John 2:13-16 "Profiteers and Moneychangers"

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  In the temple courts he found men 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 area, 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! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

 The temple was filled with people who just didn't get it about the purpose and agenda and heart of God.  The area of the temple that God had designated to be used for the inclusion of Gentiles, was being used instead as a marketplace and Gentiles were simply not welcome.


The marketplace inside the temple was particularly evil because it was spiritually abusive.  The Law commanded that specific animals be sacrificed, and that the sacrificial animals be whole, unblemished, perfect and of first quality.  Naturally, when a person brought an animal into the temple for sacrifice, the temple officials felt the need to inspect to ensure appropriate quality.  And, naturally, they found blemishes and could not allow these outside animals to be sacrificed; appropriate animals, however, could be bought from the approved merchants in the temple courtyard at an exorbitant rate.  In the meantime,  the money changers were there because, obviously, Roman currency in the temple would offend God; all real money had to be exchanged for "temple" currency at an exorbitant rate.  Only temple currency could be used to buy approved animals for sacrifice.  And, of course, some of the animals that were not approved were bought cheaply and sold as approved animals to the next customers.


It is not hard to understand why Jesus was angered.  Even in the middle of the temple that was designed as a place to meet with God and worship God and experience His presence and intimacy, most people completely missed the point.  I believe they missed the point because, ultimately, they were more interested in their own agendas than they were God's agenda.


Let's jump ahead a couple of thousand years.  Since Jesus became the final sacrifice for sin, and since after the resurrection the Holy Spirit of God has endwelled Believers, the Bible claims that we have literally become the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19 / 2 Corinthians 6:16)


If we are God's temples, intimacy and worship are not difficult; He lives in us.  And, God's aganda for us are not difficult to figure out as we have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit and Scripture and the example of Jesus -all of which make the agenda clear.  Nowhere is God's heart more clear than when Jesus quoted the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 61, claiming that as His own mission.  His mission is now our mission.   

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

God's agenda for us is that we preach the gospel,  heal the sick, bring deliverance to the spiritually oppressed, comfort those who mourn, etc.  because the holy Spirit resides in us, we are empowered to actually do the ministry of Jesus.  As His disciples, His agenda should be our agenda, His mission should be our mission; we should be doing what He did.  But we don't.


I can't help but wonder if Jesus longs to come into the temple of our lives and hearts and drive out the profiteers and money changers.