The Pulpit Commentary on Matthew 21:12-17

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

The Lord of the temple.

"The temple of God" (Matthew 21:12) Jesus calls "my house" (Matthew 21:13), asserting himself to be the Divine Lord of the temple. And quoting as he does from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11, he identifies himself as "Jehovah." Acting in this quality, he surveyed the characters he found in the temple and dealt with them accordingly. But the temple stands forth as a type of Christ's Church (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 2:22; Hebrews 3:6), so the subject has its lessons for us. We may ask, then—

I. WHAT SORT OF PERSONS DOES JESUS FIND IN HIS CHURCH?

1. He finds the secularist there.

(a) By that scandalous traffic in holy things, which is so largely carried on within the borders of the professing Church, in simoniacal presentation, fraudulent exchanges, preferment obtained through flattery.

(b) By that worldly, covetous, money getting spirit which dwells in so many of its members. This spirit is demoralizing. It is also distracting to worship.

2. He finds the afflicted there.

3. He finds the true disciple there.

4. He finds the ritualist and the traditionalist there.

II. WHAT SORT OF TREATMENT HAVE THEY TO EXPECT FROM HIM?

1. What has the secularist to expect?

2. What have the afflicted to expect?

3. What have the true disciples to expect?

4. What have the haughty to expect?

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