The last three days of our tour in Israel were spent in Jerusalem. We visited the places in the city where Jesus walked and talked and interacted with the people there. We saw Gethsemane where He prayed so earnestly for life's circumstances. We saw the location where Caiaphas, the high priest lived, and where Jesus was judged, spit upon, and slapped with the hands of His accusers. In this place we descended into a big room for below ground level. At the top of this room was a small hole where the accused were lowered by rope to the hard floor below. Our guide informed us that Jesus spent some time in solitary confinement here. We visited a place where Pilate resided. We saw the place of Jesus' flogging, a beating that disfigured a person to the point they were hardly recognizable. We walked along the winding road upon which He was forced to carry the beam for the cross. We visited the hill of Golgotha where they crucified Him and we went into the garden tomb area where He was resurrected. There we partook of the Lords' Supper and I was privileged to lead the prayer for the fruit of the vine, something I will never forget and an event I will always cherish.
All of these places we visited are testimony of a loving Saviour who died for my sins. I should have been there. I should have been judged and flogged. I should have been condemned . I should have been nailed to that piece of wood. I should have been the one who staggered down that long winding road to my death. I was guilty. He was not. He took my place. He became sin for me. And while I was yet a sinner He died for me. I deserved death. He did not. My righteousness was as filthy rags and is today. He died and imputed His righteousness to me. Paul said this happens "...if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. .." (Rom. 4:24, 25)
Our visit to Jerusalem reminded us so much about the true nature of Jesus. We walked around the walls of the city. We visited the temple grounds. It was almost as if we could feel His presence and the presence of His apostles and early disciples and the throngs of Jewish people who came to the temple. And it occured to me at least that Jesus walked and talked and interacted with people much like we are today. He saw them for what they really were even as He sees us as we really are.
On one occasion it is said that Jesus cleansed the temple. We saw the very place where the sellers of sheep, oxen, doves and the moneychangers operated. It is interesting that the actual business of these moneychangers in and of itself was not wrong. There are indeed even moneychangers in Jerusalem today who will give you Jewish money for American money or visa -versa. So what they did was not wrong. But there was something wrong with them, and Jesus knew that. He casts them out of the temple where they were plying their trade. And He said to them "...My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves..." (Matt. 21:13) Is that possible today?
Matthew Henry,the great commentator, believed that it is possible. He quotes I Timothy 6:5 and applies it to these moneychangers. This is where Paul speaks of "...men of corrupt minds..." "...who suppose that godliness is a means of gain...". And Paul tells Timothy "...from such withdraw yourself..."
Matthew Henry wrote "Great corruption comes into the church by the practice of those whose gain is godliness that is who make worldly gain the end of their godliness and counterfeit godliness their way of worldly gain."
On two occasions Jesus chased these people away from the house of God. The other occasion is spoken of by John in John 2:12-16. On this occasion Jesus said to them "take these things away! Do not make My Fathers house a house of merchandise. (John 2:16). Peter used this same word for merchandise in II Peter 2 while referring to the way some men treat the children of God. He told the Christians of his day "...they will exploit you with deceptive words..."(II Peter 2:3). Jesus was saying in effect to the moneychangers that they were exploiting the house of God and the people of God.
How did Jesus know that they were doing this? After all they were only selling animals and exchanging money. That seemed to be just taking care of business as usual and making a living. I am sure that many things could be said and conjectured about what they were doing. But let's just cut to the chase. Jesus saw their motives. Jesus looks deep within man and understands him. He was the Word of God made flesh. And the writer of Hebrews said of this word that it "...is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) I am convinced that that is the reason or at least one of the reasons He cast them out of the temple.
God knows all men. He knows me and my intent. And there is really only one other person who really knows me completely, and that is me. That is true of all men. We see that in the life of David. David was a mistake prone person for some time in his life. But God knew him when others did not. When God got enough of Saul as king and rejected him He sent Samuel to anoint David. Samuel was sent to Jesse, the father of David. And Samuel loooked at all the sons of Jesse. The very first one seemed to Samuel to be fit and Samuel said "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!" (I Sam.16-:6) Verse 7 says "But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." So after looking at all the fine specimen, all the sons of Jesse, David a young boy was anointed. God knew him. And He knows us. And He knew those moneychangers. And He knows all present day moneychangers, because He can see their hearts and their motives.
Those moneychangers of Jesus day were adversely affecting Gods house so He cast them out. Today Jesus is not with us physically. The modern day moneychangers are. It shall be our purpose in a subsequent writing to depict some instances where modern day moneychangers may trouble God's house and God's people.
In my life I have met these people and they have from time to time burdened me, as I am sure they have affected you. Our purpose is always till the day we die not to let them deter us from serving our Creator.
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