ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
Interaction with a Commercial Enterprise (John 2:13-17)
Interaction with a Commercial Enterprise (John 2:13-17)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2016
Some animals are so quiet that you are not even aware they are present. Other animals are so noisy that their presence is never in doubt.
The four gospels all recount the ministry of Jesus, but they are not identical. The first three—Mathew, Mark, and Luke—are called the Synoptic gospels because they have a similar perspective, treating many of the same events: Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, his Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, his Great Commission. The fourth—John—has a different perspective, treating several events not in the others, and we will consider four of these in a new series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel.1
We begin with an incident that actually appears in some form in all four gospels.2
I. He recognizes a problem (John 2:13-14).
There were at least two things wrong with businesses setting up shop in the temple:
Are there elements in your church that do not belong there? It could be people that detract more than they support the life of the congregation. It could be activities that do not enhance the life of the congregation. Such elements can drain the vitality of a church and adversely affect its public testimony, and how you respond to unwelcome challenges indicates how seriously you regard the health of a congregation. Paul has quite a bit to say about such situations, including his advice to the church in Rome:15 “Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord.” (Rom 16:17-18a)
II. He rectifies the problem (John 2:15-16).
Many Christians think Jesus was a pacifist, an opinion based in part on his admonition to ‘turn the other cheek’ (Matt 5:39). But he intended that instruction to be the disciples’ response to insult (a verbal affront) not to injury (a physical assault) and, as this passage shows, his expressions of gentility and compassion, though common, are not ubiquitous.20 Here, he forcefully (even violently) evicts people from the temple.
In the synoptic gospels (see n. 2), the authors close their accounts (without attribution) by quoting from Jer 7:21 “My house should be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers’ (v. 11a), implying that the presence of merchants and moneychangers corrupted the temple. In John 2, the author closes his account (with attribution to the disciples) by quoting from Ps 69: “Zeal for your house consumes me” (v. 9a), indicating that the reason the rabbi cleansed the temple was his extreme devotion to God. Still, despite the different quotes, the New Testament authors all describe the incidents similarly, with Jesus’ confronting those who make secular deals in sacred space and with his expelling them.
Again, was it really necessary for Jesus to change his demeanor? Could he not just have asked these business men calmly and politely to leave? …That approach would evidently not have been effective. They probably paid rent for space on the sanctuary grounds, space they would not surrender voluntarily (or without compensation).22 Even if this incident was not the only time Jesus acted against commercial activity in the temple, there is no indication that his reform efforts lasted. The Jewish authorities certainly were not moved. They could not refute Jesus’ critique, so they presented an ad hominem argument instead: “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” (John 2:18). They hoped he would implicate himself in some way and allow them to change the subject. It was a trap whose bait he did not take, although he did mention the ultimate sign of his authority—the resurrection:23 “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days”” (v. 19).
Because there is no temple today, the strictures for maintaining ceremonial purity no longer obtain,24 and you will probably not have to eject anyone from where you worship. Nevertheless, there is a proper decorum that those who attend a church service should follow, not in what they wear,25 although the apostle Paul uses a clothing metaphor to describe it, but in how they behave:
One of the Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel occurred during an annual visit to the temple but one that was different from previous visits. Whether what he found was different from what he expected or what he found was the same as what was there previously, it was not as it should be. There were elements that did not belong and that led to Interaction with a Commercial Enterprise during which Jesus made his displeasure known by chasing out both merchants and moneychangers. In this way, Jesus showed his followers, including you, that whether by expulsion (excommunication) or simply separation, God expects His people to be apart from elements that would distract them from Him.26
Jeff, a mechanic, was working for the Air Force Academy. Things do not always turn out the way you expect, and you need to be prepared for certain changes. The soldier at the gate approached Jeff’s pickup and asked, “Would you mind if our new guard dog practices sniffing your truck?” Jeff obliged, and the dog went to work, quietly at first. Then it latched onto a scent and jumped into the truck bed sniffing and barking furiously. Jeff became nervous. His mind was speculating wildly: “What could the dog be after? Had he left some ammo there from his last hunting trip? Had his coworkers tossed in something illegal, perhaps as a prank, knowing the dog was in training?” A few minutes later, the guard approached Jeff. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly…“but our dog ate your lunch.”Some animals are so noisy that their presence is never in doubt. That was probably the case when Jesus visited the temple and found there some extra animals.
The four gospels all recount the ministry of Jesus, but they are not identical. The first three—Mathew, Mark, and Luke—are called the Synoptic gospels because they have a similar perspective, treating many of the same events: Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, his Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, his Great Commission. The fourth—John—has a different perspective, treating several events not in the others, and we will consider four of these in a new series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel.1
- His interaction with a commercial enterprise ( John 2:13-16)
- His interaction with a royal official (John 4:46-53)
- His interaction with a sick friend (John 11:1-44)
- His interaction with a traitorous disciple (John 13:21-30)
- Jesus’ interaction with a commercial enterprise (John 2:13-16)3
Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.These gatherings attracted Jews from all over the Roman empire, and it would have been impractical for travelers to bring with them on their journey the animals they intended to sacrifice. So, local merchants provided what worshipers needed.6 It was a common practice in Jesus’ day, but during one holiday visit…
Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Passover]….
Celebrate the Feast of Harvest [Weeks or Pentecost]….
Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering [Tabernacles or Booths]…. (Exod 23:14-16)
Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose…. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed. (Deut 16:16)
I. He recognizes a problem (John 2:13-14).
John 2:13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,7 Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.The problem was not what these merchants and moneychangers were doing—they were providing a necessary service—the problem was where they were doing it. At first, they probably conducted their business outside the temple complex, then gradually moved the operation closer to the sanctuary, and finally set up shop within the temple precincts.8 Jesus may have witnessed the incremental positioning of this commercial enterprise.9 Once they were within the temple itself, the affront to sanctity by such commercial activity in God’s house was more than Jesus could bear,10 and he took action.
There were at least two things wrong with businesses setting up shop in the temple:
A. The first thing wrong with their presence is that it was disrupting.
The sanctuary was normally a high-traffic area as temple personnel were busy with their regular tasks, assisting with individual sacrifices and conducting the worship services each day. The extra foot traffic around the booths for selling animals along with the additional noise (and smells) from all the livestock as well as the haggling over money exchange rates11 only increased the general commotion, making the environment less conducive to peoples’ coming to express their devotion. As this likely took place in the Court of the Gentiles, Jesus was indicating that the worship of non-Jews also should be free of unnecessary distractions.12
B. The second thing wrong with their presence is that it was defiling.
The business activity, which was both disrupting and defiling, was an unnecessary difficulty for both clergy and laity that Jesus’ action addressed.The temple was God’s house and, as such, had to be holy because He is holy. To that end, God established strict guidelines for His people governing how they were to maintain the sanctity of His house.13 The priests were to take great care to separate the sacred from the secular and avoid any contamination of the holy by contact with profane.14
Are there elements in your church that do not belong there? It could be people that detract more than they support the life of the congregation. It could be activities that do not enhance the life of the congregation. Such elements can drain the vitality of a church and adversely affect its public testimony, and how you respond to unwelcome challenges indicates how seriously you regard the health of a congregation. Paul has quite a bit to say about such situations, including his advice to the church in Rome:15 “Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord.” (Rom 16:17-18a)
II. He rectifies the problem (John 2:15-16).
John 2:15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area,16 both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s17 house into a market!”Jesus’ response may seem extreme, especially from one with the reputation for having a gentle disposition, for being so mild-mannered that “a bruised reed he will not break” (Matt 12:20a). Nevertheless, it offers a more well-rounded depiction of his character. The change in Jesus’ demeanor also reflects his understanding of the temple’s purpose. God did not establish the temple as a place for the Israelites to sacrifice but as a place for Him to dwell.18 Consequently, the temple had to be holy as “God is holy” (Ps 99:9),19 and the presence of these merchants and moneychangers prevented that.
Many Christians think Jesus was a pacifist, an opinion based in part on his admonition to ‘turn the other cheek’ (Matt 5:39). But he intended that instruction to be the disciples’ response to insult (a verbal affront) not to injury (a physical assault) and, as this passage shows, his expressions of gentility and compassion, though common, are not ubiquitous.20 Here, he forcefully (even violently) evicts people from the temple.
A. His action was effective in that it restored tranquility.
Tranquility is, of course a relative state. The clergy still had their regular duties to perform. The laity still moved in and out of the temple complex. The additional commotion, though, that attended the booths of merchants and moneychangers was gone.
B. His action was effective in that it restored sanctity.
While Jesus’ action was certainly disruptive for some local businessmen, it was restorative for the clergy responsible to maintain temple holiness, enabling them to do their job without additional difficulty.Whatever ceremonial impurity came with the various commercial enterprises remained where it belonged, outside sacred space. There was less danger now of cross-contamination.
In the synoptic gospels (see n. 2), the authors close their accounts (without attribution) by quoting from Jer 7:21 “My house should be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers’ (v. 11a), implying that the presence of merchants and moneychangers corrupted the temple. In John 2, the author closes his account (with attribution to the disciples) by quoting from Ps 69: “Zeal for your house consumes me” (v. 9a), indicating that the reason the rabbi cleansed the temple was his extreme devotion to God. Still, despite the different quotes, the New Testament authors all describe the incidents similarly, with Jesus’ confronting those who make secular deals in sacred space and with his expelling them.
Again, was it really necessary for Jesus to change his demeanor? Could he not just have asked these business men calmly and politely to leave? …That approach would evidently not have been effective. They probably paid rent for space on the sanctuary grounds, space they would not surrender voluntarily (or without compensation).22 Even if this incident was not the only time Jesus acted against commercial activity in the temple, there is no indication that his reform efforts lasted. The Jewish authorities certainly were not moved. They could not refute Jesus’ critique, so they presented an ad hominem argument instead: “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” (John 2:18). They hoped he would implicate himself in some way and allow them to change the subject. It was a trap whose bait he did not take, although he did mention the ultimate sign of his authority—the resurrection:23 “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days”” (v. 19).
Because there is no temple today, the strictures for maintaining ceremonial purity no longer obtain,24 and you will probably not have to eject anyone from where you worship. Nevertheless, there is a proper decorum that those who attend a church service should follow, not in what they wear,25 although the apostle Paul uses a clothing metaphor to describe it, but in how they behave:
Rid yourselves of [KJV: “put off”] all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator…. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…. Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Col 3:8-14)There should be a clear distinction in your behavior as one inside the church, setting you apart from those outside the church.
One of the Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel occurred during an annual visit to the temple but one that was different from previous visits. Whether what he found was different from what he expected or what he found was the same as what was there previously, it was not as it should be. There were elements that did not belong and that led to Interaction with a Commercial Enterprise during which Jesus made his displeasure known by chasing out both merchants and moneychangers. In this way, Jesus showed his followers, including you, that whether by expulsion (excommunication) or simply separation, God expects His people to be apart from elements that would distract them from Him.26
For a pdf including Bibliography and Endnotes see here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs