Tag: temple

Contained and Controlled

Read Acts 7:44-50

When humanity decided to domesticate animals, a way to control the animals had to be devised early on. Cages, corals, stables and fences were brought into use. These attempts to limit the movement of the animals are still utilized in some form today. Once the animal’s ability to move was controlled, then behavior altering allowed for domestication. These methods, along with psychological methods, have also been utilized with humans. Confinement is a strong control technique.

The passage which we read from the Book of Acts speaks of building confinements. First we hear about a container for the Law. This container, built according to God’s specifications, allowed the Law of God to travel  with the Israelites. It is best known at the Ark of the Covenant and served as a visible sign of God’s presence and rule. Then we are reminded of the Temple which Solomon built, again as God specified. The Temple served as a gathering place for God’s people, a place to offer sacrifices and worship to God, and a visible reminder of God’s presence. The people also come to view these structures as a way to contain God and other people. Containment gives a sense of control.

It is important to keep in mind that the Ark and the Temple were not a need of God’s but a need for humanity. The words in Acts point this out to us. The words also attack the perception that humans could ever contain or control God. God is more expansive than anything conceived by humans. There is not any material or design which originates with humans because all originates  with God. There is no human power strong enough to contain or control God. Let us hear the words of Acts in order to keep a proper perspective.

Impressive

Read Mark 13:1-2

Walking in Manhattan in New York City, it is easy to become mesmerized by the huge buildings which surround you. Everything from the height, to the architecture, to the ornate facades causes a person to marvel at the accomplishments of humanity. The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the new One World Trade Center astonish visitors to the Big Apple over and over. This is just one example of a location where human ingenuity, creativity and hard labor astounds us. There are many other examples such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and the Space Needle which exist throughout the United States. If one was to look throughout the world even more examples exist; the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, Big Ben, Taj Mahal, Great Pyramids and the Great Wall of China are some international examples. All of these structures cause awe in us when seen.

During Jesus’s time, the Temple in Jerusalem was awe-inspiring. Today’s passage makes this clear. As the disciples are leaving the Temple with Jesus, one mentions to him in casual conversation how wonderful the structure is to him. Jesus foretells a time when these amazing human structures will be destroyed. This will be true a few decades after Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The discussion which Jesus has with his disciples should cause us to pause and consider where we place our awe. Often we can become overly impressed with human achievements. At times we are so impressed that we lose sight of the most awesome reality in our lives, God actively engaged in our life is more amazing than anything found on this earth. The disciple was possibly more amazed in the Temple than in the fact that he was walking with the Son of God. Whether the truth that the Almighty God is actively in relationship with each of our lives has became part of our ordinary assumptions or we fail to even consider the idea, we often focus more on the things around us, things which do not last.

Jesus is attempting to redirect the disciple, and us, from being awed by an earthly structure toward the reality of being in relationship with the God of all creation. As inspiring as the achievements of humanity may be, the work of God is so much more inspiring. Besides, God’s work is eternal while humanity’s will pass away.

Being Fair

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

John 2:13-22 (NIV)

Imagine attending an event where there are many vendors who have booths set up in an attempt to sell you their product or services. You might be at a fair, a convention, or a festival. The booths are side by side in multiple rows. There seems to be a variety of products to choose from and some vendors are selling similar products or services. Each vendor tries to entice you to stop so they can convince you why you need what they are offering. The noise and the endless amount of sales pitches can be mind-boggling.

Jesus enters the courts of the temple and witnesses a scene like described above. Added to the vendor booths are booths where the Jews can exchange their Roman money for Jewish denarii. There is a practical side to all of this. First, the Jews were required to use the coin of the occupying government, Romans, for transactions outside the temple. Inside the temple and among Jews, they needed to use denarii for offerings and transactions since that is the money of the Jews. Being able to make exchanges both ways was the job of the money changer. In regard to the animals mentioned here, they were needed to make the required sacrifices as prescribed by Jewish law. Since some Jews had to travel a long distance to the temple, it was often more practical to not bring animals along but instead to purchase them when arriving at the temple. The issue which Jesus raises is the corruption and greed which prevailed among the vendors. The vendors were taking advantage of the people and their needs.

Here we are given a warning and a call to action. The warning comes in how Jesus responds to the vendors. If we are providing necessary services in or out of the community of faith, we must avoid the temptation of allowing greed to enter our transactions with others. Attempts to get ahead or benefit beyond our own needs are not acceptable in the eyes of our Lord. The call to action is in the example Jesus sets here. When we witness greed, corruption, and injustice, we must speak up. We cannot be silent witnesses. We must engage in change. Our call and authority to act is found in the One who allowed the temple to be torn down and raised again in three days.

