THE BOY JESUS AT THE TEMPLE

The Boy Jesus in Temple by Adriaen van der Werff, date unknown

(Jerusalem 8 A.D.)

Luke 1:; 2:40-52

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

We see again the dutifulness of Joseph and Mary. Their going to Jerusalem yearly for Passover is not akin to us going yearly to Easter service. As the crow flies, it is approximately 65 miles between Nazareth and Jerusalem. Today we would hop in the car, get on an interstate and be from one to the other in around an hour. We’d probably grumble about having to make that drive every year just to go to church with our parents on Easter. But in those times the journey wasn’t on a superhighway and the distance wasn’t straight. The distance would be more like ninety miles given you probably wouldn’t take the direct route through Samaria. Plus you didn’t have cars, trains and airplanes. You had to walk or ride a donkey or be pulled in a cart by some beast of burden.

It was a production and a hassle. You had to be dedicated to do it every Passover.

Some people find it strange that Joseph and Mary traveled a day before they realized they had left their son behind in the city. There is nothing odd about it. Passover was a giant festival in Jerusalem. It was crowded, confusing, and Joseph and Mary had obviously traveled with a large contingent of Pilgrims from Galilee. Their band was made up of family, friends and others they probably didn’t know, all traveling together for security on the journey. It is easy to believe your child is with someone else in such situations. Perhaps they last saw him with his Aunt or with a group of his friends and assumed he came along with them.

When our children were young, we use to take them to a place called Sesame Place. It was an amusement park aimed at children, more like a giant playground than a Disneyland, built on the themes of Sesame Street on TV. It was jammed with people. My wide had went ahead of me at one point and when we met up again our oldest daughter, then around eight years old, was missing. We had each though she was with the other. Obviously we panicked and went searching for her. Fortunately we located her quickly.

But Joseph and Mary didn’t find him quickly. Can you imagine the panic they must have felt? This was no amusement park. There was no security personal to contact, no public announcing systems to ask people to be on the look out for a lost child. They had no choice but to retrace their steps, a whole day’s worth, and then search for him in the big city. It took them three days, three long days.

And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amaze, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing.”

And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Wist [Knew] you not that I must be about my Father's business?”

And they understood not the saying that he spoke to them.

They found him in the temple amid the learned men. He was twelve years old. Now think somewhat, but not totally in terms of the Bar Mitzvah, which recognizes a Jewish boy’s passage from childhood to manhood on his thirteenth birthday. The ceremonial aspects of the Bar Mitzvah did not develop fully until the Middle Ages. However, much of the distinction of childhood to adulthood was in place by the First century. In the Ages of Man by Samuel ha’Katan (written circa 100 AD) it basically places the end of age 13, rather than it’s beginning, as the time of the commandments.  Many early Midrashs (interpretations) of the Torah and Talmud in the Mishna (circa 200 AD) further define 13 as the age of responsibility and bestow certain rights and duties of adulthood on the person along the lines of the Bar Mitzvah: reading from the Torah (Pentateuch- first five books of the Bible) and be part of the Minyan (a quorum of men required to be present for the practice of certain religious obligations), accountability under the Law of Moses, own property and marry. At this age the parents no longer are responsible or punishable for the child’s sin.

There are some who look at Jesus’ behavior here and wonder if this was a sin. Did he dishonor his parents? Was he irresponsible? No, because he was a child and this was done in innocence, not disobedience. He wasn’t running away from home, he was eager to learn “his Father’s business”. If there was sin involved it was on the part of Joseph and Mary for not keeping better account of their child. Note he went home and “was subject to them”. Like any child, he learned from this instance and his parents were probably a bit more diligent as well. Should we assume Jesus, as a child was different from other children in normal development? He probably got his good clothes dirty, probably came home late to dinner, probably whined about doing his chores occasionally. These lapses and maturing of childhood are not sin. What Jesus probably didn’t do as a child is steal, cheat, and lie or bully others, those types of things.

Notice, too, after this incident, he “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Not long after this instance he reached the age of accountability and he put away childish things.

(We tend to be amazed at Jesus being where he was, too, but not for the reason his parents and the doctors were. They were amazed at his knowledge. We are amazed at some little sixth grade kid being there and not told to go away or asked where are your folks. Remember, though, he was a bit more than a year from being acceptable taking part in such activity. We also have to remember marriage among teenagers in those days was fairly common. Some scholars believe Mary was only around 13 when Gabriel appeared to her. Boys of very young age were often accepted as men in that society.

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

I want to go back to Jesus conversation with his parents when they found him in the temple.

“Son, why have you thus dealt with us? Behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing.”

And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Wist [Knew] you not that I must be about my Father's business?”

And they understood not the saying that he spoke to them.

We can see how upset they were, “sorrowing”. If you didn’t know where you child was for three days you would be sorrowing too. You might think he or she was gone forever from your life.

He asks, “Why? Didn’t you know I have to be about my father’s business?”

I think we simply see the mind of a child here, anxious to grow up. It is interesting that several years later, at a wedding in Cana, Jesus says to Mary, “Why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” At 12, he acted with the impulsion of a child; afterward, he waited on the will of God. Where here he questions his parents why he should not be doing his Father’s business, at Cana he explains it is not time yet, but he honors his mother by providing wine.

One wonders how much Mary and Joseph knew. They obviously knew Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah, but did they understand his role as the Christ anymore than other Jews of the time? Mary pondered the things that happened at his birth, she and Joseph don’t quite understand what he is talking about at the temple and later we find passages that support the idea Mary did not yet understand this was a First Coming and what its end purpose was to be.

