The Third Sunday of Lent-
The Religious Market

John 2:14-16 - In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

I have always been intrigued by this powerful story. It is so much different from all the rest of what we see about Jesus that it stands out with incredible power. Yet, it is also found in all four gospels. It must have been as powerful to the early Christians as it is to us. What is it about? Why paint such an unusual picture of Jesus? I don't believe it was because it was so well known that they didn't have any choice but to put it in. I believe it is as essential to understanding Jesus' message and life as any other passage.

I think it is quite simple. It is Jesus reacting to the way the established religious structure has misused and abused the faith. It isn't about money alone. It is about following the ways of God. To put anything in the way of the possibility of that discipleship is abusive. Anything.

They made it a business. They made it about their positions and authority. They made it about survival of an institution. They- the religious establishment of any and every age- are investing in themselves.

Of course, we like our institutions. We want them to be successful and prosperous. We want them to be bigger or better or older or more righteous or more right than others. We want to say that we are part of THAT institution or members of THIS group. We trust in those institutions as if they were God.

It would appear that Jesus is also overturning the whole sacrificial system. If they can't buy sheep or cattle or doves, the people can't sacrifice. The whole foundation of the system is being overturned just as surely as the tables. Which is what Lent is all about.

It is not about fasting or institutions or any "old" systems. It is about Jesus bringing a whole new way of understanding the way to God.