Anticipated City

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21:22-27 (NIV)

Traveling is an enjoyable pastime of mine. I enjoy going to new cities and locations. Exploring a city where I have not previously been is exciting. There have been many times.in which I have discovered amazing aspects unknown to me. Also, since I enjoy history, I am happy when I encounter historical sites and/or learn the history of the location. Anticipating a trip, and what I may discover, fills me with great joy.

Today in our passage, we are given a glimpse of the anticipated Holy City. In John’s vision, he tells us about the city. This city has the Lord as its temple and light. The gates are never shut because there is nothing to fear. People of the nations will bring the honor and glory of the earth into the city. No one, on nothing, deemed impure by the Lord will be allowed into the city. This is John’s vision, not because he has been there but through the power of the Spirit he has been able to see this anticipated city.

Like John did so many years ago, we anticipate our arrival to the Holy City. We desire a place where fear does not exist any longer. Fear is banished because the Lord is the light which dispels the dark aspects of life that cause fear. We expect such glory and honor to be present that we anticipate being prompted to worship and praise the Lord. Nothing will hinder our entrance into this great city where the welcome sign is always on. This is a trip which I eagerly await, why not accompany me.

Imagine

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.

3 Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Isaiah 2:1-4 (NIV)

In 1971, former Beatles member John Lennon released the song, Imagine, which he had co-written with Yoko Ono. The song seems to respond to the turbulent times of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is a soft ballad which speaks of a much different world. As you listen, you are invited into what feels like a daydream, a hope that all which divides the human race and leads to violence would be gone. Throughout history there has always been a longing for the end of division and violence. Lennon and Ono’s words have been uttered in some form by every generation. Even today, we have the same longing which seems out of our reach. However, this longing will be fulfilled just not by human hands.

The passage from Isaiah addresses this longing and the path toward its fulfilment. In these words, Israel and we are told that the Lord will establish a temple at the highest visible point on earth. All people will be drawn to this temple because it is there where God will teach all God’s way, a very different approach than what humanity has followed. Here God will settle the disputes which humans have with one another. The end of conflict which the Lord establishes will bring about a time when instruments and skills of war will become unnecessary. Instead the tools necessary to care for the needs of humanity will become the priority. All of this sounds a lot like the song of Lennon and Oko.

Isaiah, Lennon and Ono invite us to join them in a vision, a daydream. This vision is one of harmony which can only be fully established by the Lord. While we daily strive for the elements of this vision, it is only possible if we learn and adopt the Lord’s way. The Lord’s way focuses on love which is demonstrated in our actionis and words. A love which overcomes the conflicts in our lives.

“You may say I’m a dreamer. But I am not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will live as one.”

Lyric from Imagine by Lennon/Ono

Starting Over

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

7 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.[a] 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

9 This was the inventory:

gold dishes 30

silver dishes 1,000

silver pans 29

10 gold bowls 30

matching silver bowls 410

other articles 1,000

11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:1-11

Have you ever had to start over because of a life change, a disaster, or a relocation? I truly cannot imagine what it must feel like to be a refugee even though I have had the pleasure of knowing some refugees. Most of the start overs in my life have been due to choices which I have willingly made. In some cases, starting over may bring about new opportunities and a better life. This is not the case for everyone but the hope is this restart in life will result in positive changes. That is the definitely the hope of immigrants, people who change careers, and individuals who redefine themselves.

Today, our reading presents a starting over for the Jewish people. These people have lived in exile since King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took them captive and his army destroyed the temple, Jerusalem, and all the Judean cities.

Many years passed and now King Cyrus was in charge. King Cyrus states that God has told him to have a temple built in Jerusalem. Sobhe gives the decree that the Jewish people are to build the temple with assistance of their non-Jewish neighbors. He even orders that the gold and silver items taken from the original temple be returned. The Jewish people are being given the opportunity to start over.

Starting over can be rather difficult. Just as the Jews  had to work hard to build the temple again, we may have to work hard when given the opportunity at a new beginning. The  important point to remember is that we do not start over alone. God was the reason the Jews were rebuilding the temple. Every step of the way God provided them the necessary resources and the support which they would need. God does the same for us. When we need to start over, either by choice or not, turning to God for help will benefit our efforts.