Glorification

By Nathaniel Dandridge Pendleton
1941

Part IV
THE LAST JOURNEY

VIII. PURGING THE TEMPLE

"And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Mark 11: 15 - 17)

This record, given in Mark, follows immediately after the Lord's encounter with the fig tree, the destruction of which signified the passing of a dead church, and more intimately the elimination from His Human of that form of natural good which carried evil at its heart. The withering of the fig tree, in that it represented the spiritual judgment upon the church, fulfilled in general the import of the premonitory warning of the day before, when the eventide fell as the Lord stood in the temple. But a still further fulfillment of that premonition was now to follow as He re-entered the temple. The events of this, His second entrance, represented certain inevitable sequences, significant of a more definite transaction which came to pass within the temple of His body, whereby His human was purified of the evils signified by "them that sold and bought in the temple," and by "tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves."

The first warning of the presence and near activity of these evils was given the evening before when He stood in the temple and "looked round about upon all things." His survey on that occasion, which signified not only His observation of the condition of the temple, but also His introspection into the state of His human, could not but reveal the evils signified by the traders, and also by the "tables" and "seats." And His sight of these disorders could not but warn of the combat to come.

Yet on that evening nothing was done. The time for direct action had not arrived. It was to come, indeed, but not until the "morrow." Before the time of the actual call upon His power it was necessary that He should withdraw and enter into a state of retirement; that is, into close communion with His soul. This was signified by His withdrawal to the Mount of Olives, where He passed the night. It was necessary that He should withdraw into the state represented by that holy mountain, in order that He might derive sufficient power against the temptation to come.

As through the night a man's strength is restored, so it was with Him as He rested in Bethany upon the mountain. Thence he gathered strength to meet the spiritual labors of the coming day. It was by virtue of this renewal that He, on the morning after, put forth the power that withered the tree of evil omen, -  the deceiving fig of a barren church. And now, after this temptation of His disappointed hunger, He again entered the temple and engaged the forces of evil therein. As He looked upon the temple from within on this second occasion, His obscure premonition of the evening before became a clear revealing light, calling for immediate action. The temple must be cleansed of its profanation. Then there was born within Him, from His Divine, a compelling impulse so great that it could not be denied or resisted.

Here, as elsewhere in the story of the Lord's life when combat with evil was imminent, there was no sign of failing, and, indeed, no outward visible resistance. If ever in seeming He avoided an encounter with evil, it was because the time of engagement was not at hand, nor the state of victory prepared. The order of life calls for each event in its own time, for each state after mature preparation. It was especially so with the marked stages of His glorification; and so also it is with the successive states of man's regeneration. Nothing is of graver importance than holding back from premature action, lest the state intended should be still-born - a lifeless form, incapable of development.

On this occasion, the direction of the Lord's action was unusual. His power went forth with apparent personal violence. He drove from the temple those "that sold and bought." There was no withstanding Him. He "overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves." Besides, His control was marvelously demonstrated. "He would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple."

Those who sold and bought profaned the house of God. The tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, were to Him vessels of corruption arising from an evil inheritance - a racial evil of material greed which had increased for an age. These tables and seats were doubtless established originally to serve the need of the sacrificial worship of the temple. But this service was now perverted. An evil spirit of selfish gain had entered into and profaned the representative sanctity of the temple worship. It was because of this abuse that the Lord's house, "called of all nations the house of prayer," had become "a den of thieves."

This mal-usage, and all that it signified, increasingly stamped its impress upon the race of which our Lord was born, and from which He derived His human nature. It was against this racial inheritance in Himself that the Divine power which came upon Him was inwardly directed. The outer combat in the temple was but a symbol. Yet both within and without the drive of His power was irresistible. The loves of selfish gain, which so greatly profaned the holy things of worship, did also, by inheritance, profane the temple of His body. These, on this occasion, were exterminated. The evil traders were driven out of the temple, and their tables of exchange and the seats for the sale of doves were overthrown. No resistance is recorded. The tide of His power was utterly compelling, and, as well, constraining. For not only did He "cast out" and "overthrow," but He also would not "suffer any man should carry a vessel through the temple."

After the temple was cleared and a fitting response of its orderliness to His presence therein was given - after His own body was inwardly purified in correspondence with the rejection of the temple abuses -  there came upon Him from above, in larger measure and more ultimate fullness, the glorifying presence of the Divine. In this presence it was not fitting that an intrusion of anything that was alien should be allowed - anything that could interrupt the descent of the Divine in its new fullness. Such an interruption would have occurred if any man, at that time, had carried a strange vessel through the temple. Such a vessel would have represented an open way for an evil influx, in which case the heritage of His infirm human would have been stirred to activity. This could not be allowed in the moment of His triumph, in the newly achieved state of His glorification; for in this, as in His every conquest, there was a presentation of His glorification, in the presence of which no evil could abide.

