NL 420: Jesus Cleanses the Temple

image: The Rossano Gospels (Cathedral of Rossano, Calabria, Italy, Archepiscopal Treasury, s.n.) is a 6th century Byzantine Gospel Book and is believed to be the oldest surviving illustrated New Testament manuscript. 6th century anonymous, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (wikimedia)

John 2:13-22

January 16, 2022

John 2:13-22

Initial Thoughts

  • The Jews- the religious authorities - not meant to condemn all Jews - Excellent Holy Week Insert from First Church Cambridge when Rev. Dr. Mary Luti was pastoring there.

    • “The Jews,” could be translated, “The Judeans,” as D Mark Davis puts it, “Frankly, I believe it reflects the inner struggle for the soul of Jewish piety better than the anti-Semitic assumptions that often shape Christian interpretations. 

Bible Study

  • Context

    • Unlike the synoptics- this happens at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry

      • right after Jesus’ first “sign” at the Wedding at Cana (cf. 2:11)

    • Passover - Jesus’ death is not his first Jerusalem passover (according to John)

    • Money changers and animal sellers - providing a necessary service of convenience. Are they any different than the beer and hot dog vendors at a baseball game? Or the token vendors at the arcade (might be dating myself on this one)

      • “We do not have any strong evidence - only our imaginations - bolster the view that the necessary trade in birds and beasts was thought to be an abuse or that this was Jesus’ main concern with it. Once again, in this Gospel, the symbolism assigned to the historical event is more important than the event itself.” (Gerard Sloyan, Interpretation: John, p. 40)

    • Alludes to the end of Zechariah (14:21), “And there shall no longer be traders in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day. “

      • Now that Jesus has come, “God is spirit and those who worship

  • ANGRY Jesus

    • Acknowledge the awkwardness of an ANGRY Jesus

    • Jesus drives them out with a “whip of cords” - YIPE

    • Righteous anger- at this of all things is uncomfortable- not directed at the pharisees or sadducees or Romans, but those profiting from people encountering God

    • Jesus drives the sheep and cattle out, but not the people- they are allowed to remain in the temple

      • Cleansing the temple does not mean driving out the people- even the unfaithful exploiters- it means removing their means of exploitation.

  • Why is Jesus mad?

    • Exploitation - the cost of the sacrificial doves and animals was too high and exploited those seeking grace.

    • Barrier - an unnecessary barrier that kept people from worshiping God

    • Profiting materially from faith and people’s desire to be in relationship with God - are we that much different?

    • “Then my Lord God will come and all the Holy Ones with him...And there shall no longer be traders in the House of the Lord of hosts on that day.” - Zech 14:15, 

      • “That day” of the Lord’s coming is here and Jesus’ driving out the traders indicates that God has come to the temple incarnate in Jesus

    • “Jesus orders that his Father’s house not be made a marketplace. Yet, for the temple system to survive, the ordered transactions of a marketplace were essential… Jesus is not quibbling about maleficence or mismanagement but calls for a complete dismantling of the entire system. Underneath this critique lies also the intimation that the temple itself is not necessary. At the center of such theological statements is the fundamental question of God’s location.” (Karoline Lewis, Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries: John, p. 42).

  • Religious Marketplace - are we that much better?

    • Beware using this as a soapbox to condemn external injustices - Jesus is bringing it home to the doors of your church. Is your church a marketplace or a house of prayer?

      • Explicit charging - building use, weddings, funerals, etc

      • Implicit charging - what people wear, how they smell, how they look, are they able to get into your church

    • “...both the prophetic impulse and institutions are essential. The same preachers who are deeply responsible for the health of the institutional church are also called urgently to respond to the prophetic impulse, summoning both church and world to do better than we currently do. This inescapably creates ongoing tension, for the church without the prophetic impulse quickly devolves into mirroring the values of the prevailing powers, while the prophetic impulse that does not develop and sustain enduring institutions is quickly pushed to the margins, ignored and forgotten, or worse, co-opted to serve the very powers it originally bore witness against.” Shupe, P. C. (2008). Pastoral Perspective on John 2:13–22. Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B (Vol. 2, p. 94).

  • Temple as the place where you went to encounter God - Jesus is the new temple (v. 22) Through Jesus you encounter God

    • “He acts authoritatively in his Father’s house, the temple, because the basic dwelling place of the Lord, the God of Israel, is henceforth to be Jesus’ body. This body is the ‘temple’ of the Evangelist’s concern. The deed of Jesus indicates that (Gerard Sloyan, Interpretation: John, p. 41)

    • At the time of John’s Gospel the temple has already been destroyed

    • The first passion prediction

Thoughts and Questions

  • Good summary: “The narration happens in real time, as if the reader can see everything that Jesus sees. Yet, Jesus’ command to the dove sellers differs strikingly from the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48). Instead of a concern for temple malpractices (“den of robbers”), Jesus orders that his Father’s house not be made a marketplace. For the temple system to survive, however, the ordered transactions of a marketplace were essential. The temple had to function as a place of exchange for maintaining and supporting the sacrificial structures. Jesus is not quibbling about maleficence or mismanagement but calls for a complete dismantling of the entire system. Underneath this critique lies also the intimation that the temple itself is not necessary. At the center of such theological statements is the fundamental question of God’s location, which will be confirmed in the dialogue between Jesus and the Jewish authorities.” (Karoline Lewis, Working Preacher)

  • What tables would Jesus turn over in our churches today? What would he see that would cause him to pull out his whip?

  • What barriers do we put up before people and God? Membership? Confirmation? Church-y language? Inaccessible buildings?

  • Are we willing to worship with the money changers and cattle sellers? Those who have been bullies, exploiters and betrayers?

Year 4Eric FistlerJohnComment