In the Bibles’ New Testament there are accounts of Jesus coming into Jerusalem and entering into the temple there. When he enters into the structure he finds that men are using the temple for profit and gain by either selling merchandise or practicing banking. According to scripture, the Apostle John wrote in his gospel, “Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, “Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise”. (John 2:13-16 (KJV)
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke also give similar accounts of the events that transpired on that day in the temple. Each account adding more pieces to the puzzle so that when one puts them all together a very detailed story emerges bringing to life a very powerful message. Jesus went into the temple and witnessed what was taking place. He disliked it so that he sought for and found the necessary materials to fashion a multi-stranded whip of small cords. According to John he then “drove them all out of the temple”. When I read this I get the impression of Jesus meticulously weaving and tying these cords all the while carefully considering and planning his course of action. When ready, he took action and with the whip, he “drove them out”, to me this implies a level of violence was exhibited by Jesus as he passionately sought to rid his Father’s house of the merchandisers who were conducting their business therein. He drove them out with impunity and without prejudice as to the cause of the merchants, solely because they were using the temple for buying and selling.
According to Mark 11:15-18 (KJV), “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine”.
Luke wrote, “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, Luke 19:45-47 (KJV)
According to Matthew, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. Matthew 21:12-14 (KJV)
Why do you still buy and sell merchandise in what you claim to be His temple? Why is there still so much emphasis put on money changing in where you claim His temple to be? Is it not to be known by all nations as a house of prayer? Are you lost, pretending or knowingly outright disobedient? Remember Jesus cast out the merchants with impunity and without prejudice to their cause, it did not matter why they were merchandising. He drove out them that bought as well. “Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise”! Did he not implore us to do as he did? I believe it is very important to note that after Jesus cleansed the temple, the chief priests and the scribes sought to destroy him because they feared him and were astonished by his doctrine. Why?, because it was righteous and righteousness was foreign to them. More importantly, however, Jesus, after he cleansed the temple, taught there daily and because it had been cleaned, the blind and the lame came in and he healed them.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Paul wrote, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are”.
We each are a temple. Make your temple worthy of the Holy Spirit. I believe that in most of us there is hiding a spirit of a merchant, a marketer, a banker. On a consistent basis they are working to penetrate our hearts and minds. These are of the world and seek to fool us into adopting their ways and misleading us to use their ways in guise of kingdom principles, such as, equating money with liberty, blessing, power, security and success. They speak to us trying to seduce us with notions like, “If you only had enough money you could be free to do this”. If you only had enough money you could be free to do that”. If I had enough money you could gain respect”, “If I had enough money I could get the car, then get the girl”, “With more money, people would think God is blessing your Church”. “Without money you are not secure”! This is done on such a level that if we are not careful we fall into a trap believing that the source of all that is pleasing, joyful and secure is rooted in wealth of money. If not careful very suddenly we find ourselves subtly shifting our focus on to money and a quest for it, so focused that we begin to lose sight of the promises of liberty, blessing, security and power in and through our creator. In this process we lose a great measure of Faith, maybe even so focused on money that we forget to think on Him first, and if we are not very careful, begin to worship money believing it to increase our status, or possibly we even fall to sin to obtain it.
“They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence”. 2 Kings 17:33 (KJV)
I am not saying that money has not been made a necessary component in some societies. I am merely re-revealing that money is an institution of man. Historically institutions of man fail. In our nation’s recent history this specific institution failed and money became virtually useless overnight. Those who had learned to put their trust in man and his institutions for their security suffered greatly, and those who had been truly taught and received the word of the Lord, to trust in the Lord believing, well they not only weathered those times but prospered because they were able to see his goodness all around them.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17: 5-8
I say that if we cleanse our inner temples and those we enter into, if we carefully consider, plan and take action we can effectively “drive them out”. Once clean the blind and the lame will come to us on the streets and in our church houses to be healed and taught daily of a relationship with our Creator and His Christ, Jesus. I am sure that in the process the world will begin to hate us but remember what Jesus said in John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”.
The world may hate us but our father will be glorified and move, Jesus’ great sacrifice will not be in vain, people will marvel at the miracles signs and wonders and turn to Him, our ministry of reconciliation will spread like wild fire. Let the world hate, it will only be for a short time. I have been immersed in his glory, I have tasted it for an instant and “It Is Good”. I assure you it is unimaginably thrilling, breath taking, electrifying, it is what he has for all those who love him, who enter into a right relationship with Him, and a place is being prepared for us in one of our Father’s many mansions for eternity.
“If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin”. John 15:22-23 (KJV)
“Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage”? Gal 4:8-9 (KJV)
A Church that focuses too much on appearances will soon become only the appearance of a Church.
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