For the Joy Awaiting – Cleansing of the Temple (Monday)

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Monday – Cleansing of the Temple

Matthew 21:10-17 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

Theologians have debated the reason Jesus cleansed the temple for years.  I want to look at the 2 different views here and their applications for us today. 

1. Injustice against the poor.

In righteous anger, Jesus drives out the merchants so that the temple may fulfill its original design—to serve as a house of prayer (see v. 13). Jesus’ reaction may have been prompted, in part, by injustice done against the poor. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Mt 21:12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Psalm 41:1-3 “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.”

James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

The poor have been exploited from the beginning of time.  James tells us to care for those in need.  

The money changers were charging high prices to change the currency, and those selling animals and doves (which the poor sacrificed) were changing outrageous prices for them. 

The money changers probably did not see themselves as taking advantage of the pilgrims. Even in Galilee the varieties of local currency required money changers to convert coinage for use in the temple (and local economy); changing coins was necessary, not an option. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Every person of Jewish descent was required to celebrate Passover and people traveled to Jerusalem from far away.  Bringing an animal over such great distances was not practical and was difficult.  Instead the pilgrims would bring money and purchase animals to offer as their sacrifice. 

Because each person was required to bring a sacrifice, the poor had no choice but to pay the high prices in order to get their animal.  Those selling knew this and took full advantage of this fact.  This may have been one of the reasons Jesus cleansed the Temple. 

2. Jesus defends Gentiles' worship.

That the selling occurred in the outer court, beyond which Gentiles could not travel, may have been significant.  Later reports claim that the front court of the temple was normally to be kept clear as a sacred area, but the many temporary shops for selling animals inside would have violated this custom even if they took up but a small part of the temple area. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Isaiah 56:6-7 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant.  I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

In Isaiah 56, God promises to accept foreigners as members of his people.  He declared that all peoples would be welcome.  1 Kings 8:41-43 the author (possibly Jeremiah the prophet) is asking God to welcome foreigners into his temple and to hear their prayers and answer them.

1 Kings 8:41-45 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.”

By the time Jesus came on the scene a partition with a warning sign segregated the Gentiles form the Israelite section of the outer court.  This may have been done for purity reasons. 

Concern for the sanctity of this outer court, hence for the worship of the Gentiles, may have been part of Jesus' objection to the current temple order.  The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Lessons from the Cleansing of the Temple

1. We must care for those in need.  It is our job as believers to stand for justice for the oppressed and afflicted.  Jesus demonstrated this kind of passion for those who could not defend themselves when he cleansed the temple.  He was standing up for the exploited poor and for the Gentile believers. 

2. We must cleanse our temple daily. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

What is in our hearts and lives that is hindering the move of the Spirit?  Just as the money changers and people selling animals was disrupting the move of the Spirit in the Temple, things can enter our lives (invited or not) that hinder the move of the Spirit.  We need to be in prayer daily, asking God to cleanse our temple!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.