and even changing things! A friend suggested that this may be why there is such tension in the church these days. We feel pulled to justify ourselves, to demonstrate that we are the (only?) saved ones . We know we can’t be perfect before God in either our character or our obedience. So we want to be part of a perfect church system. We aren’t perfect, but our church is. Any change to that threatens how we see ourselves as part of the saved. But that means that our faith is ultimately in our system and not in our God. Until you allow Jesus to turn over that table, it will distract you from God
- SECOND, Jesus also cleared the distraction of MATERIALISM. The big distraction at the Temple Jesus cleared was money; God’s house became a marketplace, and people were no longer able to see Him. In the same way, people can be distracted from God today by money. Sometimes, the church itself can wrapped up in money and distort God. Churches can become big business, and big business always needs more and more money. Many are turned off to God because of what they see in a church always in pursuit of money. More to the point, many Christians allow themselves to be lost in pursuing money. Jesus warn that spiritual life is choked out by a desire for money (Mark 4:19). Paul warns many Christians will loose themselves seeking money (2 Tim 6:10). Money is important; we must work to make money to provide for ourselves and to be able help others (Eph 4:28). When we get too focused on money, it becomes a false idol that draws us away from God.
This story forces us to face some very personal and important questions. What exactly is the clutter, chaos or confusion that keeps us from God? Remember, Jews selling sacrifices and changing money was not wrong. In fact, those things were necessary to support Old Testament worship. But Jesus condemned them because they distracted people from God. He turned over the tables, chased out the merchants, and reclaimed God’s house. Good things can become clutter; evil things sheer chaos—both can distract us. And when they become distracting, we need to do some spring cleaning. Any table that gets in the way of God must be turned over and swept away.
No comments:
Post a Comment