Jesus not only drove money changers from the temple, but he also cleared out those who were selling animals.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. – John 2:13-15 NIV
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” – Matthew 21:12-13 NIV
Why Did Jesus Drive Them Out?
1. They were taking advantage of those who had traveled long distances to celebrate Passover.
Two things were essential for these foreign worshipers: an animal to sacrifice and Temple coins which local merchants would accept. There was probably nothing wrong with selling animals or operating a legitimate money exchange, but, according to Jesus, these particular vendors were a “den of robbers” who undoubtedly charged exorbitant rates, thus taking advantage of those who seemingly had no other options.
2. They were doing so in the Temple.
Evidently, these shysters set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, effectively crowding out those who had traveled to worship. Furthermore, they were perverting the purpose of the Temple itself; Jesus exclaimed that they were turning the house of prayer into a den of robbers. Not good!
In summary, these “businessmen” were guilty of a double whammy: they took advantage of others and they blocked God’s purposes in doing so. No wonder Jesus was angry!
What Should We Learn?
1. Don’t make the same mistakes.
Of course we won’t literally be selling sacrificial animals or providing a money exchange for worshipers, but we can take advantage of others. Do you ever use others to in order to advance your own purposes? Have you ever borrowed money from a generous friend when you have no intention of repayment? At work, do you push the less savory tasks onto your subordinate simply because you have the power to do so? Do you ask favors of people who don’t know how to say no?
2. Speak up when others do the same thing.
The flip side of taking advantage of others is speaking up when you see someone else doing it. Jesus spoke up in no uncertain terms . . . perhaps we should do the same?
3. Anger can be a good thing.
Anger is often portrayed as a negative emotion, but the God who gave us our emotions expects us to be occasionally moved to anger. Jesus was angry because men were perverting the use of his Father’s house. How about you? Does child abuse make you angry? What emotions are fired off when you hear about human trafficking? If anger is nowhere on your radar, you might need to ask yourself why it isn’t! That anger can be a great catalyst to getting us involved in causes we would otherwise ignore.
4. We are the Temple.
I realize that we need to be wise about what activities take place in church buildings, but the bigger point is that today’s believers in Christ are the church. Therefore, as we mingle in the world around us, we are showcasing the church. If the Temple was made for prayer, do we think we, the children of God, have any less of a calling? Is it possible that we are guilty of perverting the use of “God’s house” when we compromise our prayer walk?
The Rest of the Story
What happened after Jesus threw those moneychangers from the Temple? I imagine there was a shocked silence as people awkwardly waited to see what would happen next. The Bible tells us that the blind and the lame came to him, and children recognized him as “Hosanna, son of David.”
Think about it: Immediately after Jesus dealt with the opportunists, he became a magnet for the very ones whom others so often take advantage of. It may be that when we take a courageous stand for righteousness, some will recognize and appreciate that stand. The world is full of downtrodden people who are looking for someone to stand up for them. If we don’t do it, who will?
What additional applications can you make from Jesus throwing the moneychangers from the Temple? Your thoughts are always welcome!
What a great lesson! Learn even more about what the Bible says about Money!
THANKS…this sooo blessed me today as we need to hear how the Temple is sacred and for doing and being what He wants for us, living blameless, and out of debt and as simple as we can. Marsha
Thanks… I like application you have made especially about prayer. Often times we forget that we are temples of the living God and he has called His temples to be houses of prayer. The more we prayer the more we brings God’s will be established in our lives, in our churches, in our local communities and in the world. The less we prayer the more people do what seems right in their eyes (as did these money changers) and the more sin prevails.
Let’s be houses of prayer!
Pamela
Very good! The application I take from the story is that there’s a place for everything, and the house of God is not a place for merchandising. There are plenty of other opportunities and places for that; entering the house of God is entering a realm where other values are preeminent, and should therefore have preeminence.
I think this is the only part of the bible that tells about Jesus being angry, that he displayed human emotions (and he was happy when he was with the children). More to the point, there’s nothing wrong with doing a business as long as it’s in the right place, time, and process.
