Change Anyone

John 2:14-15 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.


It seems I did not have enough energy to overturn those tables last night. I fell asleep with my computer in my lap by seven o'clock. The coin of the realm in Jesus time was Roman money, but the temple had their own money. You could not make an offering with Roman coins. The money changers and the temple power structure controlled the temple money. They charged a few like banks today for exchanging money from one currency to another. It was all in the name of holiness because they contended that Roman money was not holy enough for the temple. 


Likewise those who sold animal had control of the animal sacrifice. If you brought your own animal for offering you risked the animal being rejected because of some imperfection the authorities would find, but if you bought the animal you could be assured it was acceptable. The powers of the temple controlled the market and profited from the higher prices for approved animals.


Exploitation of people in the name of God never sat well with Jesus. He drove them from the temple and made it clear that God was watching the actions of the people who controlled the church. It is with that thought in mind that I tried to be aware of my position in the church and the way it was used. In our church both the clergy and lay leaders can exploit the church for personal gain. The gain isn't usually money, it could be power for power's sake, or maybe power to control an agenda, but unless it is God's agenda we could be those Jesus wants driven from the temple. It could be those demanding power to make to many changes toward their agenda, or those holding on to prevent any changes at all.