Zeal for His House/Part Two
The “Red Letter” Words of Jesus
Day Eighteen
Now
the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He
found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money
changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all
out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’
money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a
house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was
written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” John 2:13-17 (NKJV)
In
the last devotion, we established the fact that Jesus didn’t have a problem
with the stalls of animals and moneychangers. They provided a necessary service
for the travelers who came to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and
pay the temple tax. The problem was where they were located.
Originally,
the business of purchasing sacrificial animals and exchanging money for the
temple tax probably took place outside of the temple. However, over a period of
time, these entrepreneurs crept closer and closer to the temple until they made
it to the outer courts where the Court of the Gentiles was located. This court
was a place where Jews and Gentiles could visit whether they were clean or
unclean. It was a place where Gentiles, who converted to Judaism, could worship
and pray to the Lord.
Perhaps
the Jewish attitude toward Gentiles (reflective of that time in history)
exposed their disrespect in using this area. There would’ve been a horrible
stench because of the urine and dung from all the animals. It would’ve been
considered an unclean area. Surely, they reasoned, it won’t hurt to set
up stalls and tables here. After all, isn’t it already considered defiled because
of the Gentiles who congregate here?
The
Gentiles’ freedom to worship and pray in the outer courts was hindered by all the commotion.
Jesus definitely wasn’t a happy camper when He came upon the scene. It probably
had bothered Him for years but He kept silent until He was anointed and called
to ministry by His Father through the Holy Spirit. After that, He couldn’t keep
silent any longer.
Jesus
was always a voice for the underdog. Recognizing their great value in God’s
Kingdom, His compassionate spirit not only fought for them but sought them out
in friendship, and eventually He died for them. Even today Jesus’ compassion knows
no bounds. After all, He even saved a sinner like me.
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