God Starts Judgment with His Own - Luke 19-20

 Luke 19:45-46 (ESV)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Luke only handles briefly what happened that moment.  Note John’s account:

John 2:13-17 (ESV)

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

When the nation of Israel came to Jerusalem for Passover, they typically would bring their own animals, from their own flock, to the priest for their sacrifice.   However, those animals had to first be approved by the High Priest as “without blemish” to qualify for an “acceptable” acceptable sacrifice (Leviticus 22:20).  However, since the High Priest had already set up booths in the outer court (the Court of the Gentiles) to sell animals, they would often reject the animals brought from home and force them to turn to the commerce center they set up in the court.  This became a money maker for the priesthood.   This is the point of this moment.  The Sunday before Jesus rode in on a donkey and they believed he would overthrow the forces of Rome that had oppressed them and enslaved many of them.  But, rather than take on the world, Jesus started with the house of God.  He was going to change things, on that point they were correct.  But, they did not expect Him to start that change with the central focus of the nation, the Temple.   Peter must have paid attention that day.  Although often misses the mark during the days he followed Jesus, here is what he must have remembered from that, years later:

1 Peter 4:17 (ESV)

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

God is going to judge the world.  Especially those who oppress others.  But, that judgement always begins with His own first.  In the book of the Revelation we read about the final judgment on the nations, the non-believers and the host of Satan and Satan himself.  Yet, the book begins by address the seven churches and their sins.   God always starts with us and then expands outward.   We are to get our act together before we look for judgment on the world.