Last Sunday's Thought: What did Jesus think he was doing?

‘What would Jesus do?’ The banners at the Occupy camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral earlier this year made their point. But sometimes we need to ask the question: what did Jesus think? The chasing out of the money-changers is a case where we might ask, indeed, what did Jesus think he was doing? Jesus takes the expression ‘house of prayer’ from Isaiah 56:7 and the phrase ‘den of robbers’ from Jeremiah 7:11, while his actions are a fulfilment of the messianic prophecy in Malachi 3:1-3. ‘Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ (John 2:16).
 

If Jesus sees his actions as a direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophesy, how were they perceived at the time? All the sellers were there to provide a service to God’s people in the temple. Those selling animals were providing a service to those who needed to sacrifice during Feast time. Obviously this had been approved by the Jewish leaders of the temple. This was a great convenience to Jews travelling great distances, since they did not have to have livestock in tow. They could buy the necessary sacrificial animals right at the temple. Places to change money were also needed, for a tax was collected from every Israelite who was twenty years old (cf. Exod. 30:11-16). The tax had to be paid in Jewish and not Roman coin: money changers were therefore essential. So Jesus overturns not only what is customary but the very practices which serve the needs of the pilgrims coming to the Temple. His Biblical literalism upsets not just the financial interests of the Temple authorities, but the basic needs of the pilgrims. Jesus’ complaint is not that there is dishonest buying and selling going on in the temple – but that there is buying and selling going on at all! The place should be sacred because it is dedicated to God.


In his attempt to bring forward the kingdom of God, Jesus chases out the money changers and merchants. In the real world, in contrast, it is those who protest against the greed, selfishness and unethical business practices which have led to our present economic woes who are forced out. There is an issue about illegal occupation of space, and Occupy is nothing if it does not occupy space if necessary, illegally. And yet, there are many – though not all – who feel uncomfortable that the Church seems to have backed the wrong side in this controversy which ended on 28 February. ‘The demand for social justice was being trumpeted slap bang in the boiler room of global capitalism.’ For the authorities, including the Cathedral authorities, ‘Occupy was just too messy, too in your face’. It had to go. Yet for many this Lent, it feels that in the most recent attempt in 2012 to cleanse the outer temple of economic abuse, it was the Temple authorities, and not Jesus, who won.