Preaching text: John 2: 13-22
I’ve been harping on the idea that we are our own worst enemy these last few weeks. It’s a good Lenten theme, because one of the major foci of this season is to take that long hard look at ourselves, our behavior, our attitudes, and ask ourselves if those things are in alignment with Christ’s wishes or not. Each one of us is a sinner. Each one of us has evil within us that wants out, that wants to run the show, and the struggle with that is a part of our daily lives.
But one of the most insidious ways evil can manifest within ourselves is when it disguises itself as good. It does that a lot. There is a certain irony that the greatest evils in history were perpetrated by individuals who were utterly convinced of the rightness and goodness of their cause. Adolf Hitler slaughtered millions of Jews because he genuinely believed that killing them all would make the world better. From the outside, we can see how twisted that is, but from within, it’s not always so easy.
It should come as no surprise then that some of those great evils have been committed by some of the most religious people in the world. We who gather here and in worshiping communities each week, for the most part, seek the good. We seek to do better. We seek to be better. But sometimes, that desire can get twisted and following that twisted path, knowingly or unknowingly, can lead us to “Deus Vult”, the Crusades, the Salem Witch Trials, swordpoint conversions, conversion therapy for LGBT, and a whole slew of other evils, all done in the name of a good God who would condone none of it.
People can come to see the church as the means to wealth, power, and glory. They can manipulate others into supporting them and we end up with Rodrigo Borgia, L. Ron. Hubbard, Jim Jones, or most any TV preacher who’s in it for the money rather than God. The outside world will see these swindlers and charlatans for what they are, but from within, it’s not so easy.
But again, this should not surprise us. After all. who were Jesus’ worst enemies? The good upstanding religious folk of his day. Sad to say, it’s not changed that much. For many in the church think they follow Jesus by opposing everything he stands for.
But all this brings us to our Gospel lesson today. Here, the conflict between Jesus and religious establishment of his day reaches a climax and erupts into uncharacteristic violence. Jesus blows his stack when he sees the money-changers and merchants in the temple and he starts flipping tables and running them out on a rail. To understand precisely why he does this requires a bit of context.
You see as part of Jewish piety one would make pilgrimage to the Temple to offer an animal sacrifice of some sort. The OT has criteria for what a proper sacrifice would be but that criteria is interpreted by the temple priests. And as time went on, that interpretation grew narrower and narrower. Pilgrims would find that no animal they brought qualified, but the priest would oh-so-kindly recommend one from one of the many merchants out in the temple square to sell you one that does qualify. (Nevermind that the priest got a kickback from the merchant). And we’ll take your unworthy animal off your hands for a small fee (and promptly sell it to the next sucker who comes along). Oh, and you’re from a foreign land, well there’s a money-changer over there who won’t charge you too high a processing fee to convert your funds. Just 30% or so.
The whole thing was a racket, a scam, exploiting these honest pilgrims so the priests and their cronies can get rich. And it was all sanctioned by the highest authorities in the priesthood, because, of course, they were getting a cut too.
This is the temple. This is the center of Jewish worship and life and it’s been turned into a racketeering operation. Jesus is furious to see his Father’s name used to exploit and hurt people and he blows his stack. Scholars have argued that this event, more than any other, sealed his fate. It’s one thing to debate theory and theology; it’s another thing entirely to mess with the gravy train. Regardless, we get some insight from this event into the mid of God. For what truly makes God angry? People hurting other people for their own gain.
That’s really what sin is. We can have all these fancy definitions in the church about the nature of sin, but it boils down to one thing: the things that I do or don’t do that hurt others. That covers most everything. Our unwillingness to step out to help other people hurts them. Our hunger for vengeance and hate hurts them. Our greed hurts them. The things we do or don’t do that hurt other people.
God, as I have emphasized countless times, loves everyone. He is our Father and we are his children, even those who don’t believe in him for he created all of us. And every parent wants their children to love one another the way he or she does. Can’t you see them the way I do? God seems to plea with us constantly.
The human race is truly a single family. That doesn’t mean we always have to agree or always get along, but it does mean that we love one another. And even when we disagree we are not hurtful of one another. I know that’s not always easy. I know I’m estranged from some of my family. I know some of my blood relatives are downright painful to love.
I heard a story just this week about family. Two sisters who don’t always get along very well. One is in hospice and struggling with her final time. The other hungers to see her. Yes, they squabble. They even fight (I’d imagine), but it’s also obvious they love one another. That is what we should strive for.
It is hard and it’s all the more harder when we’re trying to do it with people that we lack any blood ties to. But Christianity is not meant to be easy. Striving within against the sin we all bear is not easy. Being truly good in an evil world is not easy. Having some preacher like me outline our most loathed vices in detail is not easy for us to hear and it is harder still to confront within ourselves.. But that’s who we’re called to be. That’s what we’re called to do. That’s why we come back to this place each week. Here we seek the good. Here we seek to do better.
God has seen us as worth saving. He sent Jesus to reveal the true depths of his love, going all the way to the cross for your sake and mine. That’s what God thinks you’re worth. That’s what God thinks your worst enemy is worth. That’s what God thinks the total stranger you’ve never met and gave no thought to is worth. Can you see them the way he does? Not a threat to be feared. Not someone who’s plight can be ignored. But rather a brother or sister to be loved. Amen.
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