Over the weekend, CNN ran an article entitled "Would Jesus support health care reform?"on their Religion blog. The article says very little in the end, just right and left wing Christian scholars talking about how Jesus would support their political beliefs. Admittedly, it's not great journalism. Mostly it was a way to crank up hits and ignite a flame war through the anonymity of the internet. However, if we are willing to look at the question long enough to see past our own biases, maybe we can glean something about how Jesus might respond to a variety of social injustices.
The day after the rabble of the city had paraded Jesus into Jerusalem, he goes to the Temple to begin teaching. Something is amiss however. Matthew picks up the story in 21:12-15
So, imagine this... its Passover, in ancient Israel this is a big deal. This was a special feast which commemorated God's freeing His people from slavery in Egypt. Jerusalem was brimming with people, Jews, Gentiles, foreigners, and farmers, nearly all believers made a pilgrimage to the city to celebrate and make sacrifices at God's holy temple.
When Jesus entered the temple, He walked into insanity. Picture in your mind's eye a wild combination of Disneyland, the Trading Floor at the New York Stock Exchange, and livestock barns at the State Fair.
Families from far-flung corners of Israel and the Known World were crowding towards the temple many of them bringing sacrifices, sheep, goats, cattle, or doves. Each of these had to pass an official temple inspector. Other pilgrims were haggling over the price of animals from sacrifice pre-approved vendors within the temple gates. On tap of that, money changers were arguing with foreigner visitors about exchange rates from currency they brought in to some that was accepted for the temple duty.
What's more this was all taking place in the Court of Gentiles. This is the closest Gentiles were allowed to the Holy of Holies, the very center of Jewish faith, and it was turned into a bazaar. Anyone from outside of Judaism who hoped to visit the Temple of God in search of any truth could get no closer than a screaming, stinking swirl of commercialization and corruption.
Is it any wonder Jesus was ticked?
On one side, Jesus cleared the temple as a response to economic corruption. The language used in the original Greek insinuates unfair vendors and money changers. Make no mistake, this was no service provided to the road-wary pilgrim. It was a tourist trap of biblical proportions! I've read several descriptions that lay this out. Sellers of sacrifices and money changers would get prime spots inside the temple by diverting a cut to the priests. The officials tasked with inspecting sacrificial animals might be inclined to deny a few here and there helpfully pointing out that the nearest vendor can provide a suitable animal. And they would gladly trade you, for a fee. They are, after all, taking the deficient stock. An animal which would shortly be cleaned up, stamped, and pawned of on the next hapless traveller.
However, Christ's anger here was fueled by a societal corruption as well. The whole sacrificial system was intended to actually MEAN something. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers... Each of these books are filled with detailed descriptions about offerings to God. Themes run through these scriptures that discuss holiness, sanctity, guilt, atonement. In founding the sacrificial system, God was never interested in the blood poured out upon the altar. He was crafting a people that realized there were consequences to sin and a cost for atonement.
The process for selection and sacrifice was intended to be intense. Even personal. A Jewish man would walk among his flocks and select that lamb that was "without defect." He and his family would care for it until the prescribed time of sacrifice. Then hands would be laid upon the animal's head, and it was understood that this perfect lamb was taking on the penalty the family deserved through their sin.
But by Jesus' day, the sacrificial system had been institutionalized. It had been distilled to a mere transaction. Make your way to Jerusalem, buy the appropriate animal, and hand it off to be sacrificed. Besides a few metal coins, there was no personal investment in the process. And this too Jesus railed against on that day.
Jesus is consistently promoting more personal engagement, more social responsibility. Take for example the young ruler who comes to Jesus in Luke 18:18...
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus lists for him various points from the Law, which the young man says he has kept "since I was a boy." And here Jesus reaches for the man's heart. He asks the young ruler to sell all his possessions, give them away, and then to follow. To which he walks away sad.
Essentially, this young man was looking for a religion of transactions. Do this. Don't that. Equal eternal life. As long as we can distill faith down to a list of rules, it remains something we can influence. It's only when faith becomes a surrender that it becomes real. Jesus didn't really need the man to sell all his possessions. Jesus needed the man to realize in his heart that all those things were not nearly the value of engaging with the Son of God.
So, as promised, we return to present day. What does Jesus have to say to the socially conscientious Christian of the 21st Century? Perhaps I can attempt to answer that question with a brief and not-so-very-clever parable. I humbly present the Parable of Three Voters.
Three voters were walking to the polls.
The right wing, conservative voter said in his heart, "I intend to vote against universal health care. I give regularly to church, Salvation Army, and so forth. Let these charitable organizations care for the poor and ailing."
The left wing, liberal voter thought to himself, "I intend to vote in favor of universal health care. Jesus would often heal and feed the 'least of these'. Surely, this legislation will eliminate biases and give all people an equal level of care."
The third voter was perplexed. Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she had not decided regarding the health care reform. However, on the way to the voting booth, the third voter ran across a woman with a sick child. She spoke to the mother and learned that the woman was a single mother. The child had become quite ill, but they had no insurance coverage. The third voter dropped what she was doing and took the child to the hospital. She helped the mother find people who could give support. The third voter spent the next several days visiting mother and child, bringing food and also paperwork that would qualify them for needed benefits. Together they worked to find a solution.
Now, which of these better illustrates the character of Jesus Christ?
