Mary’s Lent Diary (Day 7)

It’s Passover time again.  It seems a long time since the Passover when we lost Jesus…I think he is old enough to take care of himself now, so I will not try and keep tabs on him this time, I’ll just enjoy the celebrations….

So much for not keeping tabs on Jesus – I could not have missed him if I’d wanted to!

I was walking along near the temple in Jerusalem, with a couple of friends from the village, when I became aware that there was something going on in the temple courtyard.  All the money traders and sellers were there.  Nothing strange in that, they always turn up during Passover, trying to make as much money as they can.  The thing that made us stop and watch was that there was a man there who did not seem to like what they were doing one bit!  We could not see properly as there was such a crowd but it seemed as though this man was turning over tables, scattering money everywhere, letting animals loose…the whole thing was chaos.  He also had a whip and was making everyone leave the courtyard.  People seemed pretty scared, running as fast as they could, away from this mad-man.  We turned to leave, too, but, as I did, something caught my eye…there was definitely something familiar about the man who was causing mayhem, his hair was exactly the same colour as Jesus’. Then I heard him asking the people there how they dared to turn his father’s house into a market. My mind rushed back to the Passover when we found Jesus in the temple and he had talked about being in his father’s house.   I craned to get a better look at the man and realised that it was not only his hair – his height was the same, his build was the same, his clothes were the same….I have to admit, my heart sank a bit.  I could see how furious the temple leaders were and now I knew that Jesus was the cause of it.

The Jews were all asking Jesus what gave him the right to behave as he had which, to be fair, seemed a reasonable question under the circumstances.  They wanted Jesus to do give a miraculous sign to prove his authority.

I was relieved at that as I knew that Jesus could do it.  It’s not so long since he turned water into wine.  I looked around for some water jars or something that he could use but then I heard him say something.  I did not understand what he meant, though, but I am getting used to that!

He said, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’

Now, I love my son but, come on – Herod has been renovating this temple for 46 years and it is still not finished!

Everyone else was incredulous, understandably.  As I stood there, Simeon’s words from all those years ago popped into my mind; ‘a sword would pierce my own heart.’  Why?  Why am I remembering that now?

Anyway, in the end everyone dispersed and the Passover celebrations continued.  Jesus did miraculous signs during the feast and lots of people started following and believing in him.

(John 2)

A table with piles of money on

Jerusalem was always busy at Passover. 

Thousands of people would travel miles to Jerusalem, to be there for the feast, where they were expected to offer sacrifices of perfect animals. 

Many could not bring the animals on such a long journey and often, those who could, found that their animals were rejected - because of imperfections - by the time they arrived in Jerusalem. 

The sellers’ eyes lit up. Here was an opportunity for them to sell their own animals at exorbitant prices. 

The money changers’ eyes lit up, too – people had to pay temple tax, and it had to be paid in local currency.  Which meant that foreigners would need to have their money changed.  The money changers would charge large exchange rates.

And the religious leaders’ eyes lit up as well.

The Gentiles had their own place of worship allocated, within the temple courts, but the religious leaders packed this place so full of merchants and traders that it was difficult for foreigners to worship. There was no space for them.

The leaders rationalised this practice by the fact that it brought in money for temple upkeep – but they forgot that the primary purpose of the temple was worship.

And that is what made Jesus so angry…

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 150:6

The religious leaders were making it difficult for foreigners to worship. 

Or, another way of putting it, difficult for outsiders to worship.

What about your church?  How ‘easy’ is it for newcomers to be there?  For them to know what’s going on?  To feel welcome?  To worship?

Or what about you?  Do you make it ‘easy’ for people to want to worship the God you worship?  Or do you, by your attitude, busyness etc, make it difficult for them to see the point?

The temple had become a place for business transactions, not worship. 

People had forgotten what the primary purpose of the temple was – a place to worship God. 

A place to recognise the awesomeness of God.

Let’s be careful that nothing takes the place of worship.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

How will you worship Him today?

Lord Jesus

May nothing become more important in my life than You.

Amen

Mary’s Memo Worship Comes First