Cleaning Our ‘Temple’s – Hearts – Sermon 8 March, 2015

“Cleaning Our ‘Temple’s – Hearts”

John 2: 13 – 22

When you read this story of the cleansing of the Temple, how would you describe Jesus here? Do we see Him as a “Gentle Shepherd” or “Lamb of God?

The Jesus we see here is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

We see Him passionate, driven, dramatic and angry, with a ‘righteous anger.’

But why is He angry here?

Why did He overturn the tables, drive out the animals, and spill all the coins of the money-changers?

Why did He do this?

What was He trying to say?

What do we learn from and about Jesus in this story?

First, we should realise that it was Passover, the annual Jewish feast commemorating and celebrating the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. It was also a pilgrimage festival, meaning that many people travelled great distances to worship in Jerusalem during Passover.

To celebrate Passover, cattle, sheep, and doves were required for burnt offerings in the temple, but those who had to journey from far would not likely have brought animals with them. Therefore, they needed to buy animals in Jerusalem in order to participate in temple worship.

Despite how legitimate this practice was, the spirit behind these practices was not. Priests required that travellers purchase animals at the Jerusalem temple – nowhere else – and they could charge what they liked, so that people could offer an “acceptable sacrifice.” To make sure that this was what happened, the priests had to inspect and approve of animals brought into the temple from the outside. All the priest had to do was reject the animal and a new had to be purchased from the temple court.

Second, all Jewish males were required to pay a half-shekel temple tax in the coinage of the temple (a worship tax). Furthermore, any foreign currency bearing the images of pagan deities or rulers was unacceptable, so the money-changers would exchange foreign currency for a fee.

Third, these activities did not take place outside the temple, but the merchants, animals, and money-changers were inside the temple courts. The specific area where they set up shop was the outermost court – the court of the Gentiles. Gentiles were permitted to worship in this outermost court – remember Israel was to be a light to all nations and a blessing to all people.

This was why Jesus reacted as He did. This was why he overturned the tables, set the animals loose, and spilled the money everywhere, preventing such practices. Jesus was responding to the fact that his Father’s house – which should be a house of prayer and worship – had been turned into a marketplace, a place for the buying and selling of religion.

This points us to Jesus’ passion for true worship and honour and glory of his Father – who was not being honoured nor glorified by what was happening in the temple.

He also confused the leaders even more by telling them He would raise the temple in three days if they tear it down. But their hearts were hard. Jesus’ actions were a wakeup call to the people and the leadership. There was no other way.

So Jesus told them to tear down the temple and that He would raise it in three days. This further confused and infuriated the religious leaders. But we know that Jesus was not referring to the physical building of the temple. He was referring to his own body, death and resurrection.

Why would Jesus bring this up now?

Was this not a strange place to raise the topic of His death and resurrection?

Jesus is doing far more than responding to the corruption he saw. Israel was failing in its mission and true worship had degenerated into self-serving religion – Jesus is doing something much more radical: Jesus is challenging the system of the temple itself, its religion and its authority.

Jesus is the fulfilment of the OT temple. Thousands and thousands of sacrifices had been offered in this temple for the forgiveness of sins. With Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of himself there would be no more need for temple sacrifice. He was telling them that it was his body that is the true object of worship.

What does this passage say to us today, then?

1. First of all, we have to be careful with equating our own religious practices and institutions – how we do things – with the will of God. Our way of doing things is not always God’s way. Indeed, in Scripture, God tells us: “My ways are not your ways.” We always have to be willing to examine how we do things as a church – is change needed? Is reform called for? Is renewal necessary?
2. Second, the actions of the religious leaders of the day laid a heavier than needed burden on people coming to worship at the temple through taxes and extortion.

What requirements do we have of people coming into our sanctuary to worship?

What do we expect of them?

Can they come as they are?

3. Third, worship is not about buildings, the sanctuary, and the facilities we use. It wasn’t in Jesus day and it isn’t now. Worship is about placing Jesus at the centre. As the Son of God he is the focus of our worship.

The NT teaches us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The OT temple has been replaced by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers. Yet there remains the danger of polluting this temple. As Jesus cleansed the Jerusalem temple, He also wants to cleanse us through his death and resurrection.

Each of us has to examine our hearts and ask God for forgiveness. Psalm 139: 23, 24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Only then can we truly worship and bring honour and glory to God and with David we pray, “Create in me a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within me.” This should be our prayer today.

Krikor Youmshajekian