The story of Jesus over-turning the tables in the temple is found in all four Gospels, yet only in John’s Gospel (2:13-25), which we hear this Sunday, does it occur so early in Jesus’ ministry. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the episode takes place after the procession into Jerusalem, and is considered to be the final straw that pushes the Temple authorities to have Jesus arrested. In each of the synoptic gospels, there are a few simple verses that explain the action, but the Gospel of John approaches the event from a different historical moment.
In John, we find the episode taking place immediately after Jesus changes water to wine at the wedding in Cana. John devotes twelve verses to the episode and includes dialogue between Jesus and the Jews at the temple. The community that produced the Gospel of John had significantly more time to reflect on the meaning of what Jesus did, and thirty years to reflect on the loss of the temple in Jerusalem. It was important for John’s community to address the loss of the temple at the beginning of the Gospel. John’s words were a reminder that Jesus himself was the new temple, destroyed by the religious and political authorities and raised by God. The Gospel writers were attentive to the current situation of their readers. Scholars have explained that John moved episodes around, as did the other evangelists, to better express a theological perspective. By staying alert to the signs of the times, and keeping the narrative flexible, the Word has been kept alive and meaningful to people in different moments in time. As always it is good to remember that the Bible is not a history book. It is a record of the unfolding understanding of the revelation of God to a people over time. That process continues.
In his book, Jesus: An Historical Approximation (Convivium Press. 2015) Fr. Jose Pagola offers details about the Jerusalem Temple that help in understanding the episode that is called ‘the cleansing of the temple.’ (Pgs. 343-345). There would have been thousands of pilgrims there, hundreds of priests helping to run the activity, and Roman soldiers close by to keep the peace. Thus, it is unlikely that Jesus “cleansed” the entire temple. What he did was significant, but symbolic. The temple was the center of “religious, social, and political life” for the Jewish people. An attack on the temple would have been “a dangerous, intolerable offense, not only for the religious leaders but for the whole people.” At the same time there was some ambiguity from the general population concerning the Temple which had been built by Herod and was run by elite Jerusalem families. Their tie to Rome was tight, in fact “Roman authorities named and removed high priests at will.” The priesthood was based on lineage, however, “Herod had imported priestly families of dubious legitimacy from Babylon and Egypt.” All of this explains why popular criticism of the temple was focused on the powerful priestly families. (ibid)
Disparity of wealth has always created tensions in society. When the wealthy are representative of social and religious power as well as economic dominance, unrest is sure to follow. When Jesus went into the temple to execute his symbolic act of resistance against the temple by turning over the tables of the money-changers and vendors, he was proclaiming God’s judgement against an intertwined economic, political, and religious system that could only be oppressive. Jesus was not railing against particular practices. He was protesting the existence of the oppressive, intertwined, institution itself.
It is hard not to make the leap to politics today where it is clear that some people are pushing for a system that intertwines our social, economic, and religious lives once again. The latest IVF (in vitro fertilization) controversy is a case in point. The Alabama Supreme Court’s decision that made frozen embryos synonymous with children makes sense within the same mindset that overturned Roe v. Wade. If a tiny embryo cannot be aborted because it is a ‘person’, then an embryo which is frozen but still able to be unfrozen and implanted for reproduction, must be protected as a child as well - and maybe shouldn’t be frozen at all! However, there is a good deal of money tied up in IVF and there are many people who hope to be elected or reelected who do not want to alienate voters who want children but are reliant on IVF. This conundrum led politicians in Alabama to vote for an IVF exception to their ‘life at conception’ belief. Unfortunately, this battle has just begun, and contraception will likely be the next target, especially the forms that prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb.
Recently I have been reading a book about the Christian right, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges. (Simon and Schuster. New York. 2006) It was written 18 years ago but it describes what can be heard today within right-leaning, Christian thought. I find the book disturbing because of what I see and hear in the news today. I have not finished the book, but so far, Hedges has clearly made the point that there is a small but well-funded group within the United States that is determined to meld economics and politics with a particular vision of Christianity – and they have been gaining influence. The book, in combination with the daily news, is not a recipe for sound sleep.
The Christian right has already gained enough traction to control the Speaker of the House. The person who is second in line to be the President is a man who does not believe in basic science. He believes the Earth is about 6,000 years old. He believes God led him to his position so he can promote his version of Christianity. He does not believe in marriage equality. He has the power to decide which bills can be debated and voted on in the House. (citation here) He would not be in power if the Christian right was only a fringe group. Mixing politics and religion, as well as economics, is one of the signs of our time.
Lent is a time for reflection, prayer and fasting, but it cannot be a time to disengage from the world when there is so much need and so many difficult issues to address. Christians in Germany in the 1930’s weren’t paying attention until it was too late. They regretted it for the rest of their lives. Jesus gave a vehement ‘No’ to the kind of oppressive system that is creeping up on us today. I hope and pray, as well as advocate, that today’s followers of Jesus will take his warning seriously, and step forward with courage.
This is very enlightening about the placement of this story in the gospels. I also liked learning more about the political infiltration of the "far right Christian" movement and how long it been actively pushing its ideologies. You are a great researcher and sharer of many things historically, religiously, politically and socially. Thank you.