The Woman At The Well

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Whenever a national event is televised, journalists and psychologists look for the precipitating event- an event which precedes and greatly motivates an action.  Matthew, Mark and Luke would have concluded driving out the money changers in the temple was the precipitating event of the Passion and Death of Jesus.  When money is taken away, when men are humiliated, men become angry and seek revenge.  It is the way of the world.  Jewish authorities probe Jesus for a sign of His authority.  His zeal they could not understand.  After all, this was only an area where Gentiles could come to pray.  Ah, human nature!  If one wants to deter another- to say they have no standing, selling animals in their sacred space is a way to discourage them.  Yes, Jesus is angry- not a passing human emotion, but a passion to set things right.  His Father’s sacred place has become a mall where merchandise is exchanged, where love has no meaning.

John’s Gospel is the gospel of the Messiah- the gospel where one searches deeper to find truth.  John’s Gospel places the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Christ’s ministry.  Probably Jesus attended the Passover in Jerusalem more than once; he was a devout Jew.  The event could be the precipitating event for the disciples understanding the meaning of Messiah.  His zeal is for His Father’s temple- the place He is to be found for Jews in the Old Testament; He is the Messiah; His zeal is that of the Messiah who is love for all men- both Jew and His cleansing is of the sin of human corruption- avarice, disrespect, hate. The temple He cleanses is man built; the Temple of His sacred Body is the one that will arise from the dead on the third day- the greatest event in human history.  It is the event the world will remember, whereby death leads to eternal life.  It is the event where man is able to become the living temple of the Lord.

Fallen human nature is cleansed to become a new creation-the temple of man’s heart is the place where God’s heart is; the zeal is the fire of the Holy Spirit entering and enlarging the heart of man, so man may be open to receiving God.  Now the heart can hear His words, know His love and both Jew and Gentile live in the peace of God.

No longer slaves to Egypt, no longer slaves to money, division, no more sacrifice of sheep and oxen, Christ the Messiah has entered the temple of the world to become the new Jerusalem, the new perfet high priest, and man is given the Word of Life.  To Him do all men come to pray, to have sins washed away, to have hearts become hearts of love whereby He might dwell, for man to continue the work He has shown to man.