Cleansing the Temple - The Early Edition: John 2:12-25

Jesus moves from Cana to Capernaum (on the north side of the Sea of Galilee), which along with Bethsaida, was one of his main hangout spots. After spending a few days there, he moves on to Jerusalem. The interesting thing here is that John has the "cleansing of the temple" in the beginning rather than the end of the gospel (where they place it right after the Palm Sunday ride). The early location for John is most likely due to how he saw in this act of Jesus a symbol of Jesus' work as a religious reformer.

This is an act of passion more than something planned. He finds the outer temple scene repulsive. The rich are on one side buying their lambs and goats, while the poor are on the other, buying doves or pigeons (what his own family bought at his purification). The temple's ministry is no longer functioning in the priorities for which it was created. It now is about taking care of the religious leadership and the opulent lifestyles of Hasmonean leadership (Caiaphas, Annas, the Herods), about temple maintenance, and controlling the people. Jesus takes some cords, that he might have had with him to tie up a sack he was carrying or ones he just found handy in the outer temple area, and fashions them into a whip. The scene is chaotic as Jesus screams that the money changers have taken a place of prayer and turned it into a market. For John, it reminded him of the 69th Psalm of David.

Understandably, the Jewish leaders ask him to justify his actions and what right he had to do them. Jesus oddly responds that if they tear down this temple he would raise it in three days. Taking him literally, his opponents ask how he would rebuild something in three days that took 46 years to build. We will see this figurative language taken literally again in John's gospel. What Jesus was doing was pointing out when they destroyed the temple of his body, it would be raised again in three days. This statement would have been as curious to his disciples as to these Jewish leaders, understandable only after the crucifixion and resurrection.

The closing verses show that Jesus was gaining lots of miracle-seekers as followers, but Jesus did not trust them. Possibly this is a reference to the Palm Sunday parade and how that could all turn in just a few days.

Reflection points for this passage include 1) How is it the nature of religion to lose its focus and become more intent on self-maintenance and control rather than the mission for which it was created? How can churches counter that seemingly natural tendency? 2) Jesus has many fair-weather friends who love the miracles and the benefits of following Jesus but fall away when things get tough. How do we help make disciples that are more than consumer-driven?