"early" musings

It is Thursday night and I am posting my "early" musings for Sunday's sermon. I suppose I should be further along than "early" musings, but I'm not. So here goes.

The scripture for Sunday is Jesus' cleansing of the temple. He wanders up to the temple and sees people exchanging regular money for the temple money (because they can't have Caesar's picture inside the temple -- it would be idolatry.) But Jesus is furious and he turns the tables over on these moneychangers. Imagine the sounds -- coins dropping and birds squawking as pre-sacrificed offerings. Jesus causes this disruption because he's had it. This is not what the temple is supposed to be about.

Think about it . . . why would people need any money anyway inside the temple? Well, to make a sacrifice. In the "olden" days, people would bring what they had -- the best sheep of their flock, or the nicest chicken -- to atone for their sins. But now, (now being 2000 years ago) they are expected to purchase their sacrifice, not from the bounty God had given them, but from animals the temple people have chosen as "worthy."

They needed money to make atonement.

Now here is where I have to get out my commentary and do a little more research, but offhand I'm thinking Jesus is upset that people can't bring a portion of what God has given them. He's upset that what God has already given isn't "good enough" for the temple. If God had given a family 4 chickens, would not one of them be more than enough to atone for sins? Why would they have to sell one, take the money they gained from selling it to the temple, and exchange their Caesar money for temple money so that they could buy a more fitting sacrifice? Is that the purpose of having a temple? to please the rabbis? or is it something else? Perhaps the purpose of coming to temple was to please God? to offer oneself to God -- to bring a sacrifice of what God had given to you?

The title of my sermon I have: "Clean House and Come On In!" It sounds mighty Southern, doesn't it? When I came up with it, I thought about how often I won't let people into my house because it is too messy. I feel I have to get it all perfect before I can let anyone in. But Jesus' table-turning endeavors at the temple seem to speak of something more lasting than that. It's like he told the money-changers -- "don't make them clean house before they come in! Don't make them live up to your standards. Let them come in as they are -- with their idoled coins and heavy hearts. Let them bring to God what is really important to them, not to you." And really, that's what I should do too -- I shouldn't worry who comes into my messy house because the point is to let them in! I don't expect perfection from my guest either -- I just want them to be themselves, to come on in and make themselves comfortable. I don't request that they exchange their shoes for my shoes at the door, for in doing so I would be exalting my status above theirs. No, when I let you into my home, I am to honor you as my guest.

So I'm wondering now if Jesus' actions had something to do with the hospitality code? If the moneychangers were driving people away from the temple rather than welcoming them??? Please comment if you are studying this scripture too. Your thoughts matter to me.