Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
I have read this passage, and studied this passage and preached on this passage. How is it, then that I read this passage today, and it sounds different? Perhaps the Word is living!
I have always thought of this as Jesus exhibiting frustration and even anger at the commoditization of the temple; rather than a house of worship, it had become a place where people made money. Unfortunately, modern day houses of worship fall into this trap as well, for good reason. The light bill needs paying, the building maintained, and people need to tend the building and its people. If we are not careful, we capitalize on the worshippers and make money on them, and our purpose is money, not God. This can be from the selling of things, money making events, or even worrying about the number of tithing worshipers.
This is what I’ve heard and understood this passage to be about in the past. Thanks to the accompanying reflection today from Meister Eckhart, I have a new understanding. He starts by explaining that Jesus is clearly coming into the temple and demonstrating that he alone should reside and have control over the temple. It is not for the money changers, or the dove sellers. It is for God-made-man.
But here’s the new part, at least for me. He then talks about how we humans are made in God’s image; we are more like God than anything else on earth or in heaven. We are the temple over which God desires sole residency and control. We are the temple that Jesus would frustratingly or angrily sweep out everything that isn’t of God. We contain the money counting tables. Oooh.
I’m not suggesting that this isn’t about houses of worship, but I’m grateful for my blinding flash of the obvious. It is also about us.
God wants to be the singular resident of our body, mind and soul. When I’m able to overturn my own internal dove-selling tables, I do find a particular peace. When I get rid of the worry and fear and concern for tomorrow, I can more easily rest in God. This morning, I’m thinking about identifying the money changers in my life, and getting up the courage to overturn their tables.
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