March 2, 2021
Tuesday’s Thoughts on Scripture comes from John 2:14-16: 14In the temple [Jesus] found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15Making 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. 16He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” (NRSV)
While I generally focus on one verse of scripture for Tuesday’s Thoughts, it only seemed to make sense this week to include these three verses. After all, it is about the only time we hear of Jesus having such a visceral reaction to what is happening in the temple. He gets angry. Rightfully so. The temple had turned into something it was not intended to be - a place of transaction that took advantage of others. How? Those coming to make a temple offering were charged a fee to change the money they had brought with them into coins that were “acceptable” temple offerings, not to mention a place to purchase a dove, sheep or cattle for a sacrifice.
Whenever I hear this, I am reminded of an insurance office I worked in many years ago. Folks would bring their insurance payments into the office in cash and I was instructed to sell them a money order, explaining that the company “would not accept cash.” I never thought it was fair to charge people another few dollars as penalty for bringing cash. Jesus did not think the temple’s actions were fair either. He minced no words in saying so - and made no friends, either.
In the Gospel of John, this comes early in Jesus’ public ministry. In other gospels, it is closer to his crucifixion. No matter when it happened, it played a part in what would eventually happen to Jesus. Taking a stream of income away from the temple authorities was not welcomed. However, for those being taken advantage of, it was wonderful news.
Which made me say WOW when I saw this on FaceBook. Certainly makes one think, doesn’t it!?
Blessings. And prayers.
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