LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

MONDAY DAY # 2

Jesus has now made his triumphant entry and so it’s time for what some call his second symbolic act, the “temple tantrum”. Everyone has an opinion and a view of Jesus Christ. Mine does not allow for an angry Christos. Turn over the tables, and symbolically close down the temple yes; however, there is so much that has been misunderstood in this Monday event.

Herod the Great built the Temple complex that made Jerusalem the wonder of the entire Roman empire. This most magnificant Temple complex had a center “Gentile Court” (can you say food court?) that measured 1,000 x 1,550 ft, or approx. 40 acres. There were shimmering pools, glittering fountains, massive columns that weighed more then 500 tons, marble, gold, and precious stones everywhere.

In order to “do business” or to carry on the legal and legitimate functioning of the temple complex there was a need for money changers who accept the annual temple tax (two denarii or a half shekel) from people all over the world: with differing currencies. They could buy holy and pure doves that they could sacrifice. In other words, Jesus understood and knew that what they were doing was RIGHT. It’s not a sin to sell things in a church! In fact you can even enjoy a Starbuck latte in the temple.

Jesus was SYMBOLICALLY saying that a NEW TEMPLE was coming!

He was that new temple!

Jeremiah had previously made the point by standing outside the temple in his day and telling people that to come and worship INSIDE, while living an unjust life OUTSIDE wasn’t cutting it. The “den of robbers” that we find Jeremiah speaking of wasn’t a reference meaning that people were robbing INSIDE the temple, but that they were robbing OUTSIDE and then coming inside (the den) to hide out! We can’t make up for injustice outside the temple with divine worship inside- and not being changed.

God told Isaiah that He was sick and tired of all of our games!

He still is!

However, He is still waiting for us to change our ways. Jesus is still seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. The Holy Spirit is still waiting for us to call upon Him for the power, courage, and wisdom to do the things we know we need to do. We can’t do it on our own. Will this be just “another” Easter, passion week? Or will this be a week wherein we rekindle the passion: the passion that Jesus had for the Kingdom.

Jesus was passionate for the Kingdom of God! Are you?

And the proof is?