JESUS TURNS TABLES...
Paul the apostle asked the people of all his churches to “contend for the faith” and this is not some sissy walk in the park, but it isn’t a bloody mess either. The culture of the early church was full of mix-it-yourself religion, and Christianity at the time stood out as a monotheistic competition with the other fear-bids for people’s submission. Christianity that Paul mentions is that of freedom, and a divine Son of God who came to deliver a people, and the difference between what others would say are “similar religions” is that this Son of God wasn’t here to make converts, but disciples, committed people to relationship with God, and to save all rather than those who were “holy.”
Surely the gospels (and Jesus himself) require holiness of us, but that is the gift of the Spirit, not of our own discipline. Not that there aren’t disciplines we follow, but the disciplines are inclined by the Spirit that was given at the day of Pentecost, that Spirit that was with God stirring the dark waters birthing creation itself. To think that that is the gift we have been given to empower us to not just stray from sin, but to demolish the enemies of our lives and the lives of others. This comes by power of God, just as the resurrection of Jesus came from the power of God and not some ‘reaching of perfection’ within spiritual growth or self-examination. Let us not be deceived!
The benefit of committing ourselves to Christianity is that we have the function (created in God’s image) fashion (the ability by the Spirit) and the desire (our response to God in action) to free others, to become for the world the hands and feet of God in the world. Jesus’ favorite book may have been Isaiah, he quotes this prophet often. “The year of the LORD is here” “set the captives free” and Jesus said that He fulfilled this promise (and so many others) made so long ago! What do we do with that? Easily we can wield our Bibles like swords and stab at peoples hearts hoping for some magical change of heart. We can likewise, become so dull with our knowledge and commitment to the LORD that we shake at the thought of freeing people from sin, sometimes not even believing in sin ourselves because we are “so free.” But, like Jesus, there is a proper (holy) way of doing things.
This gets me back to “turning tables.” The place where Jesus was ‘cleansing’ was the places in the Temple that were meant for “others” (non-Hebrews) to come and experience God’s day of sacrifice and to see how things work when in relationship with Him. Of course, this system was flawed, but it was close to the heart of Christ, to see gentiles come into the “heart of God” by way of the temple worship experience.
This ‘cleansing’ also may have been a forecasting of His own death that was emphasized in His own ministry. Christ wanted to know that He spoke for God and God was saying that there are not any divisions separating you from God because of His message. This requires commitment; it is not an easy road, as is easily seen in the life and messages of the disciples of Jesus both in His earthly lifetime, and the disciples since then. We (Christians) are called into this lifestyle, this worship, this value, that God himself would come down and declare (and work out) salvation for all people. But this is not easy, the life we must live. This is also not condemning, we should embrace evangelism, and sharing the gospel with zeal and passion as a response to what God has done in us! This will, sometimes, mean turning tables in prominent places (sometimes churches) in this ‘worldly kingdom’ so that God might be given room to seek.
What to do? We have signed up, crossed the line, and are Disciples of Christ. We will not have to look hard to see what is unjust, and what needs fixing. The ‘cleansing’ of our hearts is always first, and serving the world is always met by that clean heart. We are not ‘converting’ but ‘making disciples’ (Talmidim) and that involves us being good disciples, examples of what others should be like. So, to those who I have led into places that they immediately want to turn tables, do it in passionate love for the “others” never forsaking love for those money-changers. God loves the CEO of nike as much as He loves the children making their shoes. Don’t hear me wrong, HE will go to rescue the children in danger, and will call some of us to do such rescuing. All people are called to embrace salvation and the life that comes with it, Jesus “brought low the hills, and filled the valleys” of our lives and to show in His kingdom that the LORD is right, and nothing is higher than Him.
This is the problem with “rebels” who worship rebellion, who want to turn tables and hate those at the tables, this is not the story of Jesus’ in the gospels. It is also not as simple as “love the sinner, hate the sin” which has become to abused it shouldn’t be used anymore. The love of the Father “drove” (same ‘drove’ as Spirit ‘driving’ Him to the desert after baptism?) Jesus to cleanse the Temple, to show the moneychangers that they were in sin, and salvation is for all, and God is for them as well as those they are taking advantage of.
Are those of us ready to ‘fight’ ready for this kind of servant-rebellion? Join up if you want, but this army doesn’t hand you a weapon, but a new heart, the stone that falls off the old one is to be saved and shown to the world, so that they can see God is working even in our “modern age.” How has God moved into your life? How will He share the gospel with your life? What tables were turned over in your heart, and how can this “drive” you into the places that need change in the world?
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