The cleansing of the temple seems almost something a rebel would do. When God's house looks more like a den of thieves then a house of God there is a problem occuring. When God's house is more about money, I am not talking about the money to pay bills, or the financial needs of any church, I talking about money that lines people's pockets instead of helping the poor or glorifying God's house. Jesus cleanses the temple it occured twice in his ministry, toward the begining and end of his ministry, the first time to the cheer of the crowd and the second time many not necessarily happy especially the religious leaders who desired to destroy him. Mark account is later in his ministry and John's account in the continual scripture study was in his early ministry and only one record of it happening in early ministry.

God's house was not to be a house of merchandise. The minute God's house becomes a house of selling and storage for merchandise it becomes a warehouse of things instead of people. The church is people not merchandise. The church is not a business but a place of giving and sharing, and not a barter house either. The church a place to help the poor or those in need. The first church in Acts is given to the early church by the people and people gave and took what they had needed and they took not more then what they needed. The real issue is what is the house of God to be used for but a place of worship and a place to testify of what the Lord is doing for his people all over the world.

The fine line of ministry or survival. Jesus is not denying the temple money. He was cleansing it because the money was going into the hands of the sellers and not being given to the poor or the temple. Those things being sold were for sacrifice in the temple but money went into those who sold there. Every ministry needs money, that has bills to pay. Yet if what being sold inside the church is going to those selling it not for God. If the temple had bought sheep and people had purchased sheep and other stuff through the temple would it had been different. There nothing wrong with a church making profit if the profit is going to the church and sometimes yes ministries need to pay people. Where is the line of paying and denonating time and money and perhaps it can be seen when the task is full time verses an occasional hour or two. Some type of gratuity is fine doesnt' have to be full salary if it is many hours.

There is a point one should not be enslaved to a church only enslaved to God by free will. There is a line of what a church can expect from their people. The line comes to when there is a need greater then the financial burden it can support. If you going to belong to a fellowship of Christian people consider choosing one you do not mind helping or giving money too. If you mind those things, then you really should not belong there. If you can not financially give it should be a fellowship that will still want you there and be willing to still allow you to help out when there work to be done, and if you can not help with the labor, then you definitely should be helping with prayer. If you don't believe you can't pray, so there is no fellowship for you, no it also a place of learning or should be. To learn about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is another reason one might go to church to learn about faith and to be a witness of that group of people.

The account in Matthew takes place at the time of Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and Jesus cleanse the temple and then he begins to heal in the temple and the people praised God. Where is the line drawn in the Matthew 21 one of the later accounts is when the religious leaders seen the wonderful things Jesus did and became displeased. People were healed and the priest murmured against them. Something is happening, the time of Christ death is approaching, and the jealousy of the religious leaders are becoming even more pronounced.

Jesus display of turning over the money changers might of sounded like a note worthy event but for the moment it also rebellious act against the religious authority of the temple who perhaps had granted those selling permission to be there. With obedience towards God is our rebellious act justifiable? Who is Jesus to have authority in the temple. Jesus has the Son of God had all authority to turn the money changers table over, but to some Jesus was not God's only begotten Son, they too claimed sonship to God. Yet the resurrection had not occurred. That my friend is why what Jesus did seem rebellious to the religious leaders. If we take the priesthood side we fail to see the good Jesus did. No they were more concerned with those cast from the temple and their own greed then to be happy people were healed and rejoicing.

What we have to understand God's design to get his Son to the cross, had to come by what would of been wrong to the religious leaders of Jesus day. The issue is not Jesus correct, but would his action seem illegal. If you look at President for a moment is his action justifiable or not. In twenty years will the american public view it the same way. Only God's knows the answer. I know the President is not Jesus, but what if his action had justifcation what would america think then? Of course they only try President Trump by the evidence and witnesses, but is there a reason for his action and his own declaration he did nothing wrong?

Did Jesus do anything wrong by cleansing the temple. People draw property lines and authority lines by a governing system. Whose laws was Jesus under while on earth as a man, he is under the authority that the people is under. As being Lord He has all authority in heaven and earth. Yet He did not disobey God, in fact he showed the priesthood scripture. He quotes to the religious leaders his Father's house is not a den of thieves. How do you argue that with Jesus. When ever this is a legal issue concerning a problem with the priesthood or even the government Jesus would justify with scripture, or he give to Caesar what is Caesar. If you going to rebuke a religious person do it in the right context of scripture and they should not be any more of an issue, but they have an issue with God. However it does not change the fact that some people are not yet in tune with that scripture but they will eventually get there. Every believer must deal with scripture and not be afraid to exam it and cross examine it. As long as Jesus is justifying by scripture what can the religious leaders do.

Is the church blind to sin within no but often will not use scripture to justify what needs to be done. If we live and work in the church world by the Bible is the church clean, or still dirty. If the purging of the church is suppose to be by God's word then why is there ever an issue that not taken first to the Lord in prayer and action sought of how to deal with it, in accordance to the law of the church and the law of our land. To use scripture to punish could go against the law of the land. As citizens we choose to obey the law of the land or face consequences. I have discovered to leave the punishment to God that is within the church world and do not take it upon oneself, but when that crime exits the church and goes into the legal world, guess what going to happen unless the law is also a lawbreaker. Hopefully justification outside the church. Our churches need to teach about casting sin from the church world. As long as sin reigns in the church world the sin of the world will get worse. Yes it will offend someone but you will not offend God. The need to rebuke of sin is necessary. Jesus did no less when it came to his Father's word, he rebuke the religious leaders of his day. Yet at the same time when it comes to crime and punishment, it must be handled by the law of our land, and allow God to punish within the church. Our rebuke is only a testimony for God to those hearing truth of God's word. Those ignoring it, only hear what they will hear. Even John in Revelations wrote a letter of rebuke to seven churches, but there was always hope to overcome to be that believer Christ desired them to be in deeds, love and truth

Dear Heavenly Father we ourselves can not justify Christ actions without your word being present. May your word always justify our actions as they did Christ when we draw religious leaders to become angry. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion:

Matthew 21:12-16 KJV
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

John 2:13-23 KJV
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?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
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.