Jesus Christ showed great zeal for the house of God. His utmost desire while on earth was to please the father, and that remains his desire even now.

Matthew 21:12-27, narrated the story of Jesus flipping the tables of the money changers, and scattering the goods of those who were buying and selling in the temple. His action portrayed his anger, and frustration at their behavior and his zeal to make things right in the temple, to bring honor and glory to the father. It is important to remember that Jesus grew up seeing these things happening in the temple, year after year, but did not take action because it was not yet his time. He must have taught his disciples against such, and now at the appropriate time, he could bear it no more, he had to use force to drive the message home.

The act of buying and selling in the temple was contaminating God’s Temple. The sight enraged Jesus, that he made a whip and drove the merchants away from the house of God.

Trying to visualize the scene of Jesus overturning tables and driving the people and animals away, shows great power and authority, and the backing from heaven. Nobody could withstand his anger at that point in time. Although the merchants must have been upset that their goods were scattered, their tables turned upside down, yet no one dared confront him. He must have exuded great power and authority that they could only sense danger. So, they fled for their lives. Nobody dared oppose him, there was no attempt to arrest him, because it was not yet his time.

Jesus Christ is the son of God and the true Messiah. He was consumed by the zeal for God’s house, as it is written in, John 2:17.”………The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” His corrections only lead to repentance in those who are called. Obviously, the Pharisees did not take it kindly.

The Bible recorded that afterwards, he healed the blind and the lame who came to him in the temple. (Matthew 21:14). He did not run away to hide. He was bold, full of power and authority. We have been asked to be strong and courageous, just as Joshua was told,  in Joshua 1:6 KJV. Moreover, God has not given us the spirit of fear. There is nothing to fear when carrying out our duties as children of God. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

It was later, while Jesus was teaching in the temple, that the religious leaders asked him by what authority he was doing all those things? Those religious leaders must have been so confused, or rather, so engrossed in their own pride, that they did not know what to say to Jesus, they only asked him by what authority he did those things, instead of acknowledging his authority and giving God all the praise. Those are tactics of the devil which he uses to intimidate God’s children.  We must not succumb to those tricks of the enemy at all. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not allow the religious leaders of his time to intimidate him, and he is our great example, and we are his followers, so we must follow his leading and guidance through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The main purpose of Jesus driving the merchants away, was to cleanse the temple of God from contamination and desecration and to restore it as a house of prayer and not a building for worldly and corrupt practices. He stated, “…… It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” His sole purpose was to put an end to the corrupt practices of the pharisees and the religious leaders and guide the people in the right path.

It will be difficult for any believer in this present day and age to walk into any church or temple and scatter their objects of idolatry.  Only Jesus Christ has the power and authority to do that.

As children of God and followers of Jesus Christ, we should be able to speak up against evil practices with love and compassion, which will lead to conviction and repentance and not condemnation. We are told to correct one another in love.  Let’s learn to do that in love, and with compassion, so that we can win souls and not drive them farther away. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ“(Ephesians 4:15 KJV).

When we find faults with others and want to correct them, we must be honest with ourselves, about the real purpose of the correction, and what we hope to obtain as the outcome.

Is the intention for the correction genuine, will our approach portray love, which will lead to winning the soul for Jesus, or is it to humiliate and condemn?

It is imperative to say that repentance and salvation comes from God alone and not from man. Just as Jesus himself said in John 6:44, no one can come to him, except the father draws him.
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44). This does not mean that we should not preach the gospel, but rather bearing in mind, that it is God who gives salvation, we should be more diligent and give all the glory to God.

We are advised to shun evil and do good. We need to learn to love and pray genuinely and sincerely for one another. “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”  (Romans 12:9 KJV).

As we await the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we must live lives worthy of heaven. May we manifest the love of Jesus Christ in our relationships and associations with zeal for God’s word and work, and may we do it in love, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.