The more that I read and study scripture, particularly, and specifically the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; I am reminded that Jesus did not just come to do the ministry of salvation. In other words Jesus did not come down from heaven, live, and die, just to keep us out of hell. He came to show us how to live, and to assure that you and I have access to not just life after death, but life more abundantly. Yes Jesus started and completed the ministry of Salvation when he died on the cross for our sins, and rose triumphantly over death on the third day. But Jesus started not just a ministry but he birthed a movement that you and I must complete. Yes Jesus left some unfinished business here on earth for you and, the church to do. And that is the work of justice and righteousness.
Now for some of you, that just made your conservative evangelical skin crawl, because many of us like myself were taught that Jesus does not leave unfinished business, everything he does, he completes. Well I would direct your evangelicalism to the 21st chapter of St. Matthew, for Jesus has come to the apex of his ministry. He and his disciples have lingered around in Galilee for long enough, and it is time for them to go to Jerusalem, so 3 things can happen. So prophecy can be fulfilled, So salvation can be achieved, and so Jesus can start a movement. See there is a growing unrest among Jews during the life and times of Jesus Christ. They are the victims of roman occupation. And Roman occupation means constant oppression, absurd over taxation, and religious governmentalization.
These jews are made to pay a tax to Rome of some nearly 14 to 20% of their annual income not counting the tax additions by the private tax collectors under government contract by the Roman senate, who were allowed to collect an extra percentage rate set by the tax collector. And to add insult to injury, there is now a cultural clash amongst the jews. Because there is now a “talented tenth” which looks down upon the lowly agriculturalists farmers, carpenters, fishermen, and mariners who lived in Judea, Samaria, and other surrounding territories in the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. This elite class finds itself in the apex of Jewish culturalism. The temple. This elite class are the priests, scribes, and teachers of the torah. They are the preachers called to share the word of God, and they have found themselves engulfed in greed, bidding for popularity, selling out for a photo-op with Caesar, and looking down upon the very ones the are anointed to serve.
These are times of growing unrest. So the oppressed people do what oppressed people do. They revolt. That great prophet of the struggle Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to us from his letter from the Birmingham Jail “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.” Riot is the language of the struggle. There have already been some revolt in Jerusalem ahead of the passover feast where jews come to make sacrifice. And anticipating a breakout of revolt, the Roman government appoints Pontius Pilate, as prefect of Judea. A shrewd governor Pilate enacts Martial law to keep these jews in line.
And here comes sunday. Jews from everywhere are pouring into Jerusalem to celebrate passover, and make sacrifice for the propitiation of sin. It’s a joyous occasion of sorts. It’s a homecoming celebration. The whos who of jewish elitism would be in attendance. The pharisees, the sadducees, the Sanhedrin would all be in one place at the same time. This is a joyous occasion. I imagine that people are standing at the gate of the city just to catch a glimpse of who would come through the gates. And while all of this jubilation and celebration is going on, Jesus is not planning a parade, but the is plotting a revolt in response to injustice. In the earlier verses of this 21st chapter Jesus tells his disciples it's time to go to Jerusalem so and I want to make a statement. Go to a nearby village and get me a donkey that is tied to a colt, so prophecy can be fulfilled.
Jesus then proceeds to make his way into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, and the multitudes gather. The people cast down their cloaks, wave palm branches and cry Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. Jesus caused all the city to be moved, and people started talking. Chattering amongst themselves saying who is this? And those who had witnessed the miracles, and the messages said this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth. Now I know that this is palm sunday, and I'm supposed to start preaching right in here about the humility if Jesus, or about how the people praised him and how their praise caused other people to be curious about who Jesus is, and how there is salvation attached to your shout. And maybe that would have been a good sermon. But maybe i’ll preach that next year. Because what leaped off the page is not what happened when he entered Jerusalem, but what he did once he got there. Because immediately after his arrival. He sets the table for the role and work of his movement; The Church. Yes. The church is a movement, not a meeting ground. A movement not a fraternity. A movement, not social club.
And if the church fails to act as a movement, it has lost its mission and ministry.
The Cause
The head of the church is Jesus Christ. The hymnologist explained it best when he penned those words that we often sing, The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation with water and the word. From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride. With his own blood he bought her and for her life he died. The Church has one commander in chief, and that is Jesus Christ. And we are to follow in his example. The example of unwavering love, great kindness, sacrificial giving, and even righteous indignation. The text tells us that immediately upon arrival in Jerusalem, Jesus goes to Church. And he finds some things going on in Church that disturbs him. He sees the exchange of sale going on in the temple. He sees money changers exchanging roman dinero for Jewish shekels, and he sees those who sold doves in the temple. And all hell breaks loose. Jesus turns over the money changers tables, money flies everywhere. He runs the vendors out of the temple. He releases doves that are to be sold. Jesus seemingly loses his mind.