And the child [John the Baptist] grew, and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.

And the child [Jesus] grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

FIRST CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE

Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple by El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos), 1571-76

Spring 27 A.D Passover

Jerusalem

John 2:13-25

And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables.

And said unto them that sold doves, “Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.”

And his disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of your house has eaten me up”. [Psalm 69]

I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. Psalm 69:8-9

Let’s picture what it may have been like in Jerusalem when Jesus arrived. He came for the Passover. Passover was an important and sacred time for the Jews, but it was also a feast. It had its solemnity, but also its celebration, much like out Esther time. Different churches practice various ceremonies leading up to Resurrection Sunday. This can include for some walking the Stations of the Cross. There may be a Maundy Thursday, with foot washing and reenactment of the Last Supper. Some people have a vigil through Good Friday. Sunday morning will be filled with joyful song. 

Surrounding the worship services are also secular traditions. Families get together for Easter dinner. There are gifts of Easter Baskets, Easter egg hunts, parades and parties. Over the passage of centuries these secular traditions have come to often overwhelm the sacred. For far too many people going to church service becomes an obligation to get out of the way before the festivities can begin. I have a feeling the Passover Week of Jesus’ time had acquired a similar patina.

I’ve read that the main street to the Temple was lined with vendor booths. It reminds me of when my children were young and we would take them to the Philadelphia Zoo. Hawkers selling balloons, stuffed animals, hot dogs, soft pretzels and other bric-a-brac or foodstuffs lined the street from the parking lots to the zoo entrance. Another image I get are the streets around Wilmington’s Rodney Square filled with lunch wagons and souvenir hustlers during the annual jazz festival.

 There were many people coming to Jerusalem for the week, which means there is money to be made. Out-of-towners were coming who needed lodging and meals. The main street to the Temple was noisy, crowded, and full of tempting smells with a carnival atmosphere. But this was all going on outside the Temple. This was the place for such activity if such activity must be done. Jesus entered the Temple at the Court of the Gentiles and found it not much different than the street scene.

So why are these merchants here?

It probably began with good intensions, but what is the old saying? “The road to Hell is paved with good intensions.” 

The Jewish people of those times were required to make various animal sacrifices, for instance sin offerings (which Christ was to be and replace). Depending on circumstances and sometimes the economic status of the person, cattle, goats, sheep and birds were used. These animals had to be unblemished. 

You can imagine it was not always easy to secure an unblemished animal for this purpose, let alone drive or carry it several miles. At some point, some priest probably had the great idea to supply these goods so people didn’t have to do all that work. Unblemished livestock was provided at the Temple by breeders or sellers contracted by the priests to provide the service and people could simply pay a fee and then offer that purchased beast. (Recall in Luke 2:22-23 Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple after the purification period was over and offered a sacrifice of two birds. They probably purchased these Turtledoves or Pigeons from such a service.)

Because of the devious hearts of men, this soon became a money making proposition. Vendors overcharged for the animals and thus padded their profit at the expense of the people. There may have even been kickbacks to the priests. However, the corruption didn’t end with high prices on such animals.

There were also moneychangers in the Court of the Temple. We seldom use that term today. There was a time when the term was used for bankers and even today we often go to the bank to change money. If I were going to Italy I might go to my bank and exchange some U.S. dollars for lira. An exchange rate would be posted and the bank would give me that equivalent amount and change me a fee for doing so.

The moneychangers of that day were performing a similar service certainly. They were probably busier than usual during Passover Week because so many tourists flooded the city that needed local money. The exchange rate was at the discretion of the moneychangers and they took full advantage of this.

There was another bounty for these men. The people were required to pay a Temple Tax. This tax could not be paid in common lucre. It had to be paid with a special Temple coin. The moneychangers sold these coins and they often charged far more in exchange than the coin was worth. The Court of the Temple had become a place for the fleecing of the worshipper. This is not what God intended.

Jesus was God and he drove these thieves out of His house.

There are some who believe this instance is the same one spoke of in the other Gospels at the beginning of the Passion events. I do not. I stand with those who accept there were two such occurrences, one at the beginning of His ministry and one at the end. These served different purposes. The cleansing at the end of his ministry was used to further agitate the authorities to fulfill His mission and put him to death. The cleansing here at the start was to tell them he had arrived. What a spectacular announcement for drawing people’s attention.

Then answered the Jews and said to him, “What sign show you to us, seeing that you do these things?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Then said the Jews, “Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days?”

But he spoke of the temple of his body.

When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles, which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself to them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man.

“Then the Jews…” meaning the authorities demanded what authority he had to do this.

I guess they did!

His answer dismayed them. It was laughable. Perhaps they dismissed Him as a crazy man. This may be why they didn’t immediately arrest him. Note they demanded a miracle to establish His authority. Even then they may have been questioning if Jesus was the Messiah and were being a bit caution just in case. They had questioned John if he were the Messiah and by this time there may have been some whisperings getting to these religious leaders about this Jesus fellow.

We find Jesus did perform some miracles while He was in town and there were a few people who believed in Him. Whether any of these miracles were performed before the cleansing we don’t know. Some may have been and this was part of why they asked for a miracle. At least one of the Pharisees among the rulers believed Jesus was some kind of man of God. His name was Nicodemus.

Notice it says, “Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.” The context of the surrounding verses and this statement indicate it was not time for Jesus to be arrested and killed, more evidence that there were two Temple cleansings. He is going to meet with Nicodemus secretly in the night and soon Jesus and his few disciples are going to move into the wilderness for a while. They will not be there long before the danger becomes great enough that they flee back to Galilee.