It must have been a truly awesome experience. A threefold blast from silver trumpets resounded across the courtyard as the Passover lamb was slain. All along the court up to the altar of burnt offerings a phalanx of priests stood in two rows, the one holding golden, the other silver bowls. The bowls were filled with the blood of the lambs that had been slaughtered as a symbolic payment for sin. As the blood was brought to the altar, a choir of Levitical priests raised the ancient Hallel, a song of solemn praise. “Hallelujah”, the priest repeatedly thundered, “save now, I beseech Thee, Jehovah”, the people responded. As the sounds of their praise echoed of the massive stone walls, a sweet-smelling aroma filled the air as the savory smoke of sacrifice mingled with the sweet fragrance of incense.
Worship in the great temple was intended to be a truly awesome experience. However, awe was not what Jesus experienced as He entered the temple courts. A group of profiteering merchants had set up shop in the temple courts. Worshipers were required to pay a temple tribute of a specific amount with a specific coin. Under the guise of providing a service, some merchants offered, for a considerable fee, to exchange the Roman coins for those that could be used in the temple. Worshipers were also required to bring to the temple sacrifices that were without blemish or defect. Under the guise of providing a service, other merchants offered, for a considerable fee, to inspect the animals to ensure they were worthy of sacrifice. These considerable fees not only lined the pockets of the merchants but also filled the treasury of the High-Priest, for it was under his authority that the merchants were allowed to fleece the flock.
When Jesus saw what was happening in the temple courts He was filled with righteous indignation. With a whip He had made from ropes, Jesus drove the profiteering merchants from the temple kicking over their tables as they fled. It is a rare sight to see our Savior so …angry. This is the turn the other check, the love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Guy. We are used to Jesus being described with the words like “meekness” and “gentleness”. So, to read about Him swinging a whip over his head, kicking over tables, and yelling “get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”[1] that catches our attention. Rarely is Jesus described as angry.
So, what was it that caused such a reaction from our Savior? It was not the buying and selling that bothered Jesus as though He were placing a permanent ban on all teen groups from selling hotdogs in the narthex. It wasn’t even the fact that these merchants were fleecing the flock, though Jesus had plenty to say against such so called shepherds. The disciples knew why Jesus reacted the way He did; they remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[2] What was supposed to be an awesome experience had been reduced to an ordinary occurrence. The blasting of silver trumpets was exchanged for the clinking of coins, blood filled bowls were traded for coin filled purses, the volley of praise between priests and people was replaced with the noise of haggling between buyer and vender. Worship had been reduced to a rote ritual of meaningless motions performed by thoughtless hearts. And that angered Jesus.
The money changers who cheapened the worship experience took the brunt of Jesus’ anger, but equally as guilty were the priests who allowed it and the people bought into it… perhaps even people like you and me. Is it possible that we have lost our zeal for the Lord’s house? Historically, when we think of zeal-lackers, we think of the church skippers. Skipping church is an obvious way to demonstrate a lack of zeal for the Lord’s house. More recently a lack of zeal may be observed among those who don’t necessarily skip worship but are content to livestream their worship, not out of necessity, but out of convenience, not as an addition to public worship, but as a replacement for it. But that is not you, at least not today. Today you are here in the Lord’s house. But are you zealously here? Notice Jesus didn’t have to go to the houses full of church skippers surrounding the temple to find a lack of zeal for the Lord’s house. Jesus found a lack of zeal for the Lord’s house in the Lord’s house. Is it possible that Jesus finds a lack of zeal in this house of the Lord? Are lifeless hymns being sung? Are mindless prayers being prayed? Are readings falling on deaf ears? Are sermons being timed? Are blessings being ignored? I don’t know how you answer those questions, I just know that I can’t answer them for you. It’s my job to ask the questions, it’s your job to wrestle with the answer. But I’ll tell you, for me personally, on more than one occasion, my answer, for myself, is a shameful yes. So, I know there is at least one person here who has demonstrated a lack of zeal for the Lord’s house. Could it be that there are two, or three, four, or more?
