Welcome back to my story.
There is something you should know about being a true friend and follower of mine. In my last story, I told you how I heard the call of the “force of the spirit’ to respond to the message of Isaiah as Luke wrote it in chapter 4. That was the start of my mission to take a stand with the poor, the sick, the outcasts, and innocent prisoners and to liberate them. I set out to free them from the control of the temple priests, the Pharisees, and the teachers of the law and bring them together in a new community where there would be equality and justice for all.
It was their overly strict interpretation of the Law of Moses that the priests and teachers of the Law used to give themselves power over the poor and enrich themselves. By demanding a temple fee for a blessing, a service like circumcision, dedication of a child in the temple, coming-of-age ceremony, and a prayer for the living and the dead, they also demanded all must buy an animal and sacrifice it during the festivals.
Not unlike in some churches today that claim to be “Christian,” the priests and pastors are making money and living a luxurious lifestyle by charging fees and making money from believers who pay fees to partake in the sacraments and blessings such as weddings, baptisms, and confirmations. They collect payments (called stipends) for the celebration of private and public Masses for the living and the dead.
In my day the temple sacrifice was a business run by the High Priest and other priests and their relatives. Of course that was a high-earning business for them since most likely they owned the herds of sheep and goats from where the people coming to the temple to make a sacrifice had to buy the sacrificial animal, usually a lamb.
In fact they turned the holy temple courtyard into a trading place for buying and selling sacrificial animals and for a percentage most likely they gave permits to money changers to set up business stalls in the Holy Courtyard in the temple grounds for pilgrims coming from other countries. The festival was a money-making business for these priests, and likely some wealthy Pharisees had a stake in the business enterprise.
When I challenged that wrongdoing one day with my followers.We blocked access to the courtyard and drove out the animal traders and there animals. Also, the money changers were ordered out, and I admit I was angry and threw over a few of their tables, scattering their money. We hit the business enterprise of the temple priests.
They were furious, angry, and plotted to kill me for doing that. It was not only economic disruption I caused but also issued a moral calling out of their hypocrisy and violation of the law that they claimed to be guardians of. “You are making the house of God into a den of thieves,” I said, among other things that infuriated them.
Was it wise to challenge the highest powers? We had faith and believed it was the right and good thing to do to expose their wrong doing and hypocrisy, I and my followers believed that good action to cleanse my Father’s House would overcome the wrongdoing.
Hopefully after they agreed to close the business down and move it elsewhere, I and my followers were outcasts to them, with a price on our heads to be arrested on sight. So I took a break and went to the coastlands of Tyre and Sidon to preach and call non-Jews to be my followers too.
So to be my follower and have real faith means to imitate me and always do good and oppose wrongdoing and never tolerate abuse or allow harm to be done to anyone. Never hide the truth; always get help for victims. Your silence will be approval of the wrongdoing.
There is no need to put yourself or your family in harms way, report abuse in confidence to trustworthy people to protect yourself. As I said, by speaking the truth, the oppressed will be set free.
Come again and reflect with me and find the courage to act for justice and truth, Jesus.
