Biblical commentary by John Calvin
12. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his
brethren, and his disciples and he remained there not many days. 13.
And the passover of the Jews was at hand; therefore, Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. 14. And found in the temple some who sold oxen, and sheep,
and doves, and money-changers also sitting. 15. And having made a whip
of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen,
and threw down the money of the changers, and overturned the tables;
16. And said to those who sold doves, Take those things hence; do not
make my Father's house a house of merchandise. 17. And his disciples
remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.
12. He went down to Capernaum. The Evangelist passes to an additional
narrative; for having resolved to collect a few things worthy of
remembrance which the other three had left out, he states the time when
the occurrence which he is about to relate took place; for the other
three also relate what we here read that Christ did, but the diversity
of the time shows that it was a similar event, but not the same. On two
occasions, then, did Christ cleanse the temple from base and profane
merchandise; once, when he was beginning to discharge his commission,
and another time, (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45,) when he was
about to leave the world and go to the Father, (John 16:28.)
To obtain a general view of the passage, it will be necessary briefly
to examine the details in their order. That oxen, and sheep, and doves,
were exposed to sale in the temple, and that money-changers were
sitting there, was not without a plausible excuse. For they might
allege that the merchandise transacted there was not irreligious, but,
on the contrary, related to the sacred worship of God, that every
person might obtain, without difficulty, what he might offer to the
Lord; and, certainly, it was exceedingly convenient for godly persons
to find oblations of any sort laid ready to their hand, and in this way
to be freed from the trouble of running about in various directions to
obtain them. We are apt to wonder, therefore, why Christ was so highly
displeased with it. But there are two reasons which deserve our
attention. First, as the Priests abused this merchandise for their own
gain and avarice, such a mockery of God could not be endured. Secondly,
whatever excuse men may plead, as soon as they depart, however
slightly, from the command of God, they deserve reproof and need
correction. And this is the chief reason why Christ undertook to purify
the temple; for he distinctly states that the temple of God is not a
place of merchandise
But it may be asked, Why did he not rather begin with doctrine? For it
seems to be a disorderly and improper method to apply the hand for
correcting faults, before the remedy of doctrine has been applied. But
Christ had a different object in view: for the time being now at hand
when he would publicly discharge the office assigned to him by the
Father, he wished in some way to take possession of the temple, and to
give a proof of his divine authority. And that all might be attentive
to his doctrine, it was necessary that something new and strange should
be done to awaken their sluggish and drowsy minds. Now, the temple was
a sanctuary of heavenly doctrine and of true religion. Since he wished
to restore purity of doctrine, it was of great importance that he
should prove himself to be the Lord of the temple. Besides, there was
no other way in which he could bring back sacrifices and the other
exercises of religion to their spiritual design than by removing the
abuse of them. What he did at that time was, therefore, a sort of
preface to that reformation which the Father had sent him to
accomplish. In a word, it was proper that the Jews should be aroused by
this example to expect from Christ something that was unusual and out
of the ordinary course; and it was also necessary to remind them that
the worship of God had been corrupted and perverted, that they might
not object to the reformation of those abuses
And his brethren. Why the brethren of Christ accompanied him, cannot be
determined with certainty, unless, perhaps, they intended to go along
with him to Jerusalem. The word brethren, it is well known, is
employed, in the Hebrew language, to denote cousins and other
relatives.
13. And the passover of the Jews was at hand; therefore Jesus went up
to Jerusalem. The Greek words kai anebe, may be literally rendered, and
he went up; but the Evangelist has used the copulative and instead of
therefore; for he means that Christ went up at that time, in order to
celebrate the passover at Jerusalem. There were two reasons why he did
so; for since the Son of God became subject to the Law on our account,
he intended, by observing with exactness all the precepts of the Law,
to present in his own person a pattern of entire subjection and
obedience. Again, as he could do more good, when there was a multitude
of people, he almost always availed himself of such an occasion.
Whenever, therefore, we shall afterwards find it said that Christ came
to Jerusalem at the feast, let the reader observe that he did so,
first, that along with others he might observe the exercises of
religion which God had appointed, and, next, that he might publish his
doctrine amidst a larger concourse of people.
16. Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. At the second
time that he drove the traders out of the Temple, the Evangelists
relate that he used sharper and more severe language; for he said, that
they had made the Temple of God a den of robbers, (Matthew 21:13;) and
this was proper to be done, when a milder chastisement was of no avail.
At present, he merely warns them not to profane the Temple of God by
applying it to improper uses. The Temple was called the house of God;
because it was the will of God that there He should be peculiarly
invoked; because there He displayed his power; because, finally, he had
set it apart to spiritual and holy services.
