Jesus Protects the People by Attacking the System of Extortion
Let’s consider another event of Jesus’ fascinating protection. It is going to come from an unlikely direction. Let’s look at the time Jesus comes into the temple and displays raw zeal and passion for His Father’s house! This event may have occurred two different times. In John 2 (text below) it seems to occur early in His 3 and ½ year public ministry. Jesus is in the north of Israel near the Lake of Galilee in Capernaum with his mother, brothers and disciples. Then He goes south walking about 60 miles to Jerusalem. Then He enters the Temple and with great intensity and fierceness He throws everyone out that is changing money, selling animals, birds and other things. Specifically, he scatters the coins of the “money changers” on the ground.
In Matt 21 (text below) a similar event occurs. This time the event occurs at the very end of his 3 and ½ year public ministry. Jesus has spent time at Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ house in Bethany. He approaches Jerusalem before He will die. A massive crowd gathers acknowledging Him as the King and as the Messiah. When He comes into the temple He goes after those who are “exchanging money and selling animals.” Again He turns over the tables on the money changers and of those selling animals or doves. Some think “Jesus is going wild here.” But that is NOT the case. Then why is He doing all this?
Remember the MAIN reason Jesus gave? “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The whole point of the Temple was to be a place of prayer. It is THE place to worship God and to ask Him for help. But Jesus says that it has been turned into a business and is, in fact, robbing people and stealing their money!
Where was the stealing occurring? Consider yourself an Israelite. How would you like to come to the central place in all Israel to 1) worship and praise God for His goodness and 2) find help for your struggles and suffering only to find that the people running the temple were robbing you of your money? You would be furious AND depressed! The enemy had so infected the Pharisees that they permitted a system of extortion to grow up in the temple. They have allowed greedy money changers and animal sellers into the Temple. The money changers take the everyday money used by the farmers and ranchers in Israel and change it into Temple Money. But they were ripping people off by taking $40 of common money and only changing it into $30 of Temple Money (just a possible example). The animal sellers where selling a $30 lamb for $40 or a $2 dove for $3 (all of these are made up examples.) They were stealing from the people by their unfair rates.
Jesus is furious that people who are struggling in life and are trying to find God in the Temple are abused and ripped off as soon as they come in the door. Their hearts get shutdown and they have a hard time connecting with God for salvation and for help!
So Jesus attacks this whole system of extortion and robbery! Why? He wants to protect the people from the abuses of the system setup by the Pharisees and the business men robbing the people. (It is very likely that the business men are giving money back to the Pharisees for letting them operate in the temple – “kick backs.”)
But Jesus also has another thing in mind. He wants to protect the people’s understanding of God. Does God approve of this greed, this abuse this wickedness? Jesus answers with a loud “NO!” And He does more than merely say that. He demonstrates the Father’s anger at these abusers. Jesus wants people to know that they can come to the temple to find God, to know Him and to receive Help from Him. In fact, as soon as He clears out the money changers and the animal sellers, He 1) teaches the people and 2) heals the people. “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.” Matt 21:14. Jesus teaches the people to protect them. He knows we are all like sheep. We are weak and vulnerable. He teaches us about Himself to protect us from confusion and evil. He also protects the people by healing them… which is also an extension of His compassion.
Therefore this whole wild event is about protection! When I was first a Christian I could never see His protection. I was too afraid of His fierceness and intensity. He really scared me. But as I grew over the years to understand more and more of God’s goodness, I could begin to see Jesus protection in the middle of His fierceness. Those made me love Him all the more!
[Note* – as usual you see multiple aspects of Jesus’ character in one event. Here we see His fierceness and Hisprotection but we also see His compassion as He heals the sick.]
Take Away
God Is Just Like Jesus:
1st Cmd Prayer:
Jesus, it is wonderful to know that your intensity and fierceness can result in someone getting protected! Awesome! Your clean anger is so much more healthy that human unclean anger! I love it that you protected these everyday people from the Pharisees and their criminal money changers and animal sellers! But it is even more important that you protect their understanding of God and show that this robbery in the Temple is NOT your will!
2nd Cmd Action:
How can we be angry over injustice and yet not explode in ways that just damages people? How can we be angry but use our anger is a more clean way to act on someone’s behalf or protect them? Anger is not wrong. Jesus was angry at injustice. But how we “vent” our anger is the key. Anger can be very good IF we use it to care for another or protect someone.
This Week’s Texts:
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” John 2:13-22
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.” Matt 21:12-14
“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Luke 19:45
“… and [He] would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” Mark 11:16