A Holy Week Reflection
Monday
Clearing the Temple
"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
Monday
Clearing the Temple
"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching." Mark 11:15-19
Most of us are pretty familiar with the story above: the day after Jesus arrives triumphantly into the city, riding upon a donkey to cheers of "Hosanna" and palm branches laid before Him, He goes into the Temple.
A holy place, the Temple. At least, it was supposed to be. A place where God came down in the holy of holies, where the people worshiped and the priests brought offerings before the Lord. A place where nothing profane should have been found.
But we're people, fallen, wretched people...and we always mess things up.
Greed had kicked in; that favorite of so many even today. (Even, and perhaps especially amongst some religious folks today, hmm?) Money changers and animal sellers had gathered to rip off the poor, who wanted to come and worship the Lord. The money changers, and those selling merchandise, took advantage of the desire of so many to come before the Lord, to bring a suitable offering, and they were charging inflated rates, or offering bad exchanges. They had turned the House of God into a place of vulgar business.
And Jesus threw 'em out. Over turned their tables, chased people out. It must have been quite a scene.
As we sit in our homes, or go to our services, perhaps we smugly think of how much better we are than those money changers, how our lives and our places of worship are still clean.
Are they? The love of money goes deep in our culture, and so often even in the best of churches, the pastor or elders pander to those who give deeper tithes, and give less attention to the poor of the church. Do we, as a people, give the same importance to the poor and insignificant as we do the rich and powerful, the beautiful and glamorous? Our obsession, as a culture, suggests we do not.
I was reading this Bible account, when another verse came to mind suddenly;
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Most of us are pretty familiar with the story above: the day after Jesus arrives triumphantly into the city, riding upon a donkey to cheers of "Hosanna" and palm branches laid before Him, He goes into the Temple.
A holy place, the Temple. At least, it was supposed to be. A place where God came down in the holy of holies, where the people worshiped and the priests brought offerings before the Lord. A place where nothing profane should have been found.
But we're people, fallen, wretched people...and we always mess things up.
Greed had kicked in; that favorite of so many even today. (Even, and perhaps especially amongst some religious folks today, hmm?) Money changers and animal sellers had gathered to rip off the poor, who wanted to come and worship the Lord. The money changers, and those selling merchandise, took advantage of the desire of so many to come before the Lord, to bring a suitable offering, and they were charging inflated rates, or offering bad exchanges. They had turned the House of God into a place of vulgar business.
And Jesus threw 'em out. Over turned their tables, chased people out. It must have been quite a scene.
As we sit in our homes, or go to our services, perhaps we smugly think of how much better we are than those money changers, how our lives and our places of worship are still clean.
Are they? The love of money goes deep in our culture, and so often even in the best of churches, the pastor or elders pander to those who give deeper tithes, and give less attention to the poor of the church. Do we, as a people, give the same importance to the poor and insignificant as we do the rich and powerful, the beautiful and glamorous? Our obsession, as a culture, suggests we do not.
I was reading this Bible account, when another verse came to mind suddenly;
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
And I thought...and I paused...if our souls, our bodies, our lives, are now a Temple for the Holy Spirit....how are *we* defiling them? What are *we* allowing in to pollute us? How are *we* cheapening a place meant to be holy?
What would Jesus do if He walked into our souls? Would He be chasing out the worldly, the profane, the tawdry?
Maybe we have no room to be feeling smug at all about those money changers.
Lord,
On this most holy of weeks,
What would Jesus do if He walked into our souls? Would He be chasing out the worldly, the profane, the tawdry?
Maybe we have no room to be feeling smug at all about those money changers.
Lord,
On this most holy of weeks,
As we journey with You to the Cross,
Let us clean out our souls and prepare Your Temple anew,
Let us clean out our souls and prepare Your Temple anew,
That it might be kept always ready for You and Your Spirit.
Forgive us our sins,
Forgive us our sins,
and how we have not kept Your word,
nor lived a life fully in love for You or our neighbors,
Help us Lord,
to use this week to refocus and begin again.
In the name of Him who loved us first,
Amen
On towards the Cross,
--Beth Haynes Butler
In the name of Him who loved us first,
Amen
On towards the Cross,
--Beth Haynes Butler
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