John 2:12-25 KJV
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 22 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.
23 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.
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Jesus went from Capernaum to Jerusalem, now I have not done my measurements on the map, but those who care to, will perhaps that it is a good journey by foot, but not really a great distance. We know from Nazareth that Mary and Joseph travel a few days to Behlehem which is a little further away. Point being distance is not great distance in some respects, may a few days to a week at most traveling in the state of Israel at the time of Christ. Jesus goes from his home in Capernaum to Jerusalem upon going to the temple, he makes a cord he drives the money changers out of the temple. This is not like the second uprising in Jerusalem where a murder occurs. It is the first time that Christ cleanses the temple and he tells them not to make his father's house of merchandise or in the second event a den of thieves. It simple to understand that their was no selling at the God's temple, according to Jewish law, as in the pagan/idol temples. Temple was to be a purified building, not a place of common thieves, or sellers of trade goods. Why is this event in John 2 so important? Simply it is the beginning of the discorded in Jerusalem with Jesus, meaning the religious leaders. Yet it does not get Jesus in the same trouble as the second account of the money changers does found in the other three gospel before the road to the cross. The first time the event happened Jesus was 30 and the second time Jesus is said to be age 33. This road this journey Jesus is walking is a road that will lead to death. Were his action evil? The answer is no, it had a godly intent, but if this happened in a church or church porch today, people would probably take whoever to court because of cost of items damaged. I took some items to a flea market many years ago, raising some extra cash. I had someone that was careless broke some of my items, whether on purpose or not, no clue, the man rebursed me for the items he broke. Later found out he was a government official.

I was selling items in the right location, no problems, but Jesus is angry when he turns the tables over in the temple because the sellers should not be selling their on the porch during passover a holy gathering. Other then the upset of those present, nothing is done or said to Jesus that is recorded. Temple governed by religious law or Roman law? or a little of both. Governments are often afraid to step into religious problems because of separation of church and state in our land, and yet no problem with forcing a child to leave school over religious problems, because some kid did not like a persons faith and decides to bully. What wrong with the picture. Does faith belong in school. There is a time to pray, a time to share through talking, but there is also a time for religious kids to demonstrate through love. Teaching our young people how in public setting to share is important. The business world learns to do this do. Some even share Jesus right at their desk. Do not do so generally in serving a customer or other business person unless both are of same faith, mix faith and business. Did Jesus mix business with faith or did the men that sold at the temple mix their business with faith or no faith at all, perhaps. Yet by selling they knew not they were disobeying God. Disciples would remember in the retelling of the story that scripture said, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up", meaning his own zeal for God would kill him.

The very act did not cause people to rally around Jesus. However the miracles Jesus performed at the passover would cause man to call on his name, but he would not join himself to any group. Jesus knew what man was capable of and knew their heart. Jesus can not commit to unholy union. Remember before the passover Jesus said destory this temple and he raise it up in three days. This is talking about his body being the temple of God, yet no one understood him. Yet before anyone believed in his name, he commits to saving us from our sins. Who the sin against, but God. The Jesus' journey is now in accelerated mode. To tell truth I understand why Jesus could not join any group of religious leaders, he was the Son of God, but more imporant he seen their hearts. I can not see hearts of others, but I can understand people change and some are less committed or not truly committed to the cross of Jesus, and I can bearwitness of the work of Christ in my life and life of others. Your faith is your own, when you commit to a group if you ever do, realize their humanity, they are not God, love them as you want to be loved, even when they do not love you the same way. People need people to learn from, to grow with, Jesus need not us, but we need him. Yet God loves our companionship. Jesus loved his followers and cared for their needs. He healed the sick, and taught them the way to live.

Dear Heavenly Father, great is your love for us. help us to be committed to the cause of following in Christ footsteps as you are to us, loving us as we are, despite our humanity continues to fail at times, In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 John 4:7-11 KJV
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.