Overturning Tables

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. He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. John 2:13-22

Nothing makes our Creator sadder than the abuse of the poor and the outsiders, particularly by religious and other leaders. Folks coming to the temple looking for blessings and prayers had to purchase animals for sacrifice. These people were taken advantage of and abused because of their need. We live in a world where it seems we are moving to that behavior again. We all must redouble our efforts to put the needy and the refugees in our sights and freely make room so they can thrive.

Blessed Creator, you tend this garden well

nurturing the strong and the weak alike

providing rain and nutrients so we thrive

and protecting the vulnerable from storms.

Some would make the vulnerable the problem

taxing and blaming them for all the ills of the world

shaming those who are not wealthy and powerful

making the refugees into problematic criminals.

Help us open our eyes today to your holy truths

that you love all peoples and care for all creation

make us your followers and help us break barriers

so love can flow free again and this garden earth thrive. Amen.