March 8, 2015
Sunday

“The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” John 2:13 – 16

“Passover was a big deal. The population of Jerusalem would quadruple. Streets and alleys would be packed with people. The crowds would include soldiers, zealots, “knife-men,” priests, children, religious fanatics, wonder workers, magicians, hellraisers, Pietists, and animals.

Jesus is described as going directly to the Temple. There he encountered the business of the Temple, including money changers. Roman coins were forbidden within the Temple, which meant that people needed to get their Roman coins changed into Temple coins. The money changers would perform this “service”- but at a huge up-charge. Jesus makes a “whip of cords” and “threw out all of the temple”. Jesus was going up against the religious power in Jerusalem by attacking the economic basis of the Temple. This appears to be an attack on the entire sacrificial system. (progressiveinvolvement.com March 5, 2012)

What is G*d saying to us in this action by Jesus? We all think of Jesus as the “Lamb of G*d”, as gentle with children, as a healer and teacher. But Jesus also shows that he has righteous anger – in particular anger toward what worship of G*d had become – a business. We do talk of the business of worship, but we do not want it to become “a business”. If worship becomes “something we do expecting “payment”, or with the “disinterest” that some do their jobs, then worship has lost its “power”.

What else is G*d saying to us in this action by Jesus? Is Jesus pointing out that the Temple will no longer be necessary – that G*d will be setting up a different way to become close to the people? Absolutely…and it is not “I do thus and so, so that G*d will love me”, but “because G*d loves me through the cross of Jesus, I will do thus and so.” We cannot allow our worship of G*d to become “business as usual” – at least that it becomes so rote that we are not thinking about our relationship with G*d. It takes getting out of our “business” mentality from the “work week” and getting into our “grace” mode. What I mean is our relationship with G*d is not about what we do, but about the “power” of the Holy Spirit speaking to and directing our lives.

Pastor Dave