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Jesus Cleanses the Temple of Corruption (Luke 19:45-48)
The second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple of corruption is in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48). The first instance is only in John 2:12-25 right after the wedding at Cana when Jesus’ ministry began. The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple, and the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple. These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry and reveal his heart for "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27).
https://youtu.be/IRhPakgaiLY
Jesus cleanses the temple of corruption in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48).
Table of contentsJesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off GentilesMisusing the Temple CourtyardThe MoneychangersThe Animal VendorsForbidden in the LawFalse Teachers Rip Off People TodayOld Testament Verses Were Quoted Because of Their Context"My House Shall Be A House Of Prayer" (Isaiah 56:7)"You Have Made It A Den Of Robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11)Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because He Cared More About Religious Corruption Than Roman OppressionJesus Cleansed the Temple and Then Remained in the Heart of Enemy TerritoryWas Jesus Really in More Danger When He Remained in the Temple?God the Father Was Always in Control
When I was in Army ROTC, during one of the summers, I attended air assault school at Fort Drum in upstate New York. We had a weekend off, so we decided to travel across the border to Canada. We went to a restaurant, and after we ate, we told the cashier that we only had US dollars.
We didn’t know the conversion rate between US and Canadian dollars, so we simply had to trust the cashier when he told us how much our meal cost. The one thing I did know was I had never paid that much for a meal before. But we were in no position to argue because we had no familiarity with the conversion rate between Canadian and US dollars…and we didn’t have cell phones that allowed us to say, “Okay Google.” Now I feel old.
The cashier also pointed toward the cash in his register and said that he didn’t have any US money, so he would not be able to give us change. As we were walking out, I saw him lift the till containing the Canadian money. He put our US dollars underneath it…on top of what looked to me like quite a bit of US money. I said, “I thought you said you didn’t have any US dollars?” I don’t remember what he said in return, but it was obvious that he took advantage of us.
This Canadian cashier ripping off his American neighbors reminded me of the Jewish vendors in the temple courtyard who were doing the same to their Gentile neighbors. At least until Jesus came along.
Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off Gentiles
Luke 19:45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
This is the second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple. The first instance is only in John’s Gospel. It took place right after the wedding at Cana, which is to say it took place right after Jesus’ ministry began. So, it is interesting that:
The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple.
And the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple.
These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry. Why would Jesus cleanse the temple at the beginning and end of his ministry? Iit reveals his heart for pure and undefiled religion:
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James says that pure and undefiled religion does two things.
It is loving. It does things such as visit orphans and widows. This is not an exhaustive list. James mentions these as examples so that people know what pure and undefiled religion looks like.
It keeps itself unstained from the world, which is to say it produces holiness. When people claim to be religious, but their religion produces, or at least allows, unholiness, it is not pure and undefiled religion.
When Jesus looked at the temple, he didn’t see pure and undefiled. He saw corrupt and unscrupulous religion. Instead of lovingly serving others, he saw a religion that manipulated and exploited others.
Misusing the Temple Courtyard
The different courts of the temple were:
The outermost court was the court of the Gentiles. This is where the cleansing took place.
Next was the court of the women.
Then there was the court of Israel, also known as the court of men.
Finally, there was the court of priests which, as the name implies, only priests could enter.
The court of the Gentiles, or the outermost court, was the only area of the temple that non-Jews could enter. We say Jesus cleansed the temple, but both times he wasn’t in the temple. He was outside in this courtyard.
Because this was the area accessible by Gentiles, it was intended to be a place of evangelism and outreach. The Jews could witness to their Gentile neighbors and tell them about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But instead of this court being used to evangelize Gentiles, it was being used to exploit them:
Instead of praying for the Gentiles, the priests were preying on the Gentiles.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament volume 1: Matthew-Galatians, page 255.
The Moneychangers
There were primarily two Jewish groups ripping off Gentiles: money changes and animal vendors. Let me explain both.
First, according to Exodus 30:11-16 the Mosaic law required that everyone pay a temple tax of half a shekel. Like me going to Canada without the right currency, Gentiles would go to the temple without the right currency. They had coins with images of pagan emperors on them, and they would not be accepted at the temple.
There were Jewish money changers in the courtyard who exchanged foreign coins for Jewish coins that would be accepted at the temple. But they would do so at exorbitant exchange rates.
The Animal Vendors
Second, there were animal vendors. Gentiles would come to the temple, but they might not have an animal to sacrifice, so the vendors would sell them animals that were overpriced. Or, even if Gentiles came to the temple with animals, the vendors would examine them, but tell worshipers their animals were unacceptable. Then they would try to sell them one of their overpriced animals.