At other times, and in other states, it was allowed that strange vessels should be borne through the house of His mind, to the end that He should be tempted, even as are all men - strange vessels bearing a false invitation and significant of an evil end, - vessels which would have opened the way for an evil influx and would have stirred to activity the inherited tendencies of His maternal human, and so induce states which would have clouded His mind, in which case He would have entered forthwith into temptation and the supremacy of evil would have manifested itself. But now His glorification presented the supremacy of His Divinity, and this alone. Not until a recession of His Divine power occurred could He again enter into temptation, which state could arise only with a reversal of form and a recession of His power.

As the periods of His glorification were recurrent, so also the states of His temptation were intermittent. And as, in His glorification, the Divine was manifestly present, so in His temptations, which are described as a pouring out of His soul unto death, the Divine was quite as if absent, and His mind was possessed by that image of death which lies at the heart of every temptation. That He might undergo successive temptations from the beginning, many strange vessels, - vessels significant of death, - were carried through the house of His mind. Like vagrant thoughts, born as of evil emotions, they were so many invitations to the hells to enter with malign power. At such times the supremacy of evil could not but seem overwhelming. Unless it had so seemed, no real temptation could have arisen.

Of all things, states of man's mind are most possessive. They take complete control for the time, and if evil, then that evil is felt as dominant. There is no temptation unless this is the case, that is, not in the deep sense which the Writings impart to that word.

The difference between our temptations and those of the Lord is indicated by the fact that these internal disturbances are, in every case, measured as to their strength by the love which resists them. His love included all men, and His contention was with the totality of human evil. Man's case presents but a faint semblance of His. It is strange to think, and yet it is true, that in His case the severity of His temptation was measured by His love, and that at such times He was possessed by the appearance that He could hardly prevail against the vast accumulation of evil which had fastened upon the race. Yet He prevailed over it by means of the never ceasing recurrence of His Divine power.

The apparent supremacy of evil was never so strongly manifested as when, in the garden, He prayed that the "cup" might pass from Him. Yet all His temptations were essentially of this character, even in childhood. The crisis in them all was the same, in varying degrees. Temptation is a conflict between life and death; and in them all is the sign of the cross. This sign is the image of death which then stands at the door and threatens man's salvation. Man feels this. Therefore, there is no such thing as complacency in the face of them, but instead, the distress of gravest uncertainty. Fears are stirred that are as deep as human life. This issue is hidden within man; it is unknown to others, and is not always realized by the man himself. Only occasionally is the deeper issue involved revealed in clear light to the man's conscious thought. A vague hopelessness, a sense of utter helplessness, is usual. Healing comes slowly, with patient waiting. At length a change becomes manifest, arising from the secret sources of life within, accompanied by a revival of hope, a brightening of life's prospect.

Man is for the time a creature of his state of mind. As he feels, so does he seem to be; so does he feel he will continue to be. But in this he is mistaken. His state will surely change. These states and their changes do not originate from external circumstances. That they do so is a deceiving fallacy. There is a guiding force within and a control enabling a free determination which qualifies all that comes through the outer senses and which directs the current both of thought and feeling. This power of inner determination is the essential human. Its exercise is sometimes conscious, but most often it is superconscious, and in this it comes under the guidance of God. This power is the human gift; it is the image of God in man, and is that alone by which guidance is given in all the shifting states through which the spirit of man passes on its way.

The marvel to us, and the source of our religious inspiration, is the fact that the Lord, as a Man among men, passed through these human changes. This He did in order that we might depend upon Him and find victory in His example. To do this, we must keep in close touch with the Divine record of His life, and see therein, by an inward revealing, His leading and guiding.

Thus His deeds in the temple must be our inspiration. They were given for our imitation, since we have within us the "seats" of much corruption. Many strange vessels pass through our minds, inviting an evil influx and stirring evil emotions. His expulsion of the thieves is our grant of power. For the sake of our salvation we may do likewise, but not from our own strength. If we pray willingly, He will give of His power; but not unless we draw near to Him with love and with obedience. Then indeed will He give, in our human measure, of the power which descended upon Him on the day of the temple's cleansing.

This, in our terms, is but the power of Christian faith - a faith not only confiding, but also living. It is an essence and not a formula, a good and not a truth, save as a truth is but an appearing of good, and as a formula is but the statement of an essence. If the Lord be approached from living good in our hearts, then will our faith in Him be an inspiration, and the grant of His power will be sufficient to overcome in the temptation which His Providence allows.

Temptations to the man who can be regenerated are allowed to the end that man may call upon the Lord. Hence the teaching that man is never tempted beyond the measure of the good of his life and the truth of his faith. Through such temptations, when permitted, and if the man is victorious therein, the truth of his faith is more deeply confirmed, and the good of his life is increased.