A holy terror
17 November, 2009, 8:37 am
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Jesus did this twice. He did it at the very beginning of his ministry, then before he died, he did it again.
Jesus was pretty ticked when he ripped apart this illegal market. We often hear people throw phrases like “righteous anger” around. As if this incident somehow justifies your throwing an iron at your wife because she upset you.
That is NOT what this is about.
This story is about two things. It is about holiness and it is about justice.
For several centuries the people had revered this place called the temple. They had been devastated when it was once destroyed and then ecstatic when it was rebuilt. But for the people sitting here doing business, it had become another way to earn a living.
This was not a place to earn a living. This was a place – the only place – where God actually dwelt. Really – he was THERE. God had asked these people to build a place where he could “dwell with them.” He wanted to be with him.
The morons selling stuff on his porch were exploiting his presence. This was a slap in the face to all that is holy and Jesus didn’t like it very much.
It was also about justice. The people who were coming to the temple were coming because they wanted – no they needed to get in touch with God. There is something so magnificently human about realizing the vastness of God and our own need to commune with the creator.
Often at moments like that we are broken. We have come to see the futility of what we are doing and realized that we need to turn to something larger. That is not a moment when you are able to make good financial decisions or stand up for what is right and wrong. There was injustice being perpetrated upon hurting people on God’s front steps.
Jesus would not stand for it. He not only showed how passionate he was about holy things, but he also showed that this king was committed to justice.
There are two thoughts that we need to then consider.
First – are you committed to holiness and justice like that? Do you tread on holy things and exploit those less fortunate? When was the last time you fought for an issue of justice?
Second – do you feel like things are against you? can you never seem to get ahead? Do you suffer from injustice? There is a king who is willing to fight for you.