I would deserve it if Jesus kicked open those doors and drove me from the Lord’s house with a whip. But let me tell you why that is not going to happen to me or to you. Jesus isn’t zealous for the house of the lord because He is in desperate need of our prayers and praises. The reason why Jesus is so zealous for the house of the Lord is because Jesus is zealous about you. Jesus wants you to stand in the awesome presence of the LORD God almighty, face to face eventually, but until then, here in His house of worship. Because here, in the house of the Lord, you receive the blessings we sang about in our psalm this morning. Allow me to just highlight verses 7-9 of Psalm 19. There David writes, “7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.” The “law”, “statutes”, “precepts”, “commands”, “fear”, and “ordinances” are all synonyms for the Word of God, both Law and Gospel. David correctly identifies the Word of God as “perfect”, “trustworthy”, “right”, “radiant”, “pure”, and “sure”. But it is what the Word of God does for you that makes Jesus zealous for you to be here.
Here, in the house of the Lord, your soul is revived. Just as your body needs food and drink to be sustained, so also your soul needs the Word of God. Life, let’s face it, can be a soul sucking experience. Living in a world corrupted by sin and filled with sinners is draining to the soul, but it is the sin within that threatens to put the soul on life support. Week after week the weary and sin-laden soul limps to the house of the Lord to make confession. There words of absolution, born of the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God, cleanse that soul of sin and revive it once again.
Here, in the house of the Lord, you are made wise. Proverbs warn, “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”[3] Left to our own devices we are easily deceived. It is impossible for us to know what the right thing is for us to do. But the Word of God guides us, not with a list of black and white answers for every scenario under the sun but with morals and values, principles and ethics. The Word of God does not spoon-feed answers, rather it equips us to evaluate a situation and determine a solution that brings us good and gives God glory.
Here, in the house of the Lord, you are filled with joy. The LORD does not deny the pain and suffering we face and feel. But He helps us see how even in those things our God of grace is working good for us. Even when something sad like death comes for people we love, or comes for us, the LORD shows us an empty tomb so that we see death not as a destination but a door, not as an end but a beginning, not as a defeat but as a victory.
Here, in the house of the Lord, you are given understanding. Here we are given both meaning and purpose for lives lived under the sun. Here men learn what it means to be a godly man and women learn what it means to be a godly woman. Here, spouse learn how they are to love each other. Here, parents learn how to train a child in the way they should go. Here, children learn honor and respect. Here, friends are taught how to encourage each other and neighbors how to support one another.
Here, in the house of the Lord, you are shown direction. The philosophies of men are every changing. Whether it is Humanism that seeks dignity and worth through self-realization, or existentialism that seeks freedom through the power of choice, or postmodernism that urges you to be skeptical of everything and embrace a relative morality. All of these “isms” claim to know the path to enlightenment, but they keep changing the path’s direction. God’s word is consistent. There is but one path and one way and His name is Jesus. Follow Him and you will reach true enlightenment.
Here, in the house of the Lord, you are grounded in truth. Pontius Pilate famously asked, “what is truth?[4]” but Pilate is not the only one plagued with uncertainty. We live in a world full of augmented reality, phone scams, false advertising, political propaganda, fake news, and, coming soon to an internet connection near you, deepfake video technology. It is hard to know what to believe, who to trust. Which is why it is so refreshing to find in the Word of God a timeless truth that has been scrutinized and tested, challenged and questioned, discussed and debated and yet has endured to be the solid foundation of truth upon which our faith stands.
Here, in the house of the Lord your soul is revived, you are made wise, you are filled with joy, you are given understanding, you are shown direction, and you are grounded in truth. How awesome it is to be here today! Dare I say even more awesome than standing in the great temple in Jerusalem. Better than the sound of silver trumpets that announced the sacrifice of the Passover lamb is the preacher’s voice that announces your sins have been absolved. Better than bowls of blood being brought to the altar is the cup of blood that is given to you. Better than the Hallels of future prophecy sung by priest and people are the Hallels of fulfilled promise sung by me and you. Better than the smoke of sacrifice and incense rising from the temple are the sounds of prayers and praises coming from your lips. Worship in the house of the Lord is still an awesome experience. Let it be said of us as it was said of our Savior, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Amen.
[1] John 2:16
[2] Psalm 69:9
[3] Proverbs 14:12, 16:25
[4] John 18:38