Gentiles didn’t know better, so they were perfect victims for these unscrupulous Jews. Imagine what this looked like. A Gentile abandons his pagan, idolatrous ways. He wants to worship the God of Israel, so he goes to the temple. He is a new convert, so even though he is sincere, he lacks familiarity with the Old Testament sacrificial system.
He brings an animal because he wants to offer a sacrifice. But a Jewish vendor says, “It is wonderful that you are here. God wants a relationship with you. But I hate to tell you your animal is unacceptable. You see, according to our law, there is a standard for animals that are sacrificed. Sadly, your animal does not meet that standard. But, today is your lucky day! I have animals that are in exceptional condition, and I will sell you as many as you would like.”
Forbidden in the Law
This sort of behavior was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic law:
Exodus 22:21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
When Jesus cleansed the temple, he showed not only his anger at the temple being abused. He also showed his concern for Gentile converts who were being ripped off.
And I will share something else with you that I think is going on. I say “think,” because the text doesn’t directly tell us this is the case, but I think we can indirectly assume it. Passover is only a few days away, so this would be the busiest time of the year at the temple. The courtyard would be filled with Gentiles who traveled long distances to be there. And what does everyone need? Lambs! Passover preparation is described:
Exodus 12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household...5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
The lamb had to be without blemish and a year old. Can you see how animal vendors would use this to take advantage of people? They could say, “Unfortunately, I see a blemish. It’s small, but it’s there. This lamb will not work. But I have one right here that I can sell you. You could try to buy one from outside the temple grounds, but who knows if it will have a blemish too.”
They get their lamb on the 10th day of the month. But they don’t kill it yet.They were supposed to get the lamb on the 10th day and kill it on the 14th day. With Passover only a few days away, the courtyard was filled, or would be filled the next day, with countless people getting their lambs.
What does this mean for vendors? It means they have dollar signs in their eyes. They probably expect to make more money ripping people off the week before Passover than over many other months combined.
But then what happens? Right when they think they are about to start lining their pockets, Jesus comes in and starts driving out all the vendors. The parallel account in Matthew 21:12 says he overturned their tables and chairs.
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By Scott LaPierre
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The second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple of corruption is in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48). The first instance is only in John 2:12-25 right after the wedding at Cana when Jesus’ ministry began. The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple, and the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple. These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry and reveal his heart for "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27).
https://youtu.be/IRhPakgaiLY
Jesus cleanses the temple of corruption in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48).
Table of contentsJesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off GentilesMisusing the Temple CourtyardThe MoneychangersThe Animal VendorsForbidden in the LawFalse Teachers Rip Off People TodayOld Testament Verses Were Quoted Because of Their Context"My House Shall Be A House Of Prayer" (Isaiah 56:7)"You Have Made It A Den Of Robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11)Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because He Cared More About Religious Corruption Than Roman OppressionJesus Cleansed the Temple and Then Remained in the Heart of Enemy TerritoryWas Jesus Really in More Danger When He Remained in the Temple?God the Father Was Always in Control
When I was in Army ROTC, during one of the summers, I attended air assault school at Fort Drum in upstate New York. We had a weekend off, so we decided to travel across the border to Canada. We went to a restaurant, and after we ate, we told the cashier that we only had US dollars.
We didn’t know the conversion rate between US and Canadian dollars, so we simply had to trust the cashier when he told us how much our meal cost. The one thing I did know was I had never paid that much for a meal before. But we were in no position to argue because we had no familiarity with the conversion rate between Canadian and US dollars…and we didn’t have cell phones that allowed us to say, “Okay Google.” Now I feel old.
The cashier also pointed toward the cash in his register and said that he didn’t have any US money, so he would not be able to give us change. As we were walking out, I saw him lift the till containing the Canadian money. He put our US dollars underneath it…on top of what looked to me like quite a bit of US money. I said, “I thought you said you didn’t have any US dollars?” I don’t remember what he said in return, but it was obvious that he took advantage of us.
This Canadian cashier ripping off his American neighbors reminded me of the Jewish vendors in the temple courtyard who were doing the same to their Gentile neighbors. At least until Jesus came along.
Jesus Cleansed the Temple Because Jews Were Ripping Off Gentiles
Luke 19:45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
This is the second instance of Jesus cleansing the temple. The first instance is only in John’s Gospel. It took place right after the wedding at Cana, which is to say it took place right after Jesus’ ministry began. So, it is interesting that:
The first thing Jesus did after his ministry began was cleanse the temple.
