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https://theologicaltreason.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/when-jesus-got-violent/

The story appears in all four Gospel accounts: That one time that Jesus got extremely angry and went into a violent rampage at the Temple.

He was flipping tables, and scattering money. Everyone stopped and stared as Jesus, like an out of control maniac, started swinging around wildly and indiscriminately a cat of nine tails sending both merchants and animals scurrying off as if they were running for their very lives!

At least that is how we picture it, anyways….

The First Misconception
There are several misconceptions about this story. The first one is that Jesus just suddenly “flipped out” when He came into the temple and saw the money changers there. Many believe that Jesus instantly acted in anger.

However, in Mark’s account we actually see something that is often overlooked when this story is presented by pastors to their congregations:

And He entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. And when He had looked around at everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the following day, when they came from Bethany….” – Mark 11:11-12a

Before the story of Jesus turning the tables over in the Temple picks up Mark actually points out that Jesus was there in the Temple the night before and had looked around at EVERYTHING.

Folks, Jesus saw the money changers in there the night before. Jesus wasn’t just going into the Temple and reacting to what He saw.

He saw everything the night before. He had time to process it. He had time to pray about it. He had time to seek the Father’s will on it.

We can be absolutely confident that the very next day when Jesus walked into the Temple that His response to what He saw taking place the night before was calculated, measured, and in total obedience to the Father.

The Second Misconception
Many people believe that Jesus used a weapon, such as a Roman cat of nine tails, to drive out the money changers and the livestock. But that’s not really the case!

In John’s account we’re actually given a really good indication of what Jesus used!

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen…” – John 2:15a

The reason why they believe that Jesus uses a Roman cat of nine tails is because some translations use the word “scourge” instead of “whip.” Since Jesus was scourged with a Roman cat of nine tails they assume that this must be what Jesus is using. But they never stop to ask themselves, “How did Jesus get a Roman cat of nine tails from a Roman soldier?” Roman soldiers don’t give these things up!

The word “cords” used here is the Greek word, “schoinion”, which means “a cord or rope made of rushes.”

This homemade whip that Jesus is using is hardly a weapon! Nothing that would certainly compare to the Roman cat of nine tails in which Jesus was scourged with!

The whip that Jesus would have made out of these grass blades would have been firm enough to get the animal’s attention without harming them. As a matter of fact anyone in the ancient world who worked with herd animals, such as sheep or oxen, would have had a whip similar to the one Jesus made.

It was hardly a weapon. It was simply a tool used to move animals in a certain direction.

The Third Misconception
Many believe that Jesus was hitting people with a Roman weapon. As we discussed above this just simply wasn’t the case!

As a matter of fact if you read all four accounts1 there’s not one record of Jesus ever hitting anyone!

Now, all four accounts does say that Jesus “drove” them (the money changers and livestock) out of the temple. But that doesn’t mean that he struck anyone with His whip made of rushes.

More than likely what happened is Jesus went in there using His whip that He had made from rushes to firmly smack the sheep and oxen on their rears, driving them out of the Temple (as opposed to in to the Temple since they were in the Court of the Gentiles), and the money changers went chasing after their livestock. Once they cleared out He started flipping over the tables, causing the money to spill out all over the place.

The Fourth Misconception
Many believe that money changers had no business being there, but they actually did!

The reason why this isn’t commonly taught is because this teaching requires you to teach tithing to give this teaching context. In other words: If you’re not familiar with how tithing worked in ancient Israel then you really have no clue as to why the money changers are there.

Only land owners were required to tithe according to the law. And they only were required to tithe if they made a profit that year. If they ended up loosing money from their harvest they were not required to tithe.

When they did tithe the did not tithe money. They could only tithe from their livestock or from their harvest.

When they brought their tithe to the Temple they could only give their tithe to a Levite priest. And, again, it’s worth noting that they were not allowed to tithe money! Only from their harvest and/or livestock.

Since they were required to make a pilgrimage for Passover it was common for the land owners who lived far outside of Jerusalem to bring their tithe at this time. According to the law if you had to travel to bring your tithe you were allowed to sell your tithe (livestock/harvest). You had to hold the money from the sale in your hand as you traveled. Once you made it to the Temple you then were able to “buy” whatever it was that you had sold at the same price as what you sold it at.

For instance: Suppose you were tithing an ox and six sheep. You could sell your ox and six sheep, keep the money in your hand, and once you get to the Temple you can exchange the money in your hand for an ox and six sheep.

But what they money changers were doing was they were selling the ox and six sheep back to you for a profit. This is why Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers!” They were robbing the people by overcharging them.

But it wasn’t just the money changers who were robbing the people. It was also the chief priest, the scribes, & the pharisees. These money changers were kicking up some of the profits to them, who was allowing this to go on right under their noses. This is why both Mark and Luke record:

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.” – Luke 19:47-48

Jesus exposed their sinful behavior. It was right then and there that they started talking of murdering Him. They wanted Him dead. He was hitting their pocketbook!

In Closing…
When we start talking to others about loving your enemy, especially in relation to those with whom the nation that we live in is at war with, people are quick to point to this verse and say, “See? Jesus used violence against His enemies. It’s ok!”

No, it’s NOT ok!

There’s absolutely no record of Jesus ever using violence against another human being. Even with His enemies Jesus was non-violent and loved them self sacrificially.

Jesus was a pacifist. 

 

His commands were for us, His followers, to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”

But for too many, today, they cannot deny themselves. They’re too busy “fighting for their rights” so that they can live out their faith more comfortably.

They can’t take up their cross. Taking up their cross implies that you’re dying for your enemies out of love. Instead of dying for their enemies people today want to kill them. They look for any loophole in the Bible that will give them justification. Their twisted, mis-taught version of this story is one of MANY!

Lastly, they cannot follow Him because they cannot do the first two.

Church, when it comes to loving our enemies we can do much, much better. Let’s stop looking for excuses. Let’s stop looking for loopholes. Let’s stop making Bible stories our scapegoats when we don’t want to obey Christ.

Let’s just die doing what Christ commanded us to do: Love God. Love your neighbors. Love your enemies. Preach the Gospel. Make disciples. That’s it!