Cleansing the Temple
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
John 2:13-22
March 8, 2015
Have you ever received a bill from a visit to the Emergency Room or the hospital
where you thought you were way over-charged for the services you received?
Perhaps you had an x-ray taken where the ER doctor determined that your arm was broken,
and then the next day the radiologist read the same x-ray and charged you again.
Maybe you entered the hospital through the emergency room late one evening,
and the doctor wrote orders to have you admitted.
You did not get to your room until after midnight,
but you were charged $3000 for an ICU room
for the previous day, because the orders were written before midnight.
Perhaps you had surgery, and your anesthesia was administered by a CRNA,
a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, who was supervised by an Anesthesiologist,
and you received a bill from both of them.
If you have ever felt like you were over-charged for any services,
then you will understand the premise behind the outrage of Jesus
in today’s Scripture reading.
I invite you to follow along on the screen as we hear from John 2:13-22
Scripture-John 2:13-22
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple
courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging
money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and
cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who
sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His
disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all
this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They
replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three
days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his
disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had
spoken.
Prayer
God of justice and righteousness, we typically picture your Son, Jesus,
as meek and mild, a man of patience and forbearance.
So it seems out of character for him to lash out
at the money changers and merchants in the Temple.
Help us to understand his concern that instead of providing a useful service,
these business men were taking unfair advantage of Jewish pilgrims
who had traveled great distances to worship in Jerusalem.
Remind us that our own church facility should always be a place
where everyone is treated with equity and fairness. Amen.
Message
It was Passover at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Think Coral Ridge Mall on Christmas Eve.
The crunch was on for the Jews who had traveled from distant parts of the empire
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Cleansing the Temple
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
John 2:13-22
March 8, 2015
to find the appropriate sacrifice for their sin offerings
and to exchange their Roman or Greek coins for special temple coins,
which were the only thing acceptable for paying the half-shekel Temple tax.
It did not make sense for pilgrims to travel a great distance bringing livestock with them
for the sacrifices.
Only animals without spot or blemish were acceptable,
and the demands of travel might be too much for the animals.
At first blush it might sound like the merchants in the Temple were doing a favor to the pilgrims,
until you understand that they were overcharging for their services.
Essentially, these businessmen were exploiting poor travelers who had no other options.
Historians estimate that in Jesus’ day somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 people
flocked into Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Jewish Passover.
So, we are not talking about only a few people being cheated.
The merchants and money changers in the Temple court constituted a huge industry,
and the Jewish priests were essentially sanctioning their criminal behavior.
Worship was the primary purpose for the Temple.
Jesus was understandably upset by these greedy and dishonest practices,
even in the outer court of the Temple.
They were making a mockery of God’s house of worship
at the time of the holiest of their communal festivals.
Imagine, for example, someone selling candles outside our Christmas Eve worship service
for $50 each, and requiring that everyone have a candle to get in.
No wonder Jesus was angry!
Some people have tried to use this text to say that churches should not have
bazaars or other forms of fundraisers in their buildings.
While I am a strong advocate for congregations supporting their ministries with their own gifts
instead of expecting the community to pay for them,
I am not sure this text really speaks against fundraisers.
Instead, I think this text should remind every congregation that Christ called them
to be of service to their community rather than to exploit their neighbors.
There was a time when Grace UMC conducted multiple fundraisers every year
just to pay the bills.
Fortunately, through your generous giving, we are no longer in a position
to require so many fundraisers to cover our routine expenses.
That being said, I believe it is time for Grace UMC to seriously consider
what we have to offer the community, rather than what we can extract from it.
Jesus wanted the Temple in Jerusalem to be a place of prayer and worship.
He wanted people to be able to find respite
from the profit-oriented motives of the outside world.
This is not to say that for-profit businesses are bad;
only that a nonprofit church should be different.
Today I would like for us to consider as a church of Jesus Christ
what it is we have to offer to our friends and neighbors
and how we might get them to come and experience those blessings.
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Cleansing the Temple
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
John 2:13-22
March 8, 2015
More specifically, I want us to consider what real life situations ordinary people experience,
for which we have something significant and meaningful to offer.
I don’t want to answer this question for your, but I do want to help you all get started.
So, here is my short list of common concerns
that the Christian church might help people address or manage:
1. Death or serious illness of a loved one
2. Divorce or other broken relationships
3. Addiction
4. Hunger or homelessness
5. Children struggling in school
6. Lack of meaning or purpose in life
So, you get the idea.
Now, it is your turn.
What can Grace UMC do, what new ministry can we develop and offer
that would benefit people in our community?
How can we as everyday Christians make our faith of practical benefit to others?
We are going to pass out some paper and pens or pencils to those who need them,
so that you can write down, either individually in small groups,
what we at Grace UMC have to offer and how we can make it available.
I don’t want anyone worrying right now about how we might implement any new ideas.
Just think about what we might do.
It might be something you have heard that another church offers,
or some completely off the wall, brand new idea you imagined.
Where can you see Grace UMC making a difference?
[Pass out paper and pencils and allow time for people to think and write.]
Obviously we won’t have time to let everyone share what they wrote,
but I want to give a little time to let a few of you share what you think.
[Let a few people share.}
Now, please pass you papers to the center aisle
so we can collect them for your church leaders to consider.
Today is just the beginning of our exploration into what it means for us to be
of service to our community.
Remember that Christ is calling us to serve others and not exploit them.
Prayer
Loving Christ, we know that you want our faith to have a positive impact
not just on us inside these walls, but also on our surrounding community.
Help us claim our role as your representatives here on earth,
sharing your love and forgiveness, and offering signs of hope and peace.
Amen.
Benediction
When Jesus saw his Jewish associates exploiting the outsiders,
He shut down their abuse and restored the sanctity of the Temple.
May we 21st C followers of Jesus claim the heart of mind of Christ
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Cleansing the Temple
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
John 2:13-22
March 8, 2015
as we seek to serve those outside the church and not exploit them. Amen.
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