What about churches selling in their churches,isn’t that the same?Bookstores as you walk in has always made me think about when Jesus Christ drove the merchants from the temple .
on this verb yes jesus was angry the fact that the people was selling buying collecting in the house of prayer he didn’t like .it was Disrepeful and disobedient.
Hi,
Is there any other scriptures that support that one in John 2:13-15? If there are not anymore, can you tell me why we shouldn’t sell in the church.
Thanks
Donna Fleming
This is very significant. Then, the temple was a physical edifice built by human hand. However, from the vantage of today, the emphasis has changed from physical edifice to the heart of man. I’ve to be conscious of the transaction going on in the temple of God (my heart). Too on the list of transaction must be doing that which the master says is what the temple was designed for; a house of prayer.
First thing that comes to mind is the peddling of tithing. That is so boring because I want to hear God’s Word not about tithing through the whole experience.
Yes, that is an aspect of the church but I wish they wouldn’t shove it down our throats. So many churches today are about merchandising, it is quite frankly, a turn off.
Bitcoin eliminates the money changers. Jesus would have loved Bitcoin, it’s a gift from God.
I liked your interpretation of Jesus and the money changers. In history it is not often pointed out this way. And also the Jews being made into scapegoats for their involvement in shady bussiness endeavors. In fact during WWII Hitler made them the example of his war against capitalism. FDR recognized Hitler and the Nazis waging a war against capitalism even though he was not fond of it himself. Under his rule a shipload of Jewish refugees were turned back to Germany and refused asylum. Those who missrepresent history are not favorable to Jews, Christians or capitalism. After all free will made capitalism possible and a great war was fought in heaven over it. God gave Man free will. Man gave it back. Then America was born and free will made it possible. God won again!
God bless you, because as long as I understand the value of honoring the church and gaining valuable knowledge many times in the Christian way, Jesus has given us a good example we should not have the house of God in a humiliating place, the house of God will always be honored
To the gentleman about tithing it does tie into the story will you rob god of what belongs to him
For me I think we need to know were we do our business.not in church
How many of the situations that Jesus was involved in that someone deserved a good smiting did Jesus open season on them? He wasn’t that kind of guy. I don’t think it happened here either. It might have been some overzealous old testament scribe adding a little colour commentary to put the fear of the lord into the congregation but Jesus never did anything like that to anyone.
Ok so they were selling out of the church for their own selfish & cunning reasons? But what about selling food, clothes (yard sales) or spiritual merchandise to raise money for the church? Is it ok?
Fundraising can be done on day of non worship AND NOT IN CHURCH OR TEMPLE!
It can be done in parking lot or large gather room.
You come to church or temple to worship Your God.
You Come to RECEIVE His word!
Not to fundraise or shop for the week.
6 days are given to shop and work.
7th day is your Sabbath , your day of worship and Rest from all hard work of the week. We all deserve that 1 day of rest to relax no shopping or work just enjoy Gods goodness! Turn the whole world off! And just refuel with His Holy Spirit!
What would Jesus think about ATMs in church?
Yea, that is a good question…
Great lessons from this story.
The temple was been misused; selling and exchanging of money was not what the temple was built for. So Jesus’ reaction proves His desire to uphold the original purpose for which the temple was built (Matt 21:13); it was never intended to be a market place… It was built for the purpose of worship and offering of sacrifice to God. There are many ways we misuse the house of God today; might not be selling and exchanging money but some thing we do (some programs we even hold in the church) and even some conversations we do engage in, in the house of God represent a total misuse of God’s house.
Also Jesus was not a Priest or an elder in the temple but yet still he did the needful. He saw the wrong and corrected it. We need not be elders in church before we speak out against wrong doings in the house of God; No.
Christians who travel overseas need foreign currency and sometimes come home with excess cash. It would be good to help them trade that currency. I have a website (not quite ready) that takes money changers out of the process, connects individuals with each other, and lets everyone trade their cash at the full international exchange rate. I only charge $1 for each trade, and if the church agrees to tell parishioners about it, the church will receive 50% of the total revenue. I don’t see that as robbery nor as obstructing worship. Do you think Jesus would object to that?