There is a reason for the riot. These money-changers supposedly exchanging dinero for shekels, are taking charging extreme exchange fees for the transfer. You see Roman currency was not considered currency in the temple. In order to give a tithe, or purchase a dove to sacrifice, one must exchange roman currency, for jewish currency. And these money-changers got rich of the backs of poor peasants trying to make sacrifice for the propitiation of their sins. These temple-employed money-changers. The finance department of the Greater Jerusalem Baptist Church have scammed and bamboozled the poor and the peasant class of jewish society.
These dove sellers we see at the temple are also guilty of theft. Because the doves being sold at the temple according to the Historian of antiquity Josephus are 4 times the price of those being sold outside Jerusalem. This is outrageous because most of these people can't afford to bring cattle for sacrifice, as there would not be enough resources to care for the sacrifice on the road to Jerusalem. The church is guilty of salvation for sale.
And Jesus came to break the stronghold of prosperity Gospel focused on finance, and fiscality, and deliver salvation and redemption. Our text is tailored to teach us that God is not leased when salvation is sold to the highest bidder. God is not pleased when megachurches with n intent to do mega ministry. And God is not pleased when churches and pastors sit silent as injustice, inequality, and racism prevail in our nation. And could it be that the decline of the black church in postmodernism is a result of the discontent of God?
The christian church has lost sight of it’s foundation. The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord...
The prophetic word that God gave me is that Jesus would not be pleased with his church. So how do we right this wrong?
Matthew gives us the formula in verse (14). He says the blind and the lame came into the temple, and he healed them.
The Concern
Blind and lame people are outcasts in society. They are those who cannot do for themselves. Most of them were subjugated to a life of begging, and borrowing just to make it, only to have all they had snatched away by the tax burden of the Roman empire. These blind and lame people are hungry, poor, living at the mercy of others. And Jesus cleanses the temple, to serve these people. Not because of what they could give, but because of who he is. We serve a savior who is concerned about the least and the left out. We serve a savior who will meet the needs of those who are not able to meet their own needs because he is God. The same God who hung the stars in the sky, and placed them into their sockets, and they’ve never gone out. The same God that placed the sun on the throne to rule over the solar system, and has never went dark or been to a repair shop. The same God who hung the moon in the sky as queen of the lunar system that pushes and pulls the tides of the ocean. That same God is well able to meet our needs, if we put our trust in him. He is concerned about you and I.
The Condition
The text teaches us that the blind and lame went away healed. Look at the conditions listed in the text. The blind, and the lame. The conditions in our text speak metaphorically to the perpetual protruding condition of man. At the apex of the human condition are people struggling to see spiritually, and to move forward.
Many of us are blind. We can see spiritually, but we are spiritually incapable of seeing all the things God has in store for us. Instead of seeing the promises of God, we see our own fixtures and flaws. Instead of focusing on God as a provider we see our empty bank accounts. Instead of seeing God as a healer, we focus on our sickness. Instead of seeing God as a way maker, we see unemployment. Instead of seeing God as a mender of brokenness we see the reality of divorce. We are spiritually blinded by the natural. And the church is supposed to be a place where the blind can leave with the ability to see that God is a provider, a waymaker, a strong tower, a shield, a buckler, a friend. We should leave being able to see God for who he is!
But many of us are lame. We have the activity of our limbs but we are unable to move forward because of the fear of failure. Some of us can't move our legs spiritually simply for the fear of falling down. Some of us have brilliant business plans and entrepreneurial endeavors but because of the fear of failure we refuse to move forward. Some of us have been dating for 5, 6 ,7 10, years living in the same house, have children but refuse to commit in marriage for the fear of failure. Many of us have been called to share the gospel,a but refuse to accept the calling for fear of inadequacy. Whatever it may be, you are praying for God to manifest himself in your life financially, maritally, professionally, academically, but God is saying to you, just like he sometimes says to me, that the answer to you prayers is attached to your ankles. If you just have the faith to move your feet. I can take care of everything else. And the church is the place where you should be able to come and be encouraged, and challenged, and pushed to be all that God has called you to be. Because living beneath your purpose is living unworthy of the price that Jesus Christ paid for your redemption on the cross. Jesus didn’t die for you to sit by and watch life pass you by. He came to give us life and life more abundantly.
How do we right the wrong? Be the church. So we can leave with sight, and the ability to walk in our purpose.
