John 2:13-22 

The portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Gospel appointed for this day has proven 
to be something of a conundrum for interpreters through the years. What we see is the Lord Jesus 
in a violent rage driving animals and people out of the Temple. Years ago Bruce Barton, 
in a very popular book, The Man Nobody Knows, used the story to demonstrate 
how virile the Lord Jesus was. He surmised that the Lord Jesus was capable of Herculean strength 
and prowess because of his outdoorsy lifestyle and vigorous walking missionary tours. 
However, others have been concerned that this public demonstration which had all the earmarks 
of a near riot was most unbecoming of the normal life style of Jesus. Also, if this were a pique of temper, 
could not someone accuse Jesus of being guilty of a sin which all of us dislike very much?

Then, of course, there is the additional problem of finding this story in the beginning of the Fourth Gospel, 
whereas the other evangelists place it in Holy Week at the beginning of his passion. 
Could it be true that Jesus cleansed the Temple twice? Is John right and the others wrong? 
Or is it the other way around? Or could there be another reason why John places the story 
where he does? There is good reason to think that it is the latter. The story of Jesus cleansing the Temple 
helps us to understand several very important aspects of the church and its worship.

1. The Context and the Importance of the Temple
2. The Shock of Challenging an Old System
3. The Body of the Church and the Sacramental Body
4. Our Worship in the Spirit of the Lord

(from http://www.sermons.com)

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I have some kind of a weird little parable forming in my mind right now
concerning Jesus overturning tables.  It has to do with people flocking to
the basketball tournaments during March Maddness (in our case, the ACC
Tournament)

There is a grand "temple" where all would like
to enter (the arena), there is "worship" to be found inside (hate to admit
it, but yes there is!). Only those who wear the right colors, or have the
right amount of prestige, or name or money are allowed to go in.  Security
sees to that.  They stand on the entrance steps, wearing their finest
uniforms and spouting rule after rule after rule after rule.  “Not the
right clothes! Not the right name!  Not the right snacks!  You are too
unclean!  GO AWAY!

Those who are in the courtyard are being gouged by the moneychangers as they
hope to buy just the right bit of merchandise that will allow them inside
to  properly "worship" as well.  Scalpers are at their tables.  T-shirt
vendors (with all of the team colors available) are at kiosks. Too
expensive for sure, but you must wear the right clothing to go inside.
And then Jesus comes, and looks at the "less-than's" who are spending too
much money in hopes of a ticket through the turnstyle.  He looks at them
with tears in his eyes and anger surfacing.  He reaches out for a pompom
from the edge of a vendor’s table and methodically braids its streamers into
a whip of colorful cords.Perhaps this is an effort to calm himself down, but
to no avail.   He turns over the tables of the scalpers and the kiosks of
the T-shirt salesmen.  Tickets fly and T-shirts are aught by gusts of wind
and float away.  Still, with both anger and tears, Jesus shouts,
"INJUSTICE"!  And then, he looks at all ... botht he scalpers and those
who were gouged by them and says, "I have come so that all might wear the
same colors and all might have prime seats!"  There is silence from all in
this hope.  Jesus continues, "Just wait 'til the buzzer sounds.  Then you
will understand!"

And Security turn their heads toward the commotion and hear Jesus’ words
and their eyes GLARE…..

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Heard a really good sermon on this text today at our community Lenten service. 
The PCA pastor was talking about what he called real zeal... he said that, of course, there were three things 
to notice about Jesus' anger here. One, that Jesus saw what others did not (the larceny beneath the legitimate, 
the trade that had become the real business of the Tempe); two, that Jesus acted on that awareness 
but in a deliberate and measured way (making the whip took time; it was not a burst of anger 
but a calculated response; it does not give license to us to fly off the handle, etc); and three, 
this anger was on behalf of God, not personal picque. It was not Jesus who was offended to make him angry, 
but God whose commandments and provision had been coopted by human greed, etc.

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When Jesus entered the temple that day he found a faith that was stale, downright dirty. 
People were taking advantage of others and ritual had become more important than the condition of the heart. 
What Jesus did, I believe, was challenge a smug, hypocritical religious system that desperately needed to change. 
Therefore, a little demolition was necessary, not to mention an all out assault to clean house.

The faith community at that time was so wrapped up in rules and ritual the fresh revelation of God 
could not get through. It was impossible for them to "see" because they were blinded by obstacles 
that hindered their ability.

In this story we get an image of Jesus as a one-man wrecking crew, swinging a sledgehammer. 
There is no way to make improvements in an old house without making a mess. There is plaster dust, 
dirt, nails and smelly carpet. It is hard work. It is impossible to paint without getting paint on yourself. 
I am sure that Jesus absorbed a few skinned knuckles that day, not to mention getting his garment dirty.

The faith community needed a good housecleaning and Jesus took it upon himself to do just that with zeal 
and determination.

