Part of the festival of Passover includes sacrificing animals to God. There were strict laws that explained what to sacrifice and how perfect the animal must be. Now, imagine you are coming from Capernaum which is up near the Sea of Galilee...are you going to bring an animal with you or are you going to wait and buy one in Jerusalem?
If you bring one with you, it's important to make sure it's perfect, no blemishes, so it will be accepted by the priests for the sacrifice. If it's not perfect you will have to buy one in Jerusalem and it will cost more. I've heard stories that some of the priests were corrupt at the temple. Poor Joseph from Capernaum would bring what he believes to be a perfect lamb for his sacrifice only to have the priest tell him it's not perfect. The priest would then allow him to trade in his lamb with some cash and get a new lamb that has been deemed acceptable. After Joseph leaves with his new lamb, the next guy brings his lamb in and the priests tell him the same thing they told Joseph. Then the priests turn around and sell this guy Joseph's lamb, saying it's acceptable for sacrifice, and the cycle goes on and on with the priests scamming people out of lambs and money.
All of that to say, Jesus wasn't happy with this practice (and some other wicked practices) so he drove these men out of the temple courts.
Great insight, Craig. John Ramsees
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