Mark 11:12-25 Jesus is historys greatest teacher. But not all His students enjoy the lessons. The religious elite in charge of the temple in Jerusalem learned some valuable lessons the day Jesus showed up. Or rather they should have learned. Subsequent events illustrate their slowness at grasping the Lords teachings. On the way to the temple that day Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree, an object lesson of His attitude towards the fruitless nation of Gods chosen. His frame of mind did not improve when He entered the House of God to find the religious authorities making merchandize of those who had come to worship. This was no temper tantrum by the King of glory. He never has a bad day. God never gets out of bed on the wrong side. He is always in total control and always acts in accordance with His perfect divine nature. The modern view of many church goers however is that when Jesus shows up, harps play, tingles run up and down the spine and a gentle breeze with just a hint of incense wafts through the building. This is not always true. Sometimes the Lord shows up and there is turmoil in the temple. Hard hearted religious entrepreneurs who have difficulty bowing in worship may find themselves on their knees scrabbling after their scattering coins. Which perhaps shows the true object of their worship. Pompous professional pulpiteers may discover that God highest priority is a place of prayer for all nations and not a religious shopping mall providing resources for would be worshippers. The Pharisees that day did not welcome the Son of God into the House of God, instead greatly offended that the Prophet ruined their profit, they plotted how to kill Him. The Pharisees of then and now never grasp Gods priorities. Their punctilious and burdensome legalism has given way to murder on more than one occasion throughout history. Ruin our show, we will kill you,they think. Challenge our rule, we will kill you, they threaten. Question our religious traditions, we will kill you, they declare. If not your body at least your reputation. While the ecclesiastical elite endlessly debated the smallest point of scripture, and inevitably came to the wrong conclusions, they thought nothing of plotting murder. Power corrupts as they say and perhaps there is no more odious corruption than religious power protecting their turf. The Pharisees are almost invariably found loitering in religious structures. They may venture out from time to time to spy on the people but the bricks and mortar of the anointed building is their natural habitat. And nothing is considered defiled if it helps to maintain their power base. Selling sacrificial animals is smart economics if a little profit is made in the process. All for the kingdom of course. (But whose kingdom?) Selling books, CDs, DVDs etc is the modern equivalent and par for the course. Endless offerings imposed on the laity is how they pay the bills. Love offerings, special offerings, miracle offerings all on top of regular tithes and offerings. (Even the Pharisees did not attempt to scam %10 of peoples hard-earned income with a humanly devised temple tax) And the Pharisees and their modern equivalent go even further by claiming a special divine sanction to interpret the word of God for the poor, ignorant, simple folks in the pews. They have come close to blasphemy who claim the inherent authority of the written word must bow to their self-proclaimed authority. The more things change the more they stay the same. Interestingly while the doctors of despotism huff and puff that Jesus is interfering with their well organised ecclesiastical empire the regular folks hear Him gladly. Many times the religious authorities are deaf and blind while the ignorant and untrained bow gladly to the heavenly Voice. Those who are resplendent with the official religious garb of the temples, then and now, may impress the carnal with their supposed influence and ecclesiastical elegance, but some whose understanding has been graced from heaven see simple, humble believers and note that although they may be unlearned in mans educational factories, they have been with Jesus. Recently some friends received an official rebuke from their Pastor. Their crime: meeting with other believers in their home without permission from the clergy. And this is not the first time, they are serial offenders of the unofficial fellowship rule. Their Pastor is simply another Pharisee with a ruler mentality masquerading as a shepherd. Here, as in days gone by, of course, the problem is the perceived threat to the religious authority and empires of the religious leaders. Of course the fact that the Right Reverends income and reputation are tightly tied up in the gathering together of the flock in official locations may have something to do with this attitude. Institutional thinking invites heresies and power plays. It fosters pride and ignorance. It encourages men to look to men, rather than to the living God. Pharisees and their institutions are easily infiltrated by the Enemy of mens souls. Carnal men rise easily to the pinnacles of ecclesiastical success in man powered organizations, while faithful worshippers will often be rejected and scorned. Institutional thinking is led by statistics and budgets and human-powered leaders. Gods church however is led by the Spirit of God, devoted to the word of God and shepherded by those called of God. A few short years after our Lords encounter with the Pharisees in the temple, the magnificence of the building was reduced to rubble
along with the power base of the Temple leaders. In its place God built a new temple constructed from the living stones of blood washed believers, on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with the resurrected Christ the chief cornerstone. This temple can not be destroyed. It rests under the protection of the Almighty. How foolish that men attempt to rebuild what God has destroyed. How insane to attempt to bless what God has cursed. What vanity to attempt to build by any other means than that which God has revealed
and commanded. If Christ were to show up in much of the structures of modern Christendom today the result may well not be the expected calm, peace and serenity. There would quite likely be turmoil in the temple. Father, Your house is called to be a house of prayer and you rebuke the thieves who would make it their home. I thank You Lord for Your perfect Divine pattern and for the fact that You open the eyes and understanding of Your children to build according to Your perfect plan. Have mercy on those who have been blinded by the commandments of men and grant them repentance to worship, pray and build in Spirit and in truth. For Jesus sake
-My friend Glenn Christopherson |