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  1. Story
    1. Story appears in all four Gospels
      1. John 2:13-22 – one important difference is that in John, this event happens right after the wedding in Cana.
      2. Matthew 21:12-13
      3. Mark 11:15-19
      4. Luke 19:45-46
  1. Echoes what is said in
    1. Isaiah 56:7 (these I will bring to my holy mountain, /and make them joyful in my house of prayer; /their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices/will be accepted on my altar; /for my house shall be called a house of prayer/for all peoples.)
    2. Jeremiah 7:11 (Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the Lord.)
    3. Psalm 69:9 It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; / the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
  1. The Temple
    1. In 19BC, Herod the Great doubled the size of the Temple Mount. This was the third temple and was known as “Herod’s Temple.” Construction lasted 46 years, so it was mostly complete when Jesus went there.
    2. This is the same Temple that Jesus would have visited with his parents every year. (Luke 2:41-52)
    3. The outer part of the mount was called the Court of Gentiles.
    4. It is clear that this building served as sacred marketplace. The trade was legitimate and necessary for pilgrims.
    5. According to Bible Odyssey, during the high holidays, such as Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, certain priests took advantage of their status by setting up stalls inside the Court of the Gentiles. It would appear that, on this occasion, the market had spilled over from the Royal Stoa into the holy area. When Jesus, in parallel passages of three Gospels, declares, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers,” he would have been referring to the profane activities that took place inside the sacred square precinct.
    6. As for Jesus’ accusation that the merchants had made it “a den of robbers,” there is abundant confirmation in the historical sources of the extortionate prices charged to those who bought sacrificial animals or who needed to change their money to pay the temple tribute.  On one occasion, Rabbi, son of Gamaliel, caused a reduction of 99% in the price of a pair of doves, as recorded in Mishnah Kerithoth 7.
  2. Moneychangers in the Temple
    1. Money changing was very common because there was a proliferation of currencies in ancient Rome.
    2. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, not only did these foreign coins have to be changed but also ordinary deposits were often handed over to the Temple authorities for safe deposit in the Temple treasury. Thus Jerusalem became a sort of central bourse and exchange mart, and the Temple vaults served as “safe deposits” in which every type of coin was represented.
    3. Money changers fulfilled three major functions: (a) foreign exchange, (b) the changing of large denominations into small ones, and vice versa, and (c) banking. The fee for this service varied from 4% to 8%.
    4. Money changers used to set up their “tables” in the outer court of the Temple for the convenience of the numerous worshipers, especially those from foreign countries.
    5. Only Jewish coins were allowed to be offered in the temple, and every worshipper—women, slaves, and minors excepted—had to pay the annual temple tribute of half a shekel.
  1. The Dove Sellers
    1. During Passover, every male Jew aged 12 and up was required to bring a lamb to sacrifice. The sellers of oxen, sheep and doves would often convince them that they had better animals to sacrifice thereby cheating them out of money unnecessarily.
    2. Those who attempted to bring their own sacrificial animals may very well have had them “rejected” by the temple priests, and thereby were forced to purchase “approved” animals at much higher prices.
    3. Cattle and sheep dealers would be tempted to charge exorbitant prices for such animals. They would exploit the worshipers. And those who sold pigeons would do likewise, charging, perhaps, $4 for a pair of doves worth a nickel.
    4. Though sheep were the preferred sacrifice, Leviticus 5:7 makes a provision allowing the poor to offer two doves instead.
    5. By singling out the dove sellers, Jesus is making a statement about exploitation of the poor.
  1. The Pivotal Event
    1. Humane Religion says that this is the pivotal event of Holy Week, because this set in motion Jesus’ arrest and all that followed.
    2. Jerusalem would’ve been overrun with tourists.
    3. Jesus’ actions here would be akin to someone stopping shopping on Black Friday.
  2. Jesus’ Authority
    1. Gilberto Ruiz says that by disrupting the well-established and accepted economic practices of the temple, Jesus publicly reveals he is more than a pilgrim visiting the temple. What grants Jesus such authority? Jesus’ calling the temple a marketplace is not the most surprising thing he says in John 2:16, since commerce was a well-known aspect of the temple’s identity. What stands out is his identifying the temple as “my Father’s house.” This provides the clue for understanding the source of Jesus’ authority. He is Son of the God who dwells in that temple, and as such he has the authority to disrupt the temple’s usual activities.
    2. Sarah Henrich says that in John, Jesus explains the temple cleansing in prophetic terms.
      1. Zechariah 14:20-21 (On that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And the cooking-pots in the house of the Lord shall be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar; and every cooking-pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be sacred to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and use them to boil the flesh of the sacrifice. And there shall no longer be traders in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.)
      2. Psalm 69:9 (It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; / the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
    3. Questions for Reflection.
      1. Some commentators say that Jesus planned this demonstration. Others suggest that it was spontaneous because Jesus was consumed with zeal. What do you think?
      2. Do you see this as the pivotal moment of Holy Week? If so, why? If not, what event do you believe is the pivotal moment?
      3. What is Jesus saying about economics? How does that translate to today?
      4. How does this story speak to your own life? What response to this story might God be asking from you?

 

 

Information gathered from and gratefully acknowledged: