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

The Temple of Jesus’ day was the hub of the Jerusalem community.  So much so that, far beyond the Temple’s provision for sacred worship, it had become a convenient and popular gathering place for many daily events.  Jesus was incensed that the recognition of God’s presence had been obscured by these mundane and worldly activities, demonstrated by the peoples’ shuffling through and trampling down of this sacred space in pursuit of their misaligned priorities.  No longer was the Temple a visible and constant reminder of God’s abiding presence.  Rather, the Temple had become a marketplace.

I feel a sense of that deep sadness as I witness our awe-inspired church chancels littered with glaring lights, tangled cords, and numerous cameras and microphones; our altars obscured by the necessary stage equipment to produce weekly electronic worship.  The appearance is that of a Hollywood movie set.

Yet, as sad as it might make us feel, the lights and cameras are not for our own personal glory; the cause is good; numerous faithful worshippers throughout the world have been able to stay connected through weekly virtual participation.  When finally, the unsightly obstacles can be removed, when we are no longer shut out and we can move about with free access to the special places, and worship in person once again, the sanctity of these spaces will have fresh new meaning and attraction for each of us.  We will lift our praise and thanksgiving with new fervor; we will have deeper reverence for these outward signs and traditions that draw us closer to God.

Perhaps like the people of Jerusalem, the world has needed to witness an angry Jesus.  We’ve needed our self-seeking daily activities upturned.  The Apostle Paul asks the question: “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

We’ve watched loved ones die from illness and isolation; we’ve experienced the frustrations of being shut out; our suffering in exile has made us hungry for God.  Perhaps, now, we better understand the necessity of dying to our earthly selves and being raised anew with Jesus Christ – the true temple, the true gathering place of our faith, the true presence of God, unobscured by the world.