Culver Community Church

Pastor Chris Sweeney

Sermon Notes

October 21, 2018

Matthew 21:12 – 22 Time to Clean House (Take 2)

{vs. 12-13} Jesus comes to the temple – now the NIV takes a little liberty here, there is no word for courts in the Greek manuscripts.  Apparently, the editors added it for ‘clarity’.  The action seen in this text however does take place in the court of gentiles and the court of women, the outermost areas of the temple.  What the texts actually say is either temple or Temple of God.  Now this is interesting (at least to me) because we know what temple with or without the ‘of God’ phrase and that wording is not used anywhere else in the New Testament.  However, I believe the ‘of God’ is original simply because of the context – Jesus is about to pass judgement on very ungodly behavior and it is all taking place in the Temple of God! This adds to the outrage and confirms that the temple is good (God’s) but that the caretakers have fallen far from God.  This desecration of holy ground is like committing a crime in the police station!  The temple was God’s house and yet they were cheating each other (sinning) right under God’s nose!  This is exactly what Satan does and yes, what we do – take a good gift of God, something He has given for a righteous reason and then we misuse it.  Our freedom to choose (free will) itself was given so we might choose to love God, but twisted it becomes the choice/ability to sin or disobey.  Food – a nourishing gift, but when obsessed upon becomes gluttony.  Passion – when perverted becomes all kinds of sexual sins.  God created this type of pleasure to bond spouses together and be enjoyed within the boundaries of a committed marriage.  The examples of this are plentiful . . .

So Jesus, God with Us, God in the flesh comes to His temple, His house and what does He find?  He finds people using the courtyard as a shortcut through the city, carrying their merchandise and packages.  People being kept from sacrificing because their offerings were rejected (so that a new animal could be sold at inflated prices!)  People who wanted to bring offerings (money) into God’s house who were being stopped and forced to exchange their currency for temple coins – at highly inflated rates.  The wealthy (mostly Sadducees) who controlled the temple concessions were bilking the people - - - in the name of God!  The one place which was designed to represent God and His Kingdom was the problem!  The people expected Jesus to come and set things right but instead of cleaning the Romans out, Jesus came to CLEAN THE HOUSE OF GOD!

You and I as believers fall into the same trap!  We pray to God and expect Him to clean out all of our troubles but God always starts with His own people, He always begins to clean house within us!  If you and I want to see God move, we need to begin by working with Him to clean up ourselves (His temples).  When we are right with God, when the sin hiding in the corners of our hearts is swept clean, then we will see Him work miraculously through us and all around us!  Can you imagine what God would have done for Israel, if only they had received Him and let Him work in them?  Israel would have been blessed above all peoples, they would have been a center for all those seeking God and well, if only . . .  well, we can stop dreaming of what could have been and start working (allowing God to work in us) to make a difference.

Many have had a hard time understanding and have even criticized Jesus for this show of passion (righteous anger) but this is God directed.  Jesus always said and did exactly what God wanted Him to do, guaranteed by His own testimony (John 8:29) and God’s repeated spoken approval from Heaven.  There is an anger without sin (see Ephesians 4:26) and even God gets angry (and not just in the Old Testament).  Anyone who sees evil, hurting or destroying – and does not get upset is either cold and compassionless or complicit in that evil!  Romans 1:18 tells us that God is angered “against all the godlessness and wickedness of people” (angry at sin and deception, while loving people).  Jesus while angry at the wickedness of these ‘merchants’ does not sin – notice His actions carefully: He “overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves”.  Jesus does not raise His hand against these sellers and exchangers or their innocent animals.  In fact, at the first cleansing of the temple John’s gospel (2:15) tells us that Jesus made a whip – but He uses it to drive these same people from the temple - - - not using it on them!  No, Jesus is angry at the sin but does not sin Himself, He overturns and drives away, using the authority of God’s Word to stop the sin (at least temporarily).  In this too, we have an example of how to deal with sin – with the Word, righteously angered but without sinning!

{vs. 14} For one bright shining moment, the Temple was as close to its true purpose as it had ever been!  The temple was given as a place to seek God and His mercy.  Don’t ever forget that as believers, living temples of the Holy Spirit, you and I are where the world in need must come to seek God!  God (Jesus) was in His temple and those in need came to Him.  Normally they lined the entrance to beg, but today they followed the great healer right inside!  The wicked saw only anger and judgement, Jesus’ compassion upon them contrasts that display! 

