Bible Discourse 12 Driving the money changers out of the temple
Discourse 12
Driving the money changers out of the temple
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of many sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”
And his disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of Thine house eaten me up.”
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, “What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?”
Jesus answered and said unto them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then said the Jews, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?” But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the e Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
--John 2:12—25
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of many sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s hose an house of merchandise.”
And his disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of Thine house eaten me up.” --John 2:12—17
Parallel reference
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, “It is written, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves’ ” (Mathews 21:12—13)
Cf additional parallel references in Mark 11:15—17 and Luke 19:45—46.
St. John’s Gospel places this incident at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry; the other three Gospels relate it near the end of Jesus’ life, during his last visit to Jerusalem.
Saadhutwam or meekness is not weakness. A true sadhu or exemplar of peace is centered in his divine self.
Jesus said: “Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” He did not curse the temple merecenaries. It is a forceful behavior and is a righteous response to wrongdoing. Spinelessness is not spirituality.
Once one serpent wanted to shed its venomous biting quality with the advice of a Godly saint and to become a sadhu or saint. From that day onwards she shed its venomous quality of biting innocent people. People took this as a timidity. People started hitting her with stones whenever comes out of hole. Once the same saint was passing by that way and saw that snake which became weak. The saint understood the predicament of snake. He told her shedding venomous quality does not mean weakness. He advised her to frighten them without biting. From that day the snake started hissing at the people. They again started getting frightened by seeing the snake and she became healthy soon. So meekness does not mean to become a doormat.
Jesus has hissed at the merchants and money changers who were demeaning the temple premises by making it into a market place. That is the reason one should create positive vibrations. This can be done by simplest means of lighting a candle or oil lamp or incense stick in the temple. Prayers will derive out the restless thoughts.
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, “What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?”
Jesus answered and said unto them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then said the Jews, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?” But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
(John--2:18—22)
One must do scientific meditation repeatedly. The meditating man must concentrate within. The devotee’s consciousness is restored then to a sanctuary of silence. Then only worship of God is truly possible.
The bystanders in the temple do not like the scourge of Jesus on the merchants and money changers because they are used to this since ages. So they demanded from Jesus a miracle as a sign from God.
Meditation is concentration on God. It is the portal through which every seeker of every faith must pass in order to find/contact/communicate God. Withdrawal of the consciousness from this physical world and senses is a must for this so as to commune with God. This is what Christ taught. He said: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter the closet (draw the mind within), and when thou hast shut thy door (door of the physical body and senses), pray to thy Father which is in secret (within you)” Mathew 6:6
Jesus does not want to convince them with miracles. Instead he convinced them by saying that what would happen as a result of his actions in fulfilling the wish and work of God.
Great masters do not perform the miracles for the sake of it.
He established the town of Anandpur. The Guru laid down his life for the protection of the Hindu religion. Hindus used perform their Tilak (devotional forehead markings) and their sacred (janeau) thread ceremonies. He was a firm believer in the right of people to the freedom of worship.
It was for this cause that he faced martyrdom for the defence of the down-trodden Hindus. So pathetic was the torture of Guru Tegh Bahadur by Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor, that his body had to be cremated clandestinely (a follower burned down his own home to cremate the Guru's body) at Delhi while his severed head was secretly taken four hundred kilometers away to Anandpur Sahib for cremation. Because of his refusal to convert to Islam a threatened forced conversion of the Hindus of Kashmir was thwarted.
Guru said: “Sir diya, sar na diya” – “I have given my head, but not the secret of my religion.”
Saints feel no obligation to satisfy the challenges of unbelievers.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
--John 2:23—25
Jesus did not want popularity because of his miracles. Guru or the master knew the nature of man. Self-realized masters can read character through the soul’s faculty of intuition. There are certain methods of appraising the character. They are:
Phrenology—study of the structure of the head,
Physiognomy—analyzing the facial and bodily features so as to deduce the nature of the person.
Pathognomy—the study of man’s feelings and emotions through the outward signs of his facial expressions and bodily movements, and through study of his emotional reactions to diverse incidents in his life.
But they may lead to wrong conclusions. Perceiving the limited spiritual capacity of the newly converted throngs in Jerusalem, Jesus did not entrust himself to them, nor speak the full measure of his realization to their nonunderstanding minds.
“And great multitudes were gathered together unto him…..And he spake many things unto them in parables?” And disciples came, and said unto him, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?’ He answered and said unto them, ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given’ “
(Mathew 13:2—3, 10—11; see Discourse 17)
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