Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 3rd March and for the week ahead:

Scripture

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:13-15)

Reflection

This is an account of Jesus clearing out The Temple; clearing out the things going on in his “Father’s house”. What about the Jesus in this story; the angry Jesus; the “over-turning the tables in the Temple” Jesus; the “making a whip of cords” Jesus? This doesn’t appear to be the gentle Jesus; the patient Jesus. How does this Jesus sit with you?

The people were following The Law….making the sacrifices required of them. And other people were helping them do this…by supplying the animals required for the sacrifice. But over the centuries, greed takes over, and a profiteering business develops and mushrooms. This is what Jesus gets angry at. At people being treated unfairly. At some people’s greed, self-centredness, and exploitation of others. This is Jesus displaying righteous anger; there are some things it is right to be angry about.

I wonder what Jesus would show righteous anger about today? What should we be rightly angry about, and do something about in our community or society?

Revd David