In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
John 2:14-15 (ESV)
The temple in Jerusalem would have been a busy place, especially during the Passover, with people coming and going with their Passover lambs, as well as the regular worshippers and the priests and Levites going about their business.
But when Jesus arrived, he found something else. The temple courts had been turned into a marketplace. Merchants had set up shop in the courtyard to sell animals that could be used in sacrifices and for observance of the Passover. And others had set up to exchange foreign money for what could be used in the temple.
This may have been explained as a convenience to those traveling from a distance. Buying an animal near where the sacrifice was to be made would have made the process easier. The same would be true with the money changers. The local merchants were not interested in foreign currency, nor could the annual temple tax be paid with it.
A Disruptive Practice
However, there were some significant problems with this practice. It would have been distracting to those coming to worship, having vendors hawking their products and the bleating of so many animals. This was also likely a profitable venture for merchants and temple authorities alike. Their mark-up was probably high–the cost of convenience.
The gospel writers all record Jesus driving out the merchants and money changers because their practice was contrary to the temple’s purpose as a house of prayer (Mt. 21:13). Unfortunately, Jesus’ reform efforts had little long-term impact on what transpired in the temple.
Is Jesus Happy with His Church Today?
But I have to wonder. If Jesus came to his church today, would he be happy with what we were doing? Or would there be a whip involved? The question is not so much about our buildings since they are not the church. Rather, it concerns the people who make up the church.
Are we faithful to our Lord? Or have we grown lazy and compromised with the world around us? Are we practicing things as individuals and the church that we should not? If so, the warning that Jesus gave to the church in Pergamum would certainly seem to be appropriate (Rev. 2:14-16).
