After investigating the Temple area the day before, Jesus
takes action. Immediately upon entering
the Temple area, he begins to throw out anyone buying, selling or exchanging
money in the temple area—he even cast out those who were carrying possessions
around.
The problem with the practices Jesus was stopping was twofold:
a. The temple is a place of holiness, and nothing unholy should enter into the temple place. In the ten commandments, one thing that is exceedingly unholy is an image of anything on earth, especially in order to worship it (Exodus 20:4-5). The Jewish people were extremely sensitive to this, and held a non-violent riot a number of years before Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to declare that Roman standards with images would not be allowed in Jerusalem. Yet there were images of people on the coins they brought into the Temple area—and this is an abomination. It makes the Temple a place of rebel bandits (not thieves), for they are serving images, not God (which is the point of the passage Jesus’ quotes, Jeremiah 7:9-11).
b. The Temple has a number of different sections—the Holy of Holies where the high priest alone went into God’s presence; the Holy place which is open to every male Israelite who worships Yahweh; and the outer court, called the court of Women and Gentiles. It is this outer court that the sacrifices were held, and it was the only place where women and those not born Israelites could worship God. And it is in this outer court where the buying and selling was taking place, which was preventing the women and gentiles to worship. Jesus declares the purpose of the temple in the words of Isaiah 56:7—The temple is a place to be able to focus prayer on God. And it is to be open to all the nations. But the practice of buying and selling in the outer court does not allow the nations to pray.
The priests were very upset with Jesus, because it was a declaration of the High Priest and the ruling elders that allowed the buying and selling to go on in the outer court. They would arrest him for ceasing what the law allowed. They could also be angry because his violent action might imply that the temple would be destroyed—perhaps by Jesus himself. But they couldn’t argue with his use of Scripture, and so they let him be.
One other aspect is that such policies are determined by the high priest. Jesus isn't going through the usual channels of changing things in the temple by going through the priestly system, or even by speaking to the high priest. Rather, he is just changing the make up of the temple, setting things right, as if he were the high priest himself.
Jesus had gone to the Temple many times in his life. As an observant Jew, he needed to go to the Temple at least once a year, perhaps three or four. Jesus had seen the wrongs at the temple many times before. He knew that women and Gentiles were being kept away from the Emperor of the Universe, away from His love and grace. But he didn't do anything about it, until this time.
Why did he wait? Because he knew it was one of the last things he would do. In order to accomplish this work, he had a lot of groundwork to lay first. He needed to give his disciples an interpretation of the law. He needed the kingdom of God to be based on healing and resurrection. He needed to establish, in secret, his real identity. And then he could do this radical work, which would eventually end his life.
Let no one tell you that Jesus' path is the quiet path. That it is the path of only gentleness, only humility. There is a time to toss the tables, a time to make a scene, a time to call out those who keep people from God. But let no one tell you that the time for radical action is any time or every time. It must be done carefully, with God's direction and with much wisdom.
May God give us this wisdom and this boldness.
The problem with the practices Jesus was stopping was twofold:
a. The temple is a place of holiness, and nothing unholy should enter into the temple place. In the ten commandments, one thing that is exceedingly unholy is an image of anything on earth, especially in order to worship it (Exodus 20:4-5). The Jewish people were extremely sensitive to this, and held a non-violent riot a number of years before Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to declare that Roman standards with images would not be allowed in Jerusalem. Yet there were images of people on the coins they brought into the Temple area—and this is an abomination. It makes the Temple a place of rebel bandits (not thieves), for they are serving images, not God (which is the point of the passage Jesus’ quotes, Jeremiah 7:9-11).
b. The Temple has a number of different sections—the Holy of Holies where the high priest alone went into God’s presence; the Holy place which is open to every male Israelite who worships Yahweh; and the outer court, called the court of Women and Gentiles. It is this outer court that the sacrifices were held, and it was the only place where women and those not born Israelites could worship God. And it is in this outer court where the buying and selling was taking place, which was preventing the women and gentiles to worship. Jesus declares the purpose of the temple in the words of Isaiah 56:7—The temple is a place to be able to focus prayer on God. And it is to be open to all the nations. But the practice of buying and selling in the outer court does not allow the nations to pray.
The priests were very upset with Jesus, because it was a declaration of the High Priest and the ruling elders that allowed the buying and selling to go on in the outer court. They would arrest him for ceasing what the law allowed. They could also be angry because his violent action might imply that the temple would be destroyed—perhaps by Jesus himself. But they couldn’t argue with his use of Scripture, and so they let him be.
One other aspect is that such policies are determined by the high priest. Jesus isn't going through the usual channels of changing things in the temple by going through the priestly system, or even by speaking to the high priest. Rather, he is just changing the make up of the temple, setting things right, as if he were the high priest himself.
Why did he wait? Because he knew it was one of the last things he would do. In order to accomplish this work, he had a lot of groundwork to lay first. He needed to give his disciples an interpretation of the law. He needed the kingdom of God to be based on healing and resurrection. He needed to establish, in secret, his real identity. And then he could do this radical work, which would eventually end his life.
Let no one tell you that Jesus' path is the quiet path. That it is the path of only gentleness, only humility. There is a time to toss the tables, a time to make a scene, a time to call out those who keep people from God. But let no one tell you that the time for radical action is any time or every time. It must be done carefully, with God's direction and with much wisdom.
May God give us this wisdom and this boldness.
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