My Father's house. Christ declares himself to be the Son of God, in
order to show that he has a right and authority to cleanse the Temple.
As Christ here assigns a reason for what he did, if we wish to derive
any advantage from it, we must attend chiefly to this sentence. Why,
then, does he drive the buyers and sellers out of the Temple? It is
that he may bring back to its original purity the worship of God, which
had been corrupted by the wickedness of men, and in this way may
restore and maintain the holiness of the Temple. Now that temple, we
know, was erected, that it might be a shadow of those things the lively
image of which is to be found in Christ. Thai; it might continue to be
devoted to God, it was necessary that it should be applied exclusively
to spiritual purposes. For this reason he pronounces it to be unlawful
that it should be converted into a market-place; for he founds his
statement on the command of God, which we ought always to observe.
Whatever deceptions Satan may employ, let us know that any departure --
however small -- from the command of God is wicked. It was a plausible
and imposing disguise, that; the worship of God was aided and promoted,
when the sacrifices which were to be offered by believers were laid
ready to their hand; but as God had appropriated his Temple to
different purposes, Christ disregards the objections that might be
offered against the order which God had appointed.
The same arguments do not apply, in the present day, to our buildings
for public worship; but what is said about the ancient Temple applies
properly and strictly to the Church, for it is the heavenly sanctuary
of God on earth. We ought always, therefore, to keep before our eyes
the majesty of God, which dwells in the Church, that it may not be
defiled by any pollutions; and the only way in which its holiness can
remain unimpaired is, that nothing shall be admitted into it that is at
variance with the word of God.
17. And his disciples remembered. It is to no purpose that some people
tease themselves with the inquiry how the disciples remembered a
passage of Scripture, with the meaning of which they were hitherto
unacquainted. For we must not understand that this passage of Scripture
came to their remembrance at that time; but afterwards, when, having
been taught by God, they considered with themselves what was the
meaning of this action of Christ, by the direction of the Holy Spirit
this passage of Scripture occurred to them. And, indeed, it does not
always happen that the reason of God's works is immediately perceived
by us, but afterwards, in process of time, He makes known to us his
purpose. And this is a bridle exceedingly well adapted to restrain our
presumption, that we may not murmur against God, if at any time our
judgment does not entirely approve of what he does. We are at the same
time reminded, that when God holds us as it were in suspense, it is our
duty to wait for the time of more abundant knowledge, and to restrain
the excessive haste which is natural to us; for the reason why God
delays the full manifestation of his works is, that he may keep us
humble.
The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. The meaning is, that the
disciples at length came to know, that the zeal for the house of God,
with which Christ burned, excited him to drive out of it those
profanations. By a figure of speech, in which a part is taken for the
whole, David employs the name of the temple to denote the whole worship
of God; for the entire verse runs thus:
the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them who
reproached thee have fallen on me, (Psalm 69:9.)
The second clause corresponds to the first, or rather it is nothing
else than a repetition explaining what had been said. The amount of
both clauses is, that David's anxiety about maintaining the worship of
God was so intense, that he cheerfully laid down his head to receive
all the reproaches which wicked men threw against God; and that he
burned with such zeal, that this single feeling swallowed up every
other. He tells us that he himself had such feelings; but there can be
no doubt that he described in his own person what strictly belonged to
the Messiah.
Accordingly, the Evangelist says, that this was one of the marks by
which the disciples knew that it was Jesus who protected and restored
the kingdom of God. Now observe that they followed the guidance of
Scripture, in order to form such an opinion concerning Christ as they
ought to entertain; and, indeed, no man will ever learn what Christ is,
or the object of what he did and suffered, unless he has been taught
and guided by Scripture. So far, then, as each of us shall desire to
make progress in the knowledge of Christ, it will be necessary that
Scripture shall be the subject of our diligent and constant meditation.
Igor is it without a good reason that David mentions the house of God,
when the divine glory is concerned; for though God is sufficient for
himself, and needs not the services of any, yet he wishes that his
glory should be displayed in the Church. In this way he gives a
remarkable proof of his love towards us, because he unites his glory --
as it were, by an indissoluble link -- with our salvation.
Now as Paul informs us that, in the example of the head, a general
doctrine is presented to the whole body, (Romans 15:3,) let each of us
apply to the invitation of Christ, that -- so far as lies in our power
-- we may not permit the temple of God to be in any way polluted. But,
at the same time, we must beware lest any man transgress the bounds of
his calling. All of us ought to have zeal in common with the Son of
God; but all are not at liberty to seize a whip, that we may correct
vices with our hands; for we have not received the same power, nor have
we been entrusted with the same commission.
(Gospel commentary on John chapter 2, verses 12 to 17, by John Calvin)
|