Second Thursday of Lent: Lent 2014

Lenten Devotional

Matthew 21-22

We have entered the closing parts of most exciting section of any of the gospels.  We have come to the point where Jesus has made the triumphal entry into the Holy City of Jerusalem and started the week long path to the cross and His crucifixion.  Jesus makes sure that the controversy between Himself and the religious leaders is well established by the time we come to the trial.

There are a number of times Jesus has disagreements with the religious leaders, but the story that always seems to draw the most attention in these chapters is the actions at the temple.  Soon after His arrival in the city, Jesus enters the temple and throws out the sellers of goods and traders.  

“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ (Matt. 21:13)

Why were these people in the temple to start with and why did Jesus call them thieves and making the temple a den of robbers?

The people selling and trading in the temple were providing a service to others at first.  People traveling from a far distance were not able to bring the necessary animals for sacrifices at the temple.  The merchants provided the appropriate animal to be purchased by pilgrims for the sacrifice.   The problem came when the people providing the animals realized they had a monopoly on the pilgrims.  The price for even the simplest of animals for sacrifice was unreasonable.  It came to a point where a person without means could not purchase the animals for the sacrifice.  This is what Jesus is fighting against.  People are being robed to provide for the religious needs of the day.  Greed over came assistance.

Has greed ever over taken a desire to assist someone?  I feel our society has become greedy in ways that hinder helping people.  Sometimes it is a two way street.  Some needing assistance have learned the receiving from the system and/or government is easier to working.  Others  see assistance as just a way to get breaks and keep more money in the long run through dedications on taxes.  This does not even begin to break into the religious goods industry.  The price of Bibles are a sign of this.  I do not think they should just be given away free.  There is a cost, but what is a fare tipping point.  At what point do we move past assisting people practice their faith and become a robber?

Greed is a powerful tool through the centuries.  It finds many different ways to show up in history and our lives.  This is why we must keep our prayers and studies to help us see where and when we a re moving from the path of Christ to greed.