Imagine hearing that your house is being robbed. You would probably go straight there to see what's going on.
Next, imagine walking into your home and there is the robbery, in progress. I’m sure you would be in shock.
Now imagine that it’s a friend or relative that is robbing you. You’d probably be feeling betrayed.
Finally, imagine that they look up, see you and continue to rob you in your face. Now here comes the anger.
This ladies and gentlemen is where we encounter Jesus in Mathew 21:12-14.
This is a story that most know well. Jesus goes into the temple, flies into a rage and throws some tables.
It’s not that simple and the way we simplify it almost trivializes it significance in the Word (Everything in the Bible is significant or it wouldn't be there). Jesus "shook" them tables because he was being robbed; of reputation, of experience and of respect.
- REPUTATION: When we do the wrong thing in Jesus name we damage God’s reputation as a loving, righteous God. It makes it harder to share the Gospel because you have to combat all these false ideologies about who God is because of what people have done. It’s harder but not impossible. God can do anything. But how dare you sully the Name of Jesus because you can't act right?
- EXPERIENCE: The last time the scriptures show Jesus in the temple it is a very different experience. Jesus was just here 10 years ago. The first time was a time of fellowship and spirited discussions about the things of God (Luke 2:41-52). How quickly those same men who had once sat in Jesus presence in amazement are now robbing the people blind. How hurtful and disappointing is that? People you trust and should know better. Plus, to top it all off the first time Jesus was able to walk right in and fellowship now the people can't even get in to worship without paying.
- RESPECT: Doesn’t this show just an utter lack of respect for God? This is the same temple where only the priests were allowed into its more Holy places because it was were God dwelled and now it’s the marketplace? And my commandments say do not steal and you are stealing from my people in my house? And you say you are serving me but you are really serving the money you are stealing? The level of disrespect is unreal. What’s even more incredible is that they had no fear and that is the most troubling. However, God said your gonna learn today.
Side note: to all you people who do evil in God's name just because you think you have gotten away with it doesn’t mean you have and won’t get punished for it. The wages of sin has and will always be death. Nothing gets by God. It just is a matter of if it happens on this side of heaven or not.
Have you ever been so angry and frustrated you just want to hit someone? Jesus had the power and authority to destroy everyone in that place. The wages of sin is death. But instead he used this moment as a lesson.
There is a righteousness in anger. A Holy Discontent that calls for righteousness and justice. And sometimes the call to act leads to something that will get people's attentions. The overturned tables did just that, they got everyone's attention.
The reason that the temple was filled with “thieves” is because no one stood up to say, this is wrong. Jesus wasn't the first one to question what was going on but he was the first to act on what he knew to be true about God and what was happening wasn't it. We often don’t question people when they do things understand the umbrella of God but this is why you HAVE TO read the Bible for yourself.
When something is presented to you that goes directly against the word of God you have to call it out. And you have to bring attention to it.
This was what Jesus was doing in the temple that day.
We are so scandalized by the things preachers and church folks do. I often ask myself, why are we so scandalized? We shouldn’t be because they are still people and religious people have been doing scandalous stuff since before the time of Jesus.
What Jesus is showing us is that when these things happen we should get angry, call for righteousness and demand justice.
The problem today and back then too is that instead of confronting it, church folks bury it, ignore it, use God as a weapon against the victim to maintain the status quo. Jesus' example shows that is the exact opposite of what we should do. The problem should be dealt with swiftly and thrown out. Because God cannot dwell in darkness and that which is buried and covered up He will illuminate.
Enter Jesus. He said this is enough. You have robbed my Father and I long enough. You have hurt the people long enough. You have stolen not only their resources but the sanctity and safety of the place my Father dwells for the people, and tainted the relationship they have with Him.
I don’t know about you but I get extremely pissed of when I hear about misconduct in the church. I have actually experienced it first hand. My mother, sister and I were invited to a Women’s Day celebration at a church in our neighborhood by our neighbor. This is not uncommon in the church world especially as a pastor's daughter. People invite you to a lot of things and often times you feel obligated to go in order to represent your church.
Now a lot occurred in this one experience, I have seen a lot y’all in this Christian walk I'm on, but what was most disturbing was the pastor. He came out toward the end to pray and close the service, when from the pulpit he saw my sister and I. I immediately got a bad vibe off this guy. Pastor or not people are people and are capable of anything. He kept staring at us and it was unnerving.
When service was over and we are greeting each other it’s like he made a beeline for us. I thank God for my mother because she saw him coming and immediately stepped in front of my sister and I, grabbed his hand in a firm handshake and didn’t let go until he finished talking to us.
A few weeks later that same pastor was the front page news story for raping a girl in his congregation. I went to my mom and said I knew there was something off about this guy. She then told me that the Holy Spirit told her that he wasn’t right and to protect us from him. She didn’t know why at the time but she was obedient and that is why she physical blocked him from touching us.
Unfortunately this young girl who was brave enough to come forward was crucified by her church. Thankfully for this young girl her family believed her and stood by her. However, people I knew backed the pastor and tried to trash talk this girl. It was heartbreaking and disgusting.
However, my mom she was angry and not afraid. If anyone brought it up to her she would call him out, even when it wasn’t the popular opinion. She would support the young lady’s account and she often said, I have two daughters that girls age, if something happened to them I would hope you would believe them. In her own way, my mother was shaking tables.
This passage is so much more than Jesus being angry. It’s about demanding righteousness and calling out unrighteousness especially when done is Jesus' name.
You better put some respeck on His name.
The Unlikely Missionary
DHW
PS - This title came to me because I watch Love and Hip Hop (the Lord is yet working on me) and for some reason I remembered a scene with K. Michelle saying, "Don't shake unless you ready to get shook". Remember I'm the Unlikely Missionary.
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