An Atheistic Bible Study Of The Gospel House Of Merchandise Incident

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All four Gospels present coverage of the incident in which Jesus ferociously drives the money-lenders and merchants out of the Temple of Jerusalem, but the details and even dating of the event vary enormously. While Mark, Matthew and Luke see the act as one of the last events in the life of Jesus before the betrayal and crucifixion story unfolds, John’s Gospel sets it early in the ministry at a previous Passover feast. The length of the adult ministry of Jesus is measured by the Passover feasts, which seems to cover two Passovers in the three Synoptic Gospels but three in John’s Gospel. Some scholars try to claim that Jesus cleared the Temple of its traders twice rather than once, with John simple recording a different event to that recorded by the other three Gospel authors. It seems unlikely Jesus would get away with such action twice, even years apart. His action is a major trigger to the events leading to his crucifixion. The Temple itself was huge, attracting travellers from far and wide, with many staying for days or even weeks. Having shops, stabling yards and cattle markets in its vicinity made sense, as it was the heart of secular commerce as well as the biggest synagogue in Jerusalem. That such commerce goes on there would be no surprise to Jesu. He saw it even during his childhood. JOHN – During Passover Jesus visits the Temple and expresses shock and condemnation that the trade side of Temple activity greatly dwarfs the religious purpose of the Temple. Jesus fashions some cord into a whip and lashes at the traders and money lenders severely, driving them out of the Temple. He turns over their trading tables in a spectacular display of violence and vandalism out of keeping with the image of Jesus meek and mild. He berates the traders for making money in his Father’s house, a clear statement of association to himself as the Son of God. His action is criminal vandalism, - try it in any shop or church today, no matter how passionately you dislike the money makers being there, and you will be arrested. Jesus is challenged as to what authority he act on. He tells the scribes that if they destroy the Temple he will raise it again within three days. Someone points out that it took forty-six years to build the Temple, and ask Jesus how he could build one in three days. He replies that the new temple would be his body rather than the stone Temple itself, so this is seen as a prophesy of his crucifixion and resurrection rather than a nonsense boast. MATTHEW Jesus’s arrival at the Temple is marvelled at as his reputation is well known now (unlike in John’s Gospel). Jesus attacks the temple traders, for the first or second time, though Matthew makes no mention of previous incidents. Jesus is particularly aggressive in dealing with the sellers of live dove, wrecking the chairs they sit on at their stalls. Jesus goes as far as to call the traders thieves now (in John they were just seen as traders). As Jesus is leaving, he sees some blind and lame people who he heals as he departs, which the children find marvellous, but the Temple rabbis and scholars are jealous and concerned. Jesus leaves the Temple for Bethany. The next day Jesus returns to the Temple where he is challenged as to why he committed such a scourging. Jesus asks them whether they consider his baptism by John The Baptist a gesture by a man or by God. The scribes know that whichever answer they give, they are trapped. John The Baptist is popular with the people so denouncing him as human will make them unpopular while recognizing his actions as divine shows support for his ministry and for the divinity of Jesus too. They refuse to answer the question, so Jesus refuses to answer them too, a very different stance than he took in John’s Gospel. MARK – A similar, but shorter version of events to those describes in Matthew, which additional touches such as no one being permitted by Jesus to carry drinking vessels in the Temple. This suggests opposition to use of alcohol in the Temple as an aid to enduring services. Mark at least provides clues as to why Jesus particularly despised dove sellers. The doves were sold to poor widows so they could be sacrificed to God as part of the mourning process. Jesus saw this as exploitation. Clearly he would not appreciate the cost of a modern funeral. LUKE – His version of the story is similar to those in Mathew and Mark. Timing the protest and violence close to the crucifixion makes more sense than having it early in the ministry as it gives the authorities legitimate grounds to investigate and even arrest Jesus. Despite his accusations that some traders are thieves they were acting within the law while his anti-materialist stance involves assault, intimidation, disturbing the peace, carrying an offensive weapon and possibly other charges too. Arthur Chappell