Bringing a Whip

This coming Sunday’s Gospel is a familiar one--Jesus drives the moneychangers from the Temple. You remember the particulars? Passover is approaching and Jesus goes to the Temple and there finds this holy place a virtual zoo. All kinds of animals appropriate for sacrifice are for sale within the Temple confines. And since the only currency acceptable was Temple currency, moneychangers were available to exchange (at a profit) the various currencies of the pilgrims for the acceptable coins.

Jesus is not angry about the sacrificial system. But something is wrong here. Rather than bring animals from outside the Temple, perhaps animals from their own flocks or herds, the Temple had been turned into a convenience store. Don’t have time to shop for a spotless dove? No problem. We’ll furnish you one.

So I think two things are going on with Jesus. First is the obvious one of stinking stalls of animals within a place consecrated to prayer and worship of God. The other is the people’s kind of pro forma approach to worship. They are willing to keep the law of sacrifice, but don’t want the inconvenience of bringing their own or obtaining one from the marketplace stalls. Maybe a kind of shallow expression of faith.

Perhaps I’m straining with this second point. But for just a minute, what if I’m on target? What parallel can be drawn from that time to this?

I read yesterday that the number of people in this country who define themselves as Christian is declining in this country. And the number that indicate they have no religion at all is increasing. Are these two facts somehow related to the witness of those who do define themselves as religious and as Christian? Have people looked at the life of self-identified Christians and found them to be shallow, inconsistent, or just outright hypocritical? I think so.

A look at the typical budget of the typical congregation will indicate that the amount spent on the poor or other mission enterprises will likely be ten percent or less. Almost all the money is spent on self-maintenance. OK, I understand, I really do. To do any good, to care for the souls of those who are members of the congregation, takes money. But isn’t the point of church-going worship and service? Going forth to serve?

If Jesus showed up at our churches this coming Sunday, would he be bringing a whip?

Peace,

Jerry+
P.S. One of my responsibilities in the parish for about four years was the conduct of worship at a nearby retirement community. The parish didn't continue that work when I retired. Just prior to Ash Wednesday, the retirement community contacted and asked if I'd resume the services, since they had been without since last April. So, last week I returned for the first time in a year. I'll be going back once, maybe twice a month, again. I'm grateful for this opportunity to lead worship, preside at the Eucharist, and preach again. Please pray for the little community and for me.