Abuse of Power

Daily Lectionary Readings
Psalm 45
Deuteronomy 9:4-12
Hebrews 3:1-11
John 2:13-22

John 2:13-22 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After 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.

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Jesus doesn't waste any time establishing his motives with the public. He goes to the Temple area and there discovers that the people had turned it into a get rich quick scheme. You see, when travelers, came to the Temple to make their sacrifice, it was too hard to bring with them a dove, or cattle or sheep for the sacrifice. It was also unlikely that an animal brought in would have the necessary purity characteristics to make it usable in the Temple. However, those animals purchased at the Temple had already been certified as clean, pure, and usable.

Thus, you bought your animal at the Temple at the Temple prices. You also had to pay in the Temple coin. Not just any old coin would do. You had to first exchange your coinage into an acceptable Temple coin. There was usually a premium for this service as well.

As you can see there was quite a racket going on and somebody was making a lot of money. It is this usage of the Temple that so angers Jesus. He goes berserk and upends the tables and drives out the buyers and the sellers.

Such an action would not have gone unnoticed. The Jews demanded that he give them some sign that he had the authority to act as he acted. His response to their request laid another stone in the foundation of his ministry. "Destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it." The Jews of course were not seeing through spiritual eyes. Their response was an earthly one, "It has taken us forty six years…." we don't need to read the rest. We know it will show their lack of spiritual discernment.

From our perspective we know that Jesus was already looking toward his death and his resurrection from the response to their questions.

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Prayer: Lord, help us to have spiritual discernment so that we can understand what Jesus is trying to do when he cleans out our lives during this season of Lent.