DOES JESUS DISLIKE BUSINESS PEOPLE?

There appear to be two different times when Jesus kicked business people out of the temple. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, the incident is placed at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In John 2:13-16, a similar story, although with different details, is placed at the beginning of Jesus ministry.

“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’” (John 2:13-16, NKJV).

The fact that all four of the Gospel writers discuss this issue, and two different incidents are described, makes plain to us that it is worthy of our attention.

So, does Jesus dislike business people so much that He was throwing them out of the temple as a sign that they were not welcome in the Kingdom of God? Is there something inherently wrong with being in business? You all know I’m teasing here, right, or am I about to get some nasty comments? (I will send a special explanatory paragraph later for the Canadians, eh!)

The merchants had set up their booths and tables in the “Court of the Gentiles” portion of the temple. The merchants were carrying on the business of selling animals for sacrifice and exchanging foreign money that would not be accepted as payment for the temple tax. These were legitimate businesses that had to be available for the travelers coming from great distances.

I don’t believe the Lord is saying that it is wrong for the church to have a bookstore or for a travelling ministry to make its music and books available in the lobby of the church. In John 2:16, Jesus was saying, “How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” The word market is where our word emporium comes from. I believe that Jesus was soundly rebuking those who try to exploit the church and use it as a cover and a staging point for their business ventures. There are those who use the church as a vehicle for personal gain. These “merchants” push out of the way the intended use of the place of worship so that they can implant their money-making schemes. If this is their goal, they are bringing the unhealthy spirit of covetousness into the church.

Any time the act of worship is supplanted by business of any kind, I believe we will sense the rebuke of the Lord on that act. Does this mean that church leaders should not engage in secular business? No, Paul was a tentmaker and a travelling apostle. The question that has to be asked is why that leader is involved in business. If the answer revolves around personal gain, it is not right. Paul worked at a secular job to support himself so that he could continue his ministry, and that is not a covetous spirit.

The area of the temple that Jesus cleansed was the Court of the Gentiles, the only part of the temple where Gentiles were permitted to come. It was intended to be a place of worship, a place where Jews could meet with Gentiles and discuss the things of God and where Gentiles could be taught how to engage in worship. When, over time, the Court of the Gentiles became a place of merchandising, it left the Gentile world without an entry point into the kingdom of God. In cleansing the temple, Jesus not only restored that part of the temple to its appropriate use but also signaled what was about to happen after His death, that God’s love would be made freely available to both Jews and Gentiles.

As the incident of cleansing is recorded in John, the reaction of the disciples to what Jesus did is very revealing. “Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’” They are quoting Psalm 69:9 and explaining that Jesus is consumed with keeping the place where God’s people gather reserved solely as a place for those wanting to pray and seek the Lord. The Lord is not cleansing the temple because of what the merchants are doing but because of where they are doing it. The fact that Jesus had to cleanse the temple a second time is a stark picture of how often human nature will return to error even after Jesus issues a rebuke.

Whenever an inordinate desire for wealth or possessions becomes a driving force in the life of a believer or in the church, I believe we can expect the rebuke of the Lord.