John 2:13–22

Deliberately Destructive

I’m honestly not sure if Jesus was angry when he cleansed the temple. In fact, I’m not sure I would even describe what happened as a cleansing. Cleansing suggests that there is something dirty that needs be scrubbed down and that whatever needs to be cleansed is worth saving. Jesus’s actions do not demonstrate a concern for the system; they communicate a desire to destroy what is corrupt or unholy about the system itself. When v. 14 tells us that Jesus “found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves and the money changers seated at their tables,” we are not to understand that Jesus happened upon these folk or that he was surprised by their presence. Not only would Jesus have known that they were there, but he would also have understood the necessity of their presence.

For worship, the people needed to exchange money and purchase animals in order to sacrifice. There was a great deal of activity around the temple during the period of Roman occupation in which Jesus lived. Furthermore, Jesus takes the time to deliberately craft a whip of cords, and he takes the time to pour the coins out of their containers and flip over the tables. Everything about this encounter suggests a deliberate and premeditated action. Even the fact that Jesus spoke specifically to the people who were selling doves suggests his intention behind these actions. There is no wasted movement; this is a scripted and intentional confrontation. Nothing was done in the moment; this was not a rage-induced outburst, but rather a steadily planned and executed action against a system that Jesus deemed no longer necessary. Jesus is passionate and maybe even righteously indignant, but he does not seem to be overwhelmed by emotions. He seeks to change a corrupt system, not go into a theatrical fit of rage.

Collateral Damage

The money changers and animal sellers were the unfortunate recipients of Jesus’s disdain but ultimately collateral damage in his demonstration. His problem is primarily with the system that is in place more than the people involved. There is nothing in this story to suggest that these particular money changers and animal sellers were taking advantage of anyone. Jesus’s purposeful outburst was an act of civil disobedience that can serve as an important analogue to the kinds of actions, non-violent or destructive, that happen today for those who are fighting to eradicate systems that no longer serve but oppress. Jesus slowly forming a whip and making this public display is akin to an organized act of resistance. It made me wonder if this could be a demonstration of meekness instead of anger. This pericope offers the picture of a Jesus who has a considerate amount of strength displayed, but all of it under control.

How might we demonstrate this kind of disruptive meekness in both our preaching and our ministry? What might it mean for the preacher to think about what systems of oppression are worthy such demonstrable action? Could it be that this is not simply a story about possibility but a call for this type of discipleship? For congregations that have had difficulty understanding the protests that have been going on in the last few years, related to Black Lives Matter, police brutality, merciless capitalism, or any other number of ills facing our society, might this pericope help understand the holiness of direct action? How might a preacher celebrate the need for deliberate and thoughtful planning and managing of righteous indignation? How can we wrestle with the notion that some of our core traditions of how we manage worship or church life more broadly may need to be re-imagined in light of certain capitalist notions in our world? In v. 16 Jesus’s final exhortation was to stop allowing his Father’s house to be “a house of merchandise,” a clear critique of a kind of economic injustice creeping into the temple and shaping worship. Are we ready to levy a similar critique of our churches and even more challenging are we ready to go to the lengths that Jesus demonstrated to tear down those systems?

Re-Membering the Cost

John tells us that the disciples recalled a verse from Psalm 69 as they witnessed Jesus’s demonstration. The verse says, “Zeal for your house has consumed me” (Ps 69:9). If we focus too much on Jesus’s anger, we may miss that this quote from Psalm 69 is about the kind of ridicule one receives for being passionate about God and God’s house. The “consuming” comes from outside forces, and this psalm and its quotation here serve as a warning against the danger that comes from demonstrating deliberate and disciplined passion like Jesus does in this passage. The disciples are recognizing, or at least John wants future disciples to recognize, that with the kind of devotion that Jesus displays there will be consequences. Preachers then would do well to make sure that we communicate the dangers inherent to this kind of devotion and to help listeners recognize this kind of danger as a part of the process.

Having faith is often described as simply an affirmation of belief. This passage calls us to remember that faith is more than affirmation of belief. There is cost associated with discipleship, one that might put us in harm’s way. Sermons might want to consider what kind of preaching actually may upset the status quo enough that we might encounter opposition, and whether or not our faith requires this level of preaching.

At the end of the pericope, John gives a post-resurrection footnote to the events at hand. Jesus had just finished speaking to the crowd about destroying the temple and raising it up in three days (John 2:19). The people did not understand that Jesus was speaking about his own body and did not realize that Jesus was offering a clandestine prediction of his death and resurrection. John then inserts that it was not until after the resurrection that the disciples understood what Jesus meant in this encounter. What a comfort to know that even these disciples who were with Jesus did not know, understand, or believe immediately! It took time, the experience of the resurrection, and a memory from the past. In other words, their faith came as the result of thoughtful and continued reflection on their past and their present. The disciples needed time and experience to be able to piece together what Jesus ultimately meant to them. Let this come as a relief to us preachers, reassuring us that it takes some time to understand and believe in this rabble-rousing savior. How might we preach to help the faith of our hearers, so that our congregations might mature into those who are willing to flip over a few tables for the faith?