And the first thing he did after making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem was cleanse the temple.
These two cleansings serve as bookends on Jesus’ three-year ministry. Why would Jesus cleanse the temple at the beginning and end of his ministry? Iit reveals his heart for pure and undefiled religion:
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James says that pure and undefiled religion does two things.
It is loving. It does things such as visit orphans and widows. This is not an exhaustive list. James mentions these as examples so that people know what pure and undefiled religion looks like.
It keeps itself unstained from the world, which is to say it produces holiness. When people claim to be religious, but their religion produces, or at least allows, unholiness, it is not pure and undefiled religion.
When Jesus looked at the temple, he didn’t see pure and undefiled. He saw corrupt and unscrupulous religion. Instead of lovingly serving others, he saw a religion that manipulated and exploited others.
Misusing the Temple Courtyard
The different courts of the temple were:
The outermost court was the court of the Gentiles. This is where the cleansing took place.
Next was the court of the women.
Then there was the court of Israel, also known as the court of men.
Finally, there was the court of priests which, as the name implies, only priests could enter.
The court of the Gentiles, or the outermost court, was the only area of the temple that non-Jews could enter. We say Jesus cleansed the temple, but both times he wasn’t in the temple. He was outside in this courtyard.
Because this was the area accessible by Gentiles, it was intended to be a place of evangelism and outreach. The Jews could witness to their Gentile neighbors and tell them about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But instead of this court being used to evangelize Gentiles, it was being used to exploit them:
Instead of praying for the Gentiles, the priests were preying on the Gentiles.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament volume 1: Matthew-Galatians, page 255.
The Moneychangers
There were primarily two Jewish groups ripping off Gentiles: money changes and animal vendors. Let me explain both.
First, according to Exodus 30:11-16 the Mosaic law required that everyone pay a temple tax of half a shekel. Like me going to Canada without the right currency, Gentiles would go to the temple without the right currency. They had coins with images of pagan emperors on them, and they would not be accepted at the temple.
There were Jewish money changers in the courtyard who exchanged foreign coins for Jewish coins that would be accepted at the temple. But they would do so at exorbitant exchange rates.
The Animal Vendors
Second, there were animal vendors. Gentiles would come to the temple, but they might not have an animal to sacrifice, so the vendors would sell them animals that were overpriced. Or, even if Gentiles came to the temple with animals, the vendors would examine them, but tell worshipers their animals were unacceptable. Then they would try to sell them one of their overpriced animals.
Gentiles didn’t know better, so they were perfect victims for these unscrupulous Jews. Imagine what this looked like. A Gentile abandons his pagan, idolatrous ways. He wants to worship the God of Israel, so he goes to the temple. He is a new convert, so even though he is sincere, he lacks familiarity with the Old Testament sacrificial system.
He brings an animal because he wants to offer a sacrifice. But a Jewish vendor says, “It is wonderful that you are here. God wants a relationship with you. But I hate to tell you your animal is unacceptable. You see, according to our law, there is a standard for animals that are sacrificed. Sadly, your animal does not meet that standard. But, today is your lucky day! I have animals that are in exceptional condition, and I will sell you as many as you would like.”
Forbidden in the Law
This sort of behavior was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic law:
Exodus 22:21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
When Jesus cleansed the temple, he showed not only his anger at the temple being abused. He also showed his concern for Gentile converts who were being ripped off.
And I will share something else with you that I think is going on. I say “think,” because the text doesn’t directly tell us this is the case, but I think we can indirectly assume it. Passover is only a few days away, so this would be the busiest time of the year at the temple. The courtyard would be filled with Gentiles who traveled long distances to be there. And what does everyone need? Lambs! Passover preparation is described:
Exodus 12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household...5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
The lamb had to be without blemish and a year old. Can you see how animal vendors would use this to take advantage of people? They could say, “Unfortunately, I see a blemish. It’s small, but it’s there. This lamb will not work. But I have one right here that I can sell you. You could try to buy one from outside the temple grounds, but who knows if it will have a blemish too.”
They get their lamb on the 10th day of the month. But they don’t kill it yet.They were supposed to get the lamb on the 10th day and kill it on the 14th day. With Passover only a few days away, the courtyard was filled, or would be filled the next day, with countless people getting their lambs.
What does this mean for vendors? It means they have dollar signs in their eyes. They probably expect to make more money ripping people off the week before Passover than over many other months combined.
But then what happens? Right when they think they are about to start lining their pockets, Jesus comes in and starts driving out all the vendors. The parallel account in Matthew 21:12 says he overturned their tables and chairs.