{vs. 15} No doubt, those chased out of the courtyard neglected to see the truth, refused to repent and instead ran straight to their masters, the religious leaders and Chief Priest!  They in turn, came to confront Jesus, just as the owners/operators of any business endeavor would do (i.e. the bunch of crooks ran to protect their interests!)  Upon approaching Jesus they see the wonderful things that Jesus is doing but cannot connect them as the work of God.  They look right past the healings and other miracles as they looked past those in need every day on their way into the temple! 

Then to top it all off, the children were shouting/singing praises (like when He entered the city) – this was too much!  There is nothing better than the praise of children!  I know, we get to hear it during the week at the school; pure, unselfish, faith-filled praise!  We adults often get in the way – thinking about our week, our needs, our plans and what God should do for us.  Instead of joining in, the religious leaders became enraged!  Unlike Jesus, this was not righteous anger!  This was all about themselves, not God and not the destruction the sin brings.  How dare these little ones give praise to Jesus – they were the leaders, it was their place to dispense God’s truth, they should be lifted up as God’s leaders and priests . . . they deluded themselves.  They were only serving themselves, their needs and greeds and their traditions – not God!

{vs. 16} Can’t you just see their faces – they must have been spitting mad, red with passion and then Jesus replies “Yes”.  Yes, He knew what they were saying, that they were proclaiming Him to be Messiah and for once in His ministry, Jesus would not stop them!  Jesus reminds them of the words in Psalm 8:2 – that praise is perfected in children.  If God cannot  get the mature to praise Him, He will turn to the child-like faith, the young, the weak and they will praise!  After Jesus turns them away, He heads out of the city for the night – back to Bethany, where there were less distractions and more peace.  Once again the Messiah is rejected – and He leaves them to themselves.  Sadly, if we ignore/reject Him enough, He will do the same to us.  That right choice must be made while we are still living, breathing – otherwise it will be set for eternity!

{vs. 18} Matthew’s account of this incident is condensed or summarized compared to Mark’s record (chapter 11).  Mark explains that it actually happened over the course of two days.  On the first, the day Jesus went into the city to clean house at the temple (condemning Israel’s religion/worship).  Jesus, in His human hunger found the fig tree and cursed it.  They continued along as verses twelve to seventeen describe, as we went over.  The common mistake is to assume that Jesus was in an uncharacteristic bad mood or that the pressure was getting to Him and He snapped at the poor plant.  This is not the case!  Here God is using the fig tree as an illustration of what just took place (Jesus’ judgement on Israel).  God is desirous (hungry) for fruit born by His people (Judah is symbolized by the fig tree in scripture).  Like this actual tree, Judah represented (had the appearance of fruitfulness) but was barren.  Fig trees are strange that way, they put forth fruit at the same time as their leaves – so any reasonable person would expect to find fruit from a tree with those big leaves that could be seen from far away!  (Jesus, knew there was no fruit but He still came for the lesson)  There was so much appearance in Jerusalem - priests and sacrifices; the beautiful temple building; long flowing robes; scripture, memorization, teaching and interpretations; and so many ‘worshippers’ – but no real fruit.  No real faith or obedience to God.  The lesson of the fig tree is that we should bear spiritual fruit (like that found in Galatians 5:22-23), not just looking good or religious!  God expects that those who have a relationship with Him will “bear much fruit” (John 15:5-8).  After centuries of cultivating and working with them - - - a new work of God was about to begin.

{vs. 20-22} The disciples were amazed by the power and authority of Jesus, but sadly even in this they missed the real point or main lesson.  They saw a dead fig tree and were impressed, but even in this, Jesus made a teaching opportunity.  (Do you know that our mistakes and misunderstandings are often the greatest opportunities for Jesus to teach us?  When we have fallen down, that is when we listen the best.)  So Jesus, having caught their attention instructs them once again on faith.  First of all - - - Have faith!  Second, if you have faith anything is possible!  Using the same figure of speech that we see in Matthew 17 (with faith as big as a mustard seed).  Third, and unspoken (here) is the implied requirement – whatever you ask for in prayer, meaning God-honoring, faith-filled, unselfish prayers that line up with God’s will (further His Kingdom, not our own!)  This is not whatever you say in faith!

Today, we see that Jesus has come to clean house among His people.  What has passed for religion and worship has never been acceptable and the time has come to wipe it away!  God came looking for those who will worship in truth, as He said to the woman at the well.  He is looking for fruit produced from a sincere heart and not just outward appearances.  Be warned – this is not just a judgement on the temple of old or on Israel . . . God is still cultivating and working in His people to produce fruit from hearts that humbly seek Him and obey.  Does your life show fruit or just leaves?