Matthew 21:12-16
Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 "It is written," he said to them, " `My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a `den of robbers.' " 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. 16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " `From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' ?"
Two church members were going door to door, and knocked on the door of a woman who was enraged to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms that she did not want to hear their message and angrily slammed the door in their faces. To her surprise, however, the door did not close and, in fact, bounced back open. She tried again, really put her back into it, and slammed the door again with the same result-the door bounced back open.
Convinced these rude people were sticking their foot in the door, she furiously pulled it back to give it a slam that would teach them a lesson, when one of them said, "Ma'am, before you do that again, you need to move your cat."
In today's gospel we see Jesus being angry. Why was Jesus angry?
Jesus was angry because the temple was not being used for worshipping God.
To the Jews the temple was the place where God lived, if indeed you could say that God can be confined in this way. There God met man. Yet it also recognised that God is holy, perfect, and therefore different to and separated from people. The temple was the place where sacrifices were offered to pay the price for the sins of God's people. This enabled God to meet with man. It was the place where God was worshipped and prayer was offered to him.
But in Jesus day it was a centre of commerce. Jesus called it a "den of thieves". It wasn't a house of God it was a house of money making. Cattle, sheep and doves used as sacrifices were sold to Jews who travelled distances and couldn't bring their own animals. Jews aged over 20 had to pay the Temple Tax. This was paid in Tyrian coins which had a high silver content. People coming with coins from many other countries had them exchanged. All of these activities made money for the traders.
The misuse of the temple was denounced by Jesus who purified it by driving out the animals and the merchants. The fact that Jesus was able to do this shows that He is equipped to judge and to condemn what is not of God.
His anger shows that it is not necessarily wrong to be angry. However, sometimes when we are angry our indignation cannot be compared to the righteous indignation of Jesus. It may be due to our own desires, pride or impatience. Jesus' anger also showed his humanity. He went through what it meant to be human. To be accepted and rejected, hungry and thirsty, happy and sad, pleased and angry.
When we were at theological college we attended a placement church near Watford. The service would start with the notices, and an opening hymn and prayer. The leader of the music group would then come forward and introduce some choruses with the words, "We're now going to worship God..." This could imply that what had come before was not true worship because it was not modern!
Jesus was angry because the temple was not used to worship God properly. In John 4:24 he said that those who worship God must worship him "in spirit and in truth". I wonder what Jesus' reactions would be to our worship? Would he be angry, disappointed, pleased, or all of these and more?
Do we fail to worship Jesus properly and therefore misuse the church? It is clear from the surveys completed earlier this year that some people think that worship is having our own wishes met. This reflects our consumer culture where we expect to get what we want.
The Greek and Hebrew words used for "worship" refer to bowing down, acknowledging one who is worthy of honour and reverence. The English word comes from "worthship", giving worth to an individual or object
Religious worship acknowledges the superiority of God. It can be in the form of a declaration of adoration or thanksgiving, in words and song, in private and in public.
Service is a form of worship. As Christians our whole lives are to devoted to God. Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
Worship is something that is done to and for God. It should involve our whole being, everyday, not just for a time that we decide to give to him on a Sunday, although it is important that we meet together regularly in public worship.
We should approach God with an attitude of gratitude. In this country we should be grateful that we can publicly and privately worship God. In some countries this is prohibited or discouraged. In some cultures becoming a worshipper of Jesus is like signing your death warrant. Family members will think they are serving God by killing you.
We don't worship for ourselves but God! Our worship should be about Him, not us and our preferences. It is unlikely that the church worship will be to our taste all of the time and, even if it is, this will almost certainly mean that it is not to everyone else's taste!
At Theological College I remember someone talking about a form of service that was outside their tradition and preference. They said that they would not let the devil win and they were determined to worship God despite the liturgy.
The Vicar shocked the congregation when he announced that he had been called by God to another post. After the service, a very distraught lady came to the pastor with tears in her eyes, "Oh, Reverend Bob, we are going to miss you so much. We don't want you to leave!" The kind hearted Vicar patted her hand and said "Now, now, Carolyn, don't carry on. The Vicar who takes my place might be even better than me". "Yeah", she said, with a tone of disappointment in her voice, "That's what they said the last time too . . . "
There are so many things that some people will get upset about. The liturgy, Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship. The music, hymns or choruses. The type of service, "All Age", Communion, or Evensong. The children in church, or the lack of children in the church. The clergyman or woman... and so on.
We must beware that are not worshipping God but a false image of God. Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
How do you think Jesus feels if you say, in effect, I will not worship God publicly unless the person leading the service does what I think is right. In their "worship" is the person bringing delight to God or pleasuring themselves?
The worship that we offer will depend upon our view of the one we are worshipping. This passage is about who Jesus is. Matthew is showing that He is the Messiah, the anointed one from God who deserves complete commitment. Matthew does this by showing Jesus as one who has authority over worship in the temple and authority over sickness. This results in Jesus being worshipped by children.
Jesus said that we are to approach God like children. Humbly, aware of our own shortcomings and depending upon Him, our Father. Not relying on perceived earthly wisdom and prejudice but truth.
Jesus clearing the temple can almost symbolise the way that Jesus needs to come into our lives to drive out what is wrong and prevents us from drawing close to and worshipping God.
Psalm 97 refers to the majesty, power and holiness of God and the response he requires from His people. Let us meditate upon it before we say it together...
Psalm 97:
1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols - worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD.
9 For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.