A quick review of literally all the historical art associated with Jesus clearing out the moneychangers from the temple courts in Mathew 21:12 all show a violent Jesus, beating the people with some kind of whip. Last night I heard a message refuting that, and I found it quite inspiring, but it left me with even more questions.
Here is the problem: the Courtyard of the Gentiles was around 35 acres, and would have had a great crowd within. I imagine the market would have looked like a farm market of today but noisy and spread out with carts, booths, and pens of animals. Visitors would be pushing into lines haggling with sellers. Chaos.
I cannot visualize Jesus in that environment—violent or not—having any impact or even being heard. It was too great a space and had far too many people. I cannot imagine him "overturning tables" as the vendors would physically resist him. Impossible to imagine him driving out penned animals. The temple guards would have removed him.
As I try to imagine, I wonder if he instead brought a great crowd with him who was focused on his teaching and on being healed. In a frenzy to get close to Jesus, they would overrun the stands and would have no interest in the business of buying and selling. Imagine how desperate and wild a crowd could get if Jesus was healing "the blind and lame."
Maybe we should think more about what Jesus was doing as an alternative than as an attack on the business of the temple. He was doing "wonderful things." That is why he could not be arrested or accused. The result of the pressing crowds was the disruption of the business and overturning of the tables. That I can imagine.
We are to be like Jesus. We are to be doing "wonderful things." We are not to be attacking the failures of our institutions and never with violence.
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