Laws and institutions, by necessity, are rigid frameworks guiding activities, but life is messy. It requires engagement and discernment. If we study Jesus honestly, we find he rarely falls in line with a particular political side. He is often front and center, engaging that need, issue, or debate.
Engage with Jesus today. Discern where he would have you acting in the world. And see what a change we can make together.
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you are making it a den of robbers.'"
The blind and lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
So, imagine this... its Passover, in ancient Israel this is a big deal. This was a special feast which commemorated God's freeing His people from slavery in Egypt. Jerusalem was brimming with people, Jews, Gentiles, foreigners, and farmers, nearly all believers made a pilgrimage to the city to celebrate and make sacrifices at God's holy temple.
When Jesus entered the temple, He walked into insanity. Picture in your mind's eye a wild combination of Disneyland, the Trading Floor at the New York Stock Exchange, and livestock barns at the State Fair.
Families from far-flung corners of Israel and the Known World were crowding towards the temple many of them bringing sacrifices, sheep, goats, cattle, or doves. Each of these had to pass an official temple inspector. Other pilgrims were haggling over the price of animals from sacrifice pre-approved vendors within the temple gates. On tap of that, money changers were arguing with foreigner visitors about exchange rates from currency they brought in to some that was accepted for the temple duty.
What's more this was all taking place in the Court of Gentiles. This is the closest Gentiles were allowed to the Holy of Holies, the very center of Jewish faith, and it was turned into a bazaar. Anyone from outside of Judaism who hoped to visit the Temple of God in search of any truth could get no closer than a screaming, stinking swirl of commercialization and corruption.
Is it any wonder Jesus was ticked?
On one side, Jesus cleared the temple as a response to economic corruption. The language used in the original Greek insinuates unfair vendors and money changers. Make no mistake, this was no service provided to the road-wary pilgrim. It was a tourist trap of biblical proportions! I've read several descriptions that lay this out. Sellers of sacrifices and money changers would get prime spots inside the temple by diverting a cut to the priests. The officials tasked with inspecting sacrificial animals might be inclined to deny a few here and there helpfully pointing out that the nearest vendor can provide a suitable animal. And they would gladly trade you, for a fee. They are, after all, taking the deficient stock. An animal which would shortly be cleaned up, stamped, and pawned of on the next hapless traveller.
However, Christ's anger here was fueled by a societal corruption as well. The whole sacrificial system was intended to actually MEAN something. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers... Each of these books are filled with detailed descriptions about offerings to God. Themes run through these scriptures that discuss holiness, sanctity, guilt, atonement. In founding the sacrificial system, God was never interested in the blood poured out upon the altar. He was crafting a people that realized there were consequences to sin and a cost for atonement.
The process for selection and sacrifice was intended to be intense. Even personal. A Jewish man would walk among his flocks and select that lamb that was "without defect." He and his family would care for it until the prescribed time of sacrifice. Then hands would be laid upon the animal's head, and it was understood that this perfect lamb was taking on the penalty the family deserved through their sin.
But by Jesus' day, the sacrificial system had been institutionalized. It had been distilled to a mere transaction. Make your way to Jerusalem, buy the appropriate animal, and hand it off to be sacrificed. Besides a few metal coins, there was no personal investment in the process. And this too Jesus railed against on that day.
Jesus is consistently promoting more personal engagement, more social responsibility. Take for example the young ruler who comes to Jesus in Luke 18:18...
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus lists for him various points from the Law, which the young man says he has kept "since I was a boy." And here Jesus reaches for the man's heart. He asks the young ruler to sell all his possessions, give them away, and then to follow. To which he walks away sad.
Essentially, this young man was looking for a religion of transactions. Do this. Don't that. Equal eternal life. As long as we can distill faith down to a list of rules, it remains something we can influence. It's only when faith becomes a surrender that it becomes real. Jesus didn't really need the man to sell all his possessions. Jesus needed the man to realize in his heart that all those things were not nearly the value of engaging with the Son of God.
So, as promised, we return to present day. What does Jesus have to say to the socially conscientious Christian of the 21st Century? Perhaps I can attempt to answer that question with a brief and not-so-very-clever parable. I humbly present the Parable of Three Voters.
Three voters were walking to the polls.
The right wing, conservative voter said in his heart, "I intend to vote against universal health care. I give regularly to church, Salvation Army, and so forth. Let these charitable organizations care for the poor and ailing."
The left wing, liberal voter thought to himself, "I intend to vote in favor of universal health care. Jesus would often heal and feed the 'least of these'. Surely, this legislation will eliminate biases and give all people an equal level of care."
The third voter was perplexed. Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she had not decided regarding the health care reform. However, on the way to the voting booth, the third voter ran across a woman with a sick child. She spoke to the mother and learned that the woman was a single mother. The child had become quite ill, but they had no insurance coverage. The third voter dropped what she was doing and took the child to the hospital. She helped the mother find people who could give support. The third voter spent the next several days visiting mother and child, bringing food and also paperwork that would qualify them for needed benefits. Together they worked to find a solution.
Now, which of these better illustrates the character of Jesus Christ?
Laws and institutions, by necessity, are rigid frameworks guiding activities, but life is messy. It requires engagement and discernment. If we study Jesus honestly, we find he rarely falls in line with a particular political side. He is often front and center, engaging that need, issue, or debate.
Engage with Jesus today. Discern where he would have you acting in the world. And see what a change we can make together.
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