Most people just want to live quiet lives, being who they are, and doing what they want to do. But there are those who want to exploit the rest of us. They do that by presenting themselves as good, and by appealing to our baser instincts. Most politicians fall into this category: they profess themselves wonderful examples of virtue while their opponents are devious and disingenuous characters we should never vote for.
The truth is that most of them, whatever their professed party or creed, are out to use us for their own ends – ie their personal power and/or their personal gain.
As King Solomon observed in the book of the Bible called Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun…
It is unfortunate that this type of exploiter is often found in organised religion, be that Christian or any other.
I find it incredible that anyone can fly around in their own private jet and then go on television to tell us all how we should live our lives before then asking us for money. But then men have been abusing Christianity from the start.
Organised religion is a paradise for such people: guaranteed income; titles; position; adulation. It’s nothing new, and the world sees it all for the hypocrisy it is. And the name of the penniless Preacher concerned only for God’s Glory and purpose is once again blasphemed and trashed by the godless.
We have reached verses 12 to 16 of the 21st chapter of Matthew’s Gospel in our examination of that book of the New Testament in the Bible. In that passage Jesus casts out of the Temple the merchants and moneychangers, and saying:
It is written, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Matthew goes on to record Jesus healing in the temple, and being acclaimed for this; but the chief priests and scribes complaining about it. To which Jesus points out [in so many words] that ordinary, simple folk see things for what they are.
The corruption of the worship of God, and the consequent misrepresentation of God has always gone on; and from time to time true believers come along to overturn this corrupt image and remind us of the fundamental truth as Jesus does here.
People had become accustomed to this corruption of their religion. They though it was normal and acceptable. But Jesus says otherwise.
And it is for the true preachers of Christianity to point out the reality of the Christian faith in the face of its abuse by powerful and exploiting individuals.
Just how much has the Christian religion today been reduced to merchandising of one sort or another – book shops; concerts and festivals; etc etc.
What does Jesus say the preoccupation of the church – the New Testament temple – should be ?
a house of prayer
But how often is the place of meeting together a mere one hour session devoted to musical entertainment and posturing by clever men ?
Let’s just remind ourselves that in the practice of the early church, believers met daily
- to learn to live together according to God’s instruction in what the apostles taught;
- to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross to deliver them from their own evil hearts and habits by the act of breaking bread and taking wine;
- to look continually to God in prayer to fulfil all his great purpose of salvation and holy living among men and women.
And that is the example and practice all believers in every age should follow; the rest is man made distraction or worse.
Christian Preacher
Christianity 