(by Keith Wagner from Spring Housecleaning our Faith)

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It's estimated that the population of Jerusalem would swell from 50,000 to 180,000 at Passover. 
Pilgrims would come from as far away as Persia, Syria, Egypt, Greece and Rome. For comparison, 
think about College Station on the Saturday afternoon of an A&M football game, 
then double that number and hold on to the crowd for a week, instead of a day. 
That's a lot of hungry mouths to feed; a lot of weary travelers to put up for the night. Plus, 
they're coming to the temple to make a sacrifice. They're going to need an unblemished animal for that. 
They're also going to pay their temple tax. Somebody's going to have to help them exchange their currency. 
Get the picture? The commercial implications of Passover were enormous, 
perhaps comparable to the Christmas season in the United States today. 

So, I think it's safe to say the merchants were making a killing off the week of Passover, 
but were they really doing anything wrong? You could say that, by exchanging money 
and selling birds and animals for sacrifice, they were providing a service. Now, it's true, 
in the synoptic gospels; i.e., Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus accuses the merchants of cheating the people. 
He says, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers." (Mt. 21:13) 

Perhaps there was some price gouging going on, but this is not the focus of Jesus' anger, according to John. 
As far as John is concerned, Jesus is upset because all this buying and selling has intruded upon the sacred space 
for worship. In John's gospel, Jesus says, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house 
a marketplace (a house of commerce)." (John 2:16)

(by Philip W. McLarty from Spring Cleaning) 

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"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again." Given that Jesus was standing 
smack in the middle of a literal, brick-and-mortar temple at the time he said this, 
it seemed merely obvious that Jesus meant the physical building. And so everyone 
who heard him responded the same way, "It has taken us forty-six years just to get this far, 
and even so the construction project isn't finished yet! Now you tell us you could do the whole thing 
from scratch in under a week!? Right!" According to John, Jesus does not reply to this, 
and even the disciples didn't understand it until years later after Jesus rose again from the dead.

But although he doesn't say it directly, maybe Jesus wanted them to have the wrong idea as a subtle, 
yet poignant, way to demonstrate that just generally they had the wrong idea. They had the wrong focus. 
They were obsessed with brick and mortar. Their mention of how long it had taken them to build the temple 
was a sign that they had lost their way. They no longer had the radical faith of Psalm 69. 
The psalmist endured insult and injury because of his outrageous belief that the living God 
actually dwelled in the temple. But some of the Jews in Jesus' day had forgotten. 
They saw it as their own accomplishment in which they could do whatever they wanted because it was, 
after all, their place. (I wish that did not sound so familiar).

(by Scott Hoezee from commentary on John 2:13-22)

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Another set of "money-changers" in the church seem to have lost their reason for forgiveness. 
Catholic priests have expressed concern over the sharp decline in the number of people 
desiring to take confession. We hear a lot of talk about the word celebration in our church today. 
There can be no celebration until there is first confession. In the parable of the prodigal son, 
the banquet does not occur until the boy had first come to himself.

A Sunday School class in a church once made an unusual request one day. 
They requested that the prayer of confession be taken out of the order of worship. 

They gave the following reasons:
1. Confessions imply that we are bad people.
2. Our children will get a negative image of themselves.
3. Guilt is damaging; we need to think positively.
4. Worship should always be uplifting and make us feel good.

This sounds like the philosophy advocated by that book some years ago "I'm OK you're OK." 
Tell me then. If I'm OK and you're OK then what are we doing here? The refusal to acknowledge 
that we are sinful people is damaging the church today, and it is damage that is coming from within, 
not from without. We have bought in to the modern culture that we should have a positive self-image 
through positive thinking. Friends, sin is real, and it is too destructive to ignore. 
The cross reminds us just how serious our sin is. The failure to express our sin before God 
and one another devalues God's redemptive grace. It is not positive thinking that will remove our guilt; 
it is God's redemptive action.

(by Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com)

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W. C. Fields once claimed he had studied the Bible for years, in his words, "Looking for a loophole". 
He never did say if he found one. I wonder, though, if he came across chapter 12 of the New Testament letter 
to the Hebrews, verses 5 and 6 - verses of pure grace: My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, 
or lose heart when you are punished by him; For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, 
And chastises every child whom he accepts. 

(by Peter Buehler from Cleansing)

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What would Jesus find in our churches? Although he probably wouldn't find cattle or sheep, 
would he find the same attitude -- religious rituals being just a business? Is the church building 
simply a place where people and God take care of business? Can worship become centered 
on the things we do, rather than the God who is present giving to us and forgiving us in Word and Sacrament? 
How can we change faulty worship attitudes?

Can "church as business" be a problem for the "professionals" in the church? 
Can leading worship for the clergy become simply a job for which we are paid? 
Does the laity sometimes think that they are "paying" the minister to do the worship for them -- 
thinking, "We pay them to do this for us"?
Do we think of God more as a vending machine -- put in our sacrifices or offerings or good deeds 
and out comes blessings? Do we misuse our (supposed) obedience to the Ten Commandments as bargaining chips with God?

