John 2:13-25
“Notice what you notice.” When we are reading through these Gospels it is often hard to see something new. That’s the case with me today – the words are old and familiar, but I do have two items, one a reflection and the other a question/confusion.
As to the reflection, I’ve always wondered at Jesus’ brashness in cleansing the Temple. As we surmise from others’ works, these merchants and money-changers would have been in the outer court, the Court of the Gentiles, with no restrictions on admittance. Jews coming from afar (1) could not bring their sacrificial animals over such a long distance, and (2) would have had foreign currency (Greek, Roman, etc.) that would not have been acceptable to the Temple authorities. These travelers needed both the merchants and the money-changers. I’ve often wondered where these merchants would have conducted business if not in the outer court. Again, I’ve imagined the Temple to have been built on one of the highest hills in Jerusalem, so conducting business on slopes leading up to the Temple would have been difficult. But it’s Jesus Who is doing the cleansing, so I do not linger long with His motives or actions!
As to the confusion, the last two verses… I went online to commentaries for some help. The first, But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people… (v. 24) is less difficult. Matthew Henry’s Commentary suggests that these potential converts may have been attracted to Jesus because of His cleansing or other signs He had performed. That is, theirs was not a deep faith borne out of a serious commitment to Jesus (unlike his Galilean followers). In addition, these local Jews would have respected (or feared) the Temple authorities who already had problems with Jesus, again leading to a weak “faith” in their hearts toward Jesus. So He did not commit (or entrust Himself) to them.
Verse 25 was more challenging at the outset. …and {He} needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man (ESV). Here other translations helped: …because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man (NASB) and He did not need any testimony about mankind for he knew what was in each person. (NIV) That is, Jesus, the Galilean did not need to go to the local Jerusalem psychologists or psychiatrists to understand the Jerusalem Jews – He already had His own insights! It is often very helpful to compare translations!
Slava Bohu!!