Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
Gospel Trivia:
This incident narrated by John is also found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Curiously, John records this incident at the BEGINNING of Jesus' ministry, but the other three evangelists record it as happening towards the END, specifically at the beginning of passion week.
Biblical scholars are divided on which version is more accurate. We will not settle that argument here. This blog will deal with the significance of the incident whether it happened in the beginning or at the end.
The incident likely happened on the outside courtyard of (not inside) the temple, where Gentiles (or non Jews) were allowed to roam. Still, a certain decorum is required by everyone.
Jesus was upset, no, angry, with what he saw: a trading area where sacrifices to be offered -- sheep if you were rich, pigeons if you were poor -- were being cornered by the temple priests and their relatives. Each sacrificial animal had to be vetted and the temple authorities would do that; for a fee of course. It had to be purchased with temple money, so everyone had to exchange their local currency through money changers, which were also cornered by the "authorities."
Jesus was so angry, he formed a whip and used it to clear the temple. He was angry because of the corruption surrounding the ritualistic requirements of Judaism. Moreover, Jesus was upset that the key messages of the Kingdom of God (namely, love, forgiveness and fullness of life) have evolved into cultic and ritualistic interpretations.
Another Trivia:
Did Jesus use violence against the people when he whipped those in the temple? Scholars clarify that the more accurate translation of the verse:
"He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen..."
is
"He made a whip out of cords and drove all the animals out of the temple area, namely the sheep and oxen."
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), pp. 41-50.
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