[kellychaos]

Verse 14. "And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables."

The temple in Jerusalem was a building where people in Israel went to worship God. Men were selling animals that were to be used as sacrifices (substitutes) for sin. Other men (money changers) were cheating people by charging too much money for the "temple shekels" (a special kind of money) used to buy the animals.

Verse 15. "And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;"

Jesus saw the money changers cheat the people (verse 14). As He stood there, He made a sort of whip out of ropes or strings. He started swinging it at the cheaters and drove them out of the temple. Jesus threw the money and the tables onto the floor. God does not want people to be cheaters and take advantage of others.

Verse 16. "and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.’"

We should not be in God's house for money. When we are in God's house (a church or a temple), we are there to love God and learn about Him. The money changers (Verses 15 & 16) had turned God's house into some kind of "business" or "store." Jesus told them to "stop" doing that.