An Eruption

John 2:13-22, the gospel lesson for the Third Sunday in Lent, is stunning in its ferocity and timing.  Up to this point we have seen Jesus baptized, call disciples, and make water into wine.  Now suddenly he is a force to be reckoned with.  He is driving merchants from the temple, overturning their tables, and going toe-to-toe with the religious leaders.  What can we conclude from this? Perhaps a hint is John's note that the Passover is near.  Is this the Lamb of God reminding us why he will be slain?

(The following questions have been developed as an attempt to answer some fundamental questions for Law and Gospel preachers. Law/Gospel preaching is a particular genre of preaching that pays attention to how the Word functions.  To learn more about this, please see my brief guide to Law and Gospel preaching, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word, in this case Jesus, functions as pure Law.  The merchants in the temple are judged.  The Jews who question Jesus are judged as well.  It is as though one of the Old Testament prophets has shown up in the temple that day.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  Good news is hard to find in this text.  One piece of gospel barely visible is in Jesus' announcement to the Jews:  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  He is, of course, referring to his death and resurrection.  We know this, and later his disciples, we are told, understand this too.   The good news here is that no one has power over this zealous One.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  Here is the tough part.  Almost always we are called to identify with those whom the Word addresses. This text is no exception. While we are tempted here to identify with Jesus, the one who is zealous for the house of the Lord, if we are honest, we must admit that we are rarely found in this posture.  Therefore, it is necessary that we  identify with the marketeers, the money changers, and the power brokers who are upset at Jesus for messing up our prosperous "house of prayer."

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  There is an implied call to obedience here, which is related to Sabbath practice.  We are called to think clearly about the "temple" in our lives - the place where God meets us, and make sure that it does not become a place of commerce.  This is an urgent call in our day when everything is a commodity - even worship.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this test?  Without a gospel word here, we must use our imagination to fill in the couplet.  Some ideas:  Living unholy lives/made holy in Christ; selling our soul/Christ paying the price for our sins.

6.  Exegetical work: The differences between John's telling of this story and the Synoptic's version of this story are noteworthy.  Several small details such as the making of a rope of cords don't seem to be significant.  The words Jesus uses in his clearing of the temple, however, are significant.  In John Jesus says, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace, " but in the Synoptics he says, "My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers.." (Matt. 21, Mark 11, Luke 19).  If we look at the Hebrew Scriptures we see that God is passionate in opposition to two things:  oppressive practices and idolatry.  The "den of robbers" is surely in reference to the former.  When money changers and sellers of animals gouged poor pilgrims who had journeyed to Jerusalem to make sacrifice this was certainly offensive to God, thus the admonitions in the Synoptic gospels.  The reformer, Erasmus speculated that these sellers were so corrupt that they even had deals with the priests to return animals to them who had been given for sacrifice so that they could sell them again! (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, Vol. IV, p. 78).  The Synoptic version also alludes to Jeremiah 7:11 where the prophet calls down judgement on such practices.  John's retelling of the event focuses on idolatry.  The marketplace that Jesus railed against was a temple of greed.  Greed, as St. Paul tells us, is idolatry (Col. 3:5).  The god of the Market reigns.  Everything can be had for a price.  Jesus is zealous for his Heavenly Father's house in the same way that God is a jealous God.  This marketplace is a violation of Exodus 20:4-5, "You shall not make for yourself an idol..."  Also, this telling brings to mind the end of Zechariah's prophecy (14:21) where the prophet says that a sign of God's reign is the day when all marketeers will be banned from God's temple.  Much to ponder here.

7.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Mark Marius, in his analysis, uses the market metaphor to great effect.  His title is "The Market Crashes; Christ serves as Collateral."  He shows very effectively the result of our dependence upon selling and paying for our own salvation.  See his work at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!