Links:
A House Of Prayer
The Cleansing of the Temple
Texts:
John 2:13-22; Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48
The Setting:
The writers of the Gospels record instances when Jesus spoke of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem is recorded in all four Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke include the episode at the end of Jesus’ public ministry. John has the episode of the cleansing at the commencement of Jesus’ ministry. The Temple was the centre of the Jewish Passover celebrations when Jews from all over the known world converged on Jerusalem to celebrate the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.
The Temple building consisted of many Courts. The cleansing took place in the Court of the Gentiles where people gathered to buy and sell what was required for use in sacrifices that assured the buyer of forgiveness from sins, It was into this Temple marketplace that Jesus walked in, lost his temper, found a rope, made a whip and chased the moneychangers and the vendors out. He was heard to say
“My house shall be called a place of worship. But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.”
Retelling the story:
What follows is a retelling based on the Biblical narrative. It is a composite of the episodes from the Gospels. It is by reading into the silences around the events and the people in the text that this imagined reflection is written
A Money changer reflects:
I am trying to understand what happened and to make sense of what Jesus of Nazareth did. Wasn’t Jesus seen sometimes teaching in the Temple? My neighbour used to say that it’s time someone did something about the corruption in Jerusalem. That’s true. But I never thought it included our Temple. It’s at Passover that the Temple gets crowded and becomes a marketplace. Everyone comes to pay a Temple Tax and has to change their money. Surely Jesus knows that moneychangers are providing a service? Of course I sometimes overcharge in the exchange rates. But that isn’t a sin as I see it. The Law says that we must pay our debt to God with coins that are blessed. I always make sure that the money I handle is blessed. How would I provide this service if not in the Temple Courtyard? I am not responsible for the Law. I work within a system to earn a living for my family. I had heard about Jesus but never expected to see him so angry. I thought he was fanatical, shouting, cracking his whip, and turning over tables. That’s when I lost many of the coins that I had for exchange. I wont be surprised if his rage was heard all over Jerusalem. He needs to get a grip or he may end up like some of the animals and birds. Dead! I hope I never become caught in such a situation again.
Ponder:
Does righteous anger justify actions against unacceptable situations in church and society?
Are there times when the power of anger blinds you to the love of God?