Today's gospel reading of Jesus "cleansing the temple" is a famous event in his life. In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), this event seems to galvanize plans to kill Jesus, although in John it happens at the beginning of his ministry. (I never understood how biblical literalists accounted for this difference.) But as well known as it is, I think there are some misconceptions. Jesus' cleansing activity is not in the temple building jtself but within the larger temple complex, part of its courtyards and grounds. And I'm not sure the people he drives out are very different from the volunteer that runs a little bookstore off the church lounge or the Presbyterian Women selling tickets to win a quilt. In fact, the people Jesus goes after are more "necessary" than these modern folks. They were helping out of town pilgrims acquire animals for sacrifice or exchange Roman coins for acceptable coins without idolatrous images of Caesar on them.
This story sometimes makes me wonder about the "business of the church." Many congregations are significant little enterprises with endowments, investments, and fundraisers. I get advertising all the time promising to help us increase giving from our members. And a lot of this material is pure marketing. I don't know that this is bad, per se, but it still gives me pause when I think of Jesus overturning the tables of folks who were engaged in activities that I probably would have voted for if I had been on the governing board at the temple.
Jesus was quite the troublemaker. Makes me wonder what he might do if he showed up at our little church enterprise.
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