John 2:13-22
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 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. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
John 2:13-22
I have read this text numerous times before. This morning, as I sit, read, pray, and reflect on this account of Jesus in the temple I see and feel so much. My education leads my mind to thoughts of these earliest days of Jesus’ ministry. I consider how Jesus’ actions were perhaps calculated and deliberate to entice and promote His message of Himself and God’s fulfillment of the law and sacrificial system. Today as I’m reading I stop myself and in prayer God revealed something to me. God cannot tolerate sin.
As my southern, americanized, capitalist mind reads this text I think wow. Jesus is angry, upset, and arguably rude to these people whom have worked to bring these items for sale. After all these men and women are selling and simply working to make a living. They should have gotten a two week notice before being evicted, right? This is not how Jesus sees things. We must always realize that Jesus is God therefore His actions are just. Socially correct verse righteous are two very different things.
If sin separates us from God (Rom. 3:23) then through Jesus’ directly and arguably reflexive confrontation of the sin of buying and selling in the temple He is displaying the most loving act possible through taking a corrective stance against these actions.
How does this text reveal Christ to me and how should Jesus’ example direct my mind, heart, and resultant actions? For me personally I am naturally a peace maker. I will stress, work, and plan to great degrees for the purpose of avoiding an altercation. It tears me up when people are upset or disagree with me. I want you to notice in my last sentence a core problem I struggle with. When my concern is more what people think or feel toward me verses God this is wrong. Jesus does not in anyway direct attention toward Himself in our passage, His focus is God the Father. (Even though He is God incarnate)
I want to challenge you today as you consider Jesus overturning tables in the temple God’s love for you and His disdain for your sin. I want you to consider your personal relationships with others. Do you love Jesus and others enough to confront sin and direct others to a peace found only in Christ?
My seminary President preached my graduation commencement service. In his message he challenged the room full of ministers. He stated that standing with Christ and proclaiming the gospel would create division with others we would never have envisioned. He challenged us never to look for division but always stand alone with Christ and minister to others in Him because this is the only truthfully loving thing we can do. These words have rung true for me on numerous occasions. I have learned that people love their sin. People justify their sin. I have also learned that I struggle in the flesh and need Jesus just as much as any person I have ever ministered to.
It is interesting to me. I have battled times of obedience to be true to God’s Word and not soften on truth that calls out and exposes wrongful sin. Disclaimer, I am no where near perfect, I’m not Jesus, and I make mistakes however in the numerous disputes I have experienced since entering ministry full time this has never happened. I have had people grow frustrated with how some aspect of the ministry or specific action of mine or another might be felt by them. What I have never had is someone who is struggling with me or the ministry of the church in some way ask to sit down and discuss their issue with the Bible opened and to be the primary means of discussion. What occurs 99% of the time during a confrontation is one of two things. First the offended person uses a number of personal pronouns self justifying their actions and position or the offended person begins to grow distant and then disappears for seasons at a time.
How does or has the gospel offended you? How is God calling you today to gracefully confront not only your sin but the sin of those He places in your path? What fixtures in your heart and life need to be overturned by Christ today?
