John 2:17

"His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for thy house will consume me'" (John 2:17 RSV).

Comment:

This passage is in reference to Jesus' driving the merchants and money changers out of the Temple. In the gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, this event takes place at the very end of Jesus' ministry, after his entry into Jerusalem. The author of the Gospel of John, writing much later, deliberately moves it to the very beginning. Why? Well, it helps to establish several important things about Jesus right at the outset of his public ministry. He was brave. He was passionate. He was fulfilling Jewish prophecy. The quotation John cites is from Psalm 69, which is a lament over personal troubles. The psalmist insists that he is simply doing the will of the Lord, ignoring family and friends in the process; still people laugh at him and judge him harshly. Verse nine of the psalm reads, 'For zeal for thy house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult thee have fallen on me.' The image is of a man committed to his spiritual path above all else, and willing to do whatever he is guided to do in order to accomplish it. This is the very image John wants to establish for Jesus Christ—a passionate and fearless spiritual commitment. And I think the metaphysical point is clear: We cannot be timid about our commitment to Spirit; we cannot give more weight to the opinions of others than to our own personal guidance.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed