Clearing the man-made wilderness in the temple courts
James Cathcart
February 25, 2026
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John 2: 13-25 (NIV)
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
We’ve been decluttering our house. We’ve moved house four times and have accumulated so much ‘stuff’ and are ashamed to say most of it has moved with us each time (anyone want a pine toilet seat that may come in handy?). It’s easy to let the ‘stuff’ become our focus and I love this passage that radically redefines what is important.
John 2:13–25 always feels like one of those moments where Jesus’ passion and purpose come into sharp focus. Seeing Him clear the temple isn’t about anger for anger’s sake —it’s about protecting what’s meant to be sacred and reminding everyone that faith isn’t a marketplace. There’s something surprisingly relatable in that, because it nudges me to look at the clutter in my own life — the habits, distractions, or attitudes that crowd out what really matters. And when Jesus talks about His body as the true temple, it shifts the whole scene from confrontation to invitation: an invitation to let Him reshape my priorities and make space for a deeper, more honest connection with God.
Prayer:
Dear God,
as I think about Jesus clearing the temple, help me welcome that same kind of honest, loving disruption in my own life. Show me the places where clutter, distraction, or misplaced priorities have taken up space that belongs to You. Give me the courage to let go of what doesn’t serve my relationship with You, and the openness to let Your presence reshape my heart. Make my life a place where Your love, truth, and purpose can dwell freely.
Amen.
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