DAY 50 of #100daysofJesus - Cleansing the Temple

 DAY 50 of #100daysofJesus

The temple is a sacred and holy place.

During Jesus' day, the temple had become more transactional than sacred. The Law of Moses required the Jews to make certain animal sacrifices in the temple.

Naturally, this attracted merchants who would set up shop near the temple to sell animals conveniently to the temple patrons. This wasn't a problem until, as the competition for customers increased, the merchants began setting up theirs shops in the temple itself.

In addition, every male in Israel was required to pay a poll tribute. This wasn't expensive, but the rabbis had ruled that it had to be done in temple coin. James Talmage explains:

"Ordinary money, varieties of which bore effigies and inscriptions of heathen import, was not acceptable, and as a result, money-changers plied a thriving trade on the temple grounds."

So, in addition to the animals being sold at the temple, there were money changers who were eager to exchange temple coin (with a commission).

You can imagine the scene as Jesus approaches the sacred temple, the holy house of His Father. He sees greedy money changers seeking customers, all sorts of animals and doves, the commotion of buying and selling.

Jesus had little patience for such desecration of the temple. He improvised a whip of small cords, began overthrowing their tables, and kicked them out of the temple. He exclaimed, "make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."

He met little resistance from the merchants because they were well aware the their behavior was inappropriate and driven by greed. Similarly, the religious leaders knew they should have long ago cleansed the temple of this commerce, and pricked by that guilt, allowed Jesus to proceed. It wasn't until he had finished that they approached Him to question His authority.

In this event Jesus showed that meekness is more about controlling one's emotions and passion than suppressing them. His righteous indignation was never beyond His control, although it was forceful and resolute. There are times when forceful action is required to rid evil from our midst.

We also learn of Jesus' love and respect for the temple. He knew of the sacredness of His "Father's house" and was willing to defend it. This was to be a peaceful sanctuary where men and women could come to worship, seek forgiveness, and make sacred covenants with God.

I also love the temple. I have greatly missed my weekly visits to the temple during this pandemic. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to attend an endowment ceremony on Friday in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and to be reminded of the great peace that is found within the walls of that holy edifice. I cannot wait for the opportunity to once again frequent the temple and worship God there!

(John 2:13-17, Jesus the Christ by James Talmage (Ch 12))