2 minute read
In the Beginning: The Book of John
(John 2:13-22 [HCSB])
13 The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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14 In the temple complex He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers sitting there.
15 After making a whip out of cords, He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s house into a marketplace! ”
17 And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for Your house will consume Me.
18 So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things? ”
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.”
20 Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days? ” 21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.
22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.
My Father’s House
There is a lot of discussion about what the church is, and is not, these days. The church being referring to in this lesson is a spinoff of the Roman government under Constantine in the 4th century. Most of us know it as the institutional church of the post war era.
Another critical issue, of course, is whether we do, in fact, make the churches we attend places of commerce: maybe not selling animals for sacrifice or lending money for that purpose, but using our holy places for purposes other than teaching Scripture and proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior.
What about the non-profit status, denominations hosting festivals where beer and wine are served, or promoting an atmosphere more like a high-end entertainment venue than a sanctuary? What about a McDonald’s or Subway restaurant in the church complex?
What about book stores and gift shops where sacred items are sold for profit? We don’t like to admit that we have made our churches, especially seeker churches, an extension of our own corporate culture with all of the amenities … but we have.
In Europe, especially Britain, an alternative, a backlash of sorts, is being explored: churches are vacant and being re-inhabited by “godless meetings” where secular excitement is conducted at a fever pitch. This is the ultimate rebellion against an irrelevant church.
All this to say … we must be on guard to protect our own “tents of meeting” from becoming marketplaces. It is no secret that we are a grace-based body existing in a currency-driven world. We offer true freedom in a world where everything is literally bought and sold.
What would we do to increase profits and attendance?
What is the burden (or burdens) that a congregation bears for such materialistic practices?