Why the whip (only mentioned in John) and the harsh actions? Wouldn't it have been more diplomatic 
and have caused fewer problems to sit down with the church leaders and discuss the problem? 
When are swift, harsh actions needed rather than diplomacy? When should a pastor just do 
what he believes is right, or go through the council or other governing board?

(by Brian Stoffregen from Questions)

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Not long ago a friend told me one of his co-workers had been promoted above him. 
"You wouldn't believe this guy," he said. "Power has gone to his head and he's becoming impossible." 
"How's that?" I asked. "Well," my friend said, "when I'm late--even if it's only 10 minutes--
he says something about it. And he's always on my back about meeting projections. 
He used to be great to work with, but now no one wants to be around him."

Unfortunately, my friend's attitude reflects the attitude of many people. They don't understand 
that sometimes leaders have to make tough decisions. Sometimes leaders have to say things 
they don't like having to say. A leader can't be "one of the guys". Where others might be willing the let things slide, 
a leader has to deal with the problem.

In fact, this is the most difficult aspect of being a leader: You no longer have the luxury of turning your head 
and looking the other direction when a problem comes up. Leaders have to take responsibility for making things right, 
even when the task is unpleasant. Sometimes this calls for taking stock of a situation and cleaning house. 
This applies to all leaders--pastors, parents, bosses, coaches, managers, or any other person in a leadership role.

There was a time in Jesus' ministry when he found himself in the midst of a bad situation in desperate need of an overhaul. 
He couldn't--and certainly wouldn't--look in the other direction. Instead, Jesus did something 
that no one would have expected him to do. The saying "Desperate times call for desperate measures" 
might apply to this story today.

(by Steve May from Confrontational Leadership)

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There is a story about a man who visited a church. He parked his car and started toward the front entrance. 
Another car pulled up nearby, and the irritated driver said to him, "I always park there. You took my place!" 
The visitor went inside and found that Sunday School was about to begin. He found an adult class, 
went inside, and sat down. A class member approached him and said, "That's my seat! You took my place!" 
The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, 
the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down in an empty pew. Within moments another member 
walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit. You took my place!" The visitor was troubled, 
but said nothing. Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to be present with them, the visitor stood, 
and his appearance began to change. Scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. 
Someone from the congregation noticed him and cried out, "What happened to you?" 
The visitor replied, "I took your place."

Some things that happen in church are silly. Some things are down right scandalous. 
Some things may even be sacrilegious. But the Church is still the body of Christ 
and it was for the Church that Christ died. 

(by B. Richard Dennis from Over My Dead Body!)

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To know and to serve God, of course, is why we're here, a clear truth, that, like the nose on your face, 
is near at hand and easily discernible but can make you dizzy if you try to focus on it hard. 
But a little faith will see you through. What else will do except faith in such a cynical, corrupt time? 
When the country goes temporarily to the dogs, cats must learn to be circumspect, walk on fences, 
sleep in trees, and have faith that all this woofing is not the last word.

What is the last word, then?

Gentleness is everywhere in daily life, a sign that faith rules through ordinary things: 
through cooking and small talk, through storytelling, making love, fishing, tending animals 
and sweet corn and flowers, through sports, music and books, raising kids - all the places 
where the gravy soaks in and grace shines through.

)by Garrison Keillor from We Are Still Married, New York: Viking, 1989. 
From the essay: The Meaning of Life)

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I remember hearing someone say that the money changing activities were
taking place in what was known as the "court of the Gentiles."  Those
Gentiles who wanted to come and pray and worship God were allowed to come
into that court, although they didn't get to go into the Temple.  If this
commotion--think about the chaos and noise and general racket that would
have been happening in such a marketplace--were happening in the one place
the Gentiles could go to pray and hear the Word of God, then the Gentiles
were closed out of their access to God.  So Jesus objected because their
activities shut a number of people out of being able to approach God in
God's dwelling place (even though they could not enter the temple proper).

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It is interesting that the Greek word (exebalen) that is translated "drove" in the
English (vs. 2:15) should be translated as "exorcise". Makes a great
deal of difference in the way we understand this action on the part of Jesus.

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by Thomas Troeger

With holy anger, Christ,
disrupt the power that feeds
upon the cruel sacrifice
of others' rights and needs. 

As you turned over tables
and sent coins
spinning and jangling
across the temple floor,
disrupt the unholy commerce
in our hearts:
selling faith
for security
and trading justice
for peace.

By your holy anger
drive out every transaction
that profanes
the house of prayer.
By that same anger start
what evil can't defeat:
a stubborn passion in the heart
to see God's will complete.
Baptize us with fire
hotter than Herod's wrath
until we no longer mute
the fury in our hearts
at the slaughter
of the innocents.

Baptize us with fire!
But do not let our rage
grow bitter as the din
of fierce mean minds that fail to gauge
when anger turns to sin.
Instead, let anger be
the first note
in love's ascending scale,
the starting tone
of heaven's dove:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
if only you knew
the things that make for peace..."

Instead, let anger be
compassion's kindling fire
that lights in us the energy
to live as you desire.

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