Tainted Temples

There are only a few passages recorded in scripture in which Jesus “Loses His cool”. 

There’s the scenario in Mark 3 where a man approaches Jesus to be healed on the Sabbath. Jesus asks the crowd “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they remained silent (3:4); It is then said that Jesus was “angry and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (3:5, NIV). The only other instances where this is seen is in the temple clearing recordings in the synoptic gospels (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-16).

In John 2 we encounter what seems to be the first* temple cleansing recorded in scripture. It is set in the first week of Jesus’ public ministry when not a lot of people knew who he was. By the world’s standards, this should be the time where Jesus plays it cool and stays away from any controversial topics or scenarios while he builds a “following”.

But Jesus was never in the business of building a fan base, He is and always will be in the business of making disciples. 

Let’s look at the passage:

“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!” (John 2:13-16, NIV).

Jesus walked into the temple and realizes they have taken what used to be the court of the Gentiles a place where those who weren’t of Jewish descent would be able to worship the Lord, and have made it into a market to sell animals for sacrificing and trade money. Jesus became angry, righteously angry. He is seeing His father’s house being used by the religious people of that time for their personal benefit.

“What Jesus conveys by His clearing of the temple, therefore is that God’s holiness and purity cannot tolerate the consistent defilement of his “House”, the temple….” ( p.61)

Köstenberger, A. J. (1999). Encountering John: The Gospel in historical, literary, and theological perspective. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Books.

While reading this passage I realized…

If Jesus was this zealous with the condition of the physical temple of the 1st century, How much more zealous would He be with a temple he created in his image?

A temple not established by human hands but one bought by his blood. 

Friends, how are we treating our temples?

Is what we watch, listen to, what we do, who we follow on social media, who we do or don’t surround ourselves with, all a reflection of someone who’s God’s temple?

Are we treating our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit or are we just turning them into a “market” for our benefit today?

I don’t know about y’all friends, but I have not done my best at being a Temple the worships our Heavenly Father. On a daily basis, I make selfish decisions. I constantly forget that I was bought at a price; that I’m not my own.

So how do we cleanse these Tainted Temples?

Well, my friend, I have good news for you, WE don’t do it ourselves.

The price has already been paid, we have already been made clean.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NIV)

He paid it all on the cross, He established his dwelling among us by paying for our sins and cleansing us before the father.

Friends let us come to our savior with repentant hearts and open hands. Let us not turn back to living for ourselves as we did before, lets us be living sacrifices. 

Who because of His love can love others beyond the human condition.

*Some believe these to be the recording of one temple cleansing from multiple perspectives. But because of the fact that John records it at the beginning of Jesus ministry and the other Synoptics record it at the establishment of his final week in Jerusalem, it is believed that the recorded instances of the temple cleansing are actually a doublet; two occurrences of the same type of event during  Jesus’ ministry (Köstenberger, 1999, P. 62-63).