Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22, Psalm 19

The news this past week of the shuttering of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem has been a source of great interest for Christians around the world.  The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is said to be built over the site of the Cross, on which Jesus died, and the tomb, from which he rose again.

Christian religious leaders, representing a wide variety of faith traditions rotate their worship at the site.  Though very small in number, but diversified in theology, these leaders came together on the agreement days ago to close this most sacred of Christian sites.  The action was in response to an economic decision by leaders of the Israeli government to begin taxing previously tax-exempt properties under their jurisdiction with the exclusion of synagogues.  In the face of opposition, the decision has been reversed.

As you can imagine, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a major draw for Christians travelling from all over the world to visit the Holy City.  Visiting Jerusalem would be quite incomplete without this main attraction.  The popularity of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is quite a boost to the city’s tourist revenue.

Without doubt, it is quite difficult to maintain reverence and pursue sincere worship in such a space that too easily feels like a tourist attraction – more of a challenge even than the Cathedral in Washington, DC; Bruton Parish in Williamsburg, or Notre Dame in Paris.  Just keeping camera bugs from standing in the chairs and flashing pictures during prayers is almost impossible.

These are perfect examples of the difficulty in separating economics and religion, and it can be even more difficult for them to share the same space.  The Church tends to sneer at wealthy people and corporations, sanctimoniously condemning all the “rich” as greedy and ruthless.  And, yet, our seminarians are dependent upon the scholarships provided by wealthy philanthropists; our churches routinely apply for the grants that corporations graciously make available to support capital campaigns; and our world missions receive millions of dollars yearly from economically successful individuals and foundations who have dedicated their profits to the spreading of the Gospel message.

How do we protect religion from becoming an economic idol?  Where do we separate greedy “capitalism” from Christian stewardship?  Perhaps we are misguided in our prejudice of the wealthy; better to show them the love of Christ and join them in our cooperative faith journeys with the goal to remain humble regardless of our earthly wealth and social status – to remain humble, giving all glory to God and funneling our wealth towards the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

As we read in our Gospel lesson, on this day in the earthly life of Jesus, The Temple – the great pinnacle of Jewish worship appears to have been reduced to a center for economic priorities, clouding its purpose as the house of God.  From our lesson, we can easily envision the chaotic scene.

The Temple structure was complicated; specific religious credentials were required to pass from the outer-most through the intermediary chambers and into the innermost sanctuaries – the altar where sacrifices were offered to God, the tabernacle where God resided.  There was great distinction between the ranks of Jewish religious authority who could enter.

Otherwise, this outer-most area, The Court of the Gentiles was a place where anyone in the general public could gather; it would look to us much like an open-air market with any and everyone milling about or cutting through to shorten the destination to another part of the city.

At the Jerusalem Temple, besides this hurry-scurry loud and disorderly crowd, the open area is complete with the animals – cattle, sheep, and turtledoves held there to be purchased and offered for sacrifice at the altar of God as dictated by Jewish Law.

Faithful Jews coming to the Temple on pilgrimage would bring the current coinage to purchase the appropriate animal for sacrifice.  This currency was that produced by the Roman government bearing the image of Caesar.  Religious policy required that this money be exchanged for Jewish shekels.  It is not difficult to imagine the potential for corruption; moneychangers, of course, would need to set aside a transaction fee; they would have been expected to be accountable to the Roman authorities as well as the religious authorities.  And, as everyone got a cut of the proceeds, the poor humble pilgrims increasingly became prey for these scavengers; accumulated wealth rather than God became the focus of religious life.

These typical activities that were taking place upon Jesus’ arrival were not inherently criminal or unsavory activities.  It was the way that they were being conducted in this sacred space – in Jesus’ words, “making my Father’s house a marketplace.”  The irreverence that exuded from this misuse of this most sacred of sacred places corrupted the journey to the pinnacle of faith; God had been evicted from his earthly dwelling place; there was no sense of the sacred.

Why is this Gospel message so important to us Christians?  How is it that we relate to the pinnacle of the Temple?  Where is the temple in which we followers of Christ find oneness with God?

John tells us “Jesus is speaking of the temple of his body.”  This is blasphemy to those who reject Jesus Christ.  But, to us Christians, it is the pinnacle of our faith.  There is no earthly dwelling place of God; God dwells in Jesus Christ.  We make our pilgrimage to the pinnacle of our faith as we come reverently – unworthy, yet worthily – to the altar where we are made one with Jesus Christ.

Our Lenten pilgrimage is a journey to the pinnacle of our faith; our Lenten pilgrimage is a journey through the earthy chaos of economics and politics that seek to rob the sanctity of our worship and corrupt our presence in the temple of the Body of Christ.  Through this sacred pilgrimage of Lent we are cleansed of the idols we have made for ourselves; hearing God’s Second Commandment that we read in Exodus 20:  You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 

Through our Lenten pilgrimage our physical and spiritual temple is cleansed as this earthly Temple was cleansed by Jesus – cleansed by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.