Cleansing the Temple

Note: a friend recently asked me to comment on the Scripture: John 2:13-16. Below is my response:

In John 2:13-16, (at the very beginning of Jesus public ministry), His second recorded act (He previously turned water to wine at a wedding) was the cleansing of the Temple. Interestingly, one of His last acts of public ministry (Mark 11:15-17); after Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem- was going again to cleanse the Temple.

In John’s account, Jesus found the practice of selling sacrificial animals and money changers- those who make a profit exchanging money from the Roman empire into Jewish coinage, to buy sacrificial animals. Jesus said,” My Father's house is not to be a house of merchandise”

 (marketplace for the sale and profit for required Temple sacrifices)

In Mark 11, Jesus drove out those who still practiced buying and selling in the Temple. This time, He overturned the money changers tables and refused to permit any merchandizing in the Temple. He declared the Temple was a place of prayer for all nations [ they had continued buying the selling in the same place Jesus had previously cleansed!] Jesus called that environment, ’a virtual den of thieves’.

Personal Application:

1.     Once the Lord has made clearly known His will in an area of our lives- He expects we will keep that area clean of corruption and defilement.

2.      Once we are born again, we are the ‘Temple’ (dwelling place of the Lord). As such, our minds and bodies need to be strengthened as places of righteous thinking and action.

3.      Lastly, as ‘Temples’ , we are to be a people of prayer. Prayer changes things! Prayer is spiritual communication and our life- line for wisdom and direction. There are so many scriptures on prayer- but just one I’ll mention: “ Now this is the confidence was have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that Jesus hears us, whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 Jn. 5:14-15

Let’s take a lesson from those unjust merchandizers- when we are corrected by the Hoy Spirit, Repent! Ask for forgiveness and cleaning. (1 Jn. 1:9) Then walk in His righteousness and you will    produce godly fruit!