Cows in Church

Bible Reading
John 2:13-17
"And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting, and when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple."

As was Jesus custom, He regularly attended the great feasts held in the holy city of Jerusalem. As the Holy city of God, the temple was the not just the center of the Jewish religious life, but it was also the very house of God on earth. During the Passover thousands of worshipers would make the long journey from across the Holy land to offer prayers and sacrifices in this special place.

But look what Jesus finds when He arrives at church. At the gates of the temple Jesus hears the lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, the cooing of doves, the tables of the money changers, and lost souls of so many pilgrims. That is just what Jesus saw, not to mention what it must have smelt like. The odor of the beasts, the manure, and the sweat of so many crowding around looking for the perfect offering must have been overwhelming. And this was just the entrance to the temple. Cows in Church! Can you imagine what our reaction would be today?

The problem was not just the cows in church, but it was the greed behind the whole system at work. The High Priest, his friends, and the moneychangers were making a killing fixing prices, charging extra fees, and offering unfit sacrifices all in the name of religion. And to make matters worse no one said any thing about it! God‘s sacred place had been made into a den of robbers and a common market place. But Jesus did not allow this to remain. With righteous anger, He took a cord and drove out the moneychangers. He flipped over tables and drove out the herds. This was God’s house, a place of worship and prayer not Wall Street.

What would Jesus do if he came into our churches today? Would he use the whip again to clear out our narthexes and Fellowship Halls? We must always be on guard against temptations that allow the things of this world to invade the sacred place of our churches. Worship is a time to hear the word of God and learn about God’s salvation given us through Jesus death and resurrection. When this is not the focus, we are in danger of losing focus on what is important. May God protect us from this happening!

Prayer
Lord I love the habitation of Your house and the place where you Glory dwells. Amen.