John 2:13-17 Distractions in the Temple
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Passover was supposed to be a holy celebration. The streets of Jerusalem were crowded as all the people of Israel came to worship at the temple. Jesus also went to Jerusalem to worship that year.
When He arrived at the temple, he found a livestock market being held in the temple courts. Some opportunistic businessmen had decided to make a little extra money by selling animals for sacrifice. The market was being held in the outer courts of the temple.
Weary travelers were delighted not to have to search all over Jerusalem for a suitable animal to purchase. They eagerly turned over their money before entering the temple to worship the Lord Most High.
The noise in the outer courts was outrageous! The Sheep baaed loudly, and the Oxen mooed and stomped. Doves cooed. Over all this was the shouts of salesmen and moneychangers hawking their wares. A barnyard would have been a quieter place to worship.
Jesus saw all this and He burned with anger. Grabbing some cords off a table nearby, He made a whip and drove out all the businessmen and their animals. The ones who were selling doves quickly, nervously gathered up the bird cages and headed for the gates.
In the silence after the storm, the other worshipers stood in shock. The only sound in the temple was that of Jesus dumping the money boxes out onto the ground and overturning the tables.
As the men who were selling doves reached the gates, Jesus said, “Do not make My father’s house a house of merchandise!”
The disciples stood off to the side shuffling their feet. They were uncomfortable with the way that Jesus had handled things. “Do you really think he is the Promised one? Would the Messiah act in such a way in the temple?” They whispered to one another.
One of the disciples spoke up, “Remember when David wrote ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten me up.’? Is this not evidence that the Lord is with Him? Maybe Jesus is the Messiah.”
If the body is God’s temple, a Christian’s goal should be that God is glorified through the things we do. What do we do in, with, and to our body that distracts from our ability to worship God?
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