Worship

Consider the words of this hymn as you dedicate yourself again to God’s service.

Teach me, my God and King,
in all things thee to see,
and what I do in anything
to do it as for thee.

A man that looks on glass,
on it may stay his eye;
or if he pleaseth, through it pass,
and then the heaven espy.

A servant with this clause
makes drudgery divine:
who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
that turneth all to gold;
for that which God doth touch and own
cannot for less be told.

Sermon on the Mat: God’s Temple

John chapter 2 verses 13 – 22 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 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. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’

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

Jesus answered them,‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’

They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 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.

Unlike the other gospels, John puts this episode in Jesus’ life very early in his ministry. So far Jesus has been declared by John the Baptist as the Son of God, chosen his disciples and performed a miracle at a wedding in Cana. Now, like most Jewish men of the time, Jesus has gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.

Jerusalem at this time was a bit like Clacton or Southend in a normal summer or Chelmsford when V Fest is on or more so. The permanent residents are vastly outnumbered by visitors thronging everywhere. There’s no peace anywhere. People are hanging out all over the place, some of them not respecting the privacy of the residents and not acknowledging the needs of others. Anti-Social Behaviour is widespread. As well as being a religious ceremony, Passover was a feast, with a special meal with your family at the centre of the holiday.

And the teeming masses are also present in the Temple. The Outer Court was as far as Gentiles could go. This was where they were expected to worship and pray. But it had become a marketplace. As well as all the people there were all the animals for them to buy for their sacrifice or offering. It was no good bringing your own animals – the priests would always find some defect with them and insist it wasn’t good enough for the offering. It was simpler to buy one that had already been passed as perfect – at an inflated price, of course.

Similarly, the moneychangers who changed denarius and other Roman coins used by everyone in their daily lives for the Temple shekels required for the offering, weighted the exchange rates in their favour.

All the hullabaloo and profiteering upset Jesus. This was no gentle Jesus meek and mild. This was a man wanting to show people how to worship God in Spirit and truth. This was a man concerned that the Temple should bring worshippers closer to God, not to become helpless victims of greed and corruption. It should be a House of Prayer.

And so Jesus sets about upsetting the traders’ tables and stampeding the animals. This, of course, soon brings out the Temple authorities who demand to know on what authority he is acting in such a manner. This elicits the puzzling answer ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ Taken at face value this was not humanly possible – the temple had taken many men toiling for nearly half a century and a lot of funds and supplies to build and still wasn’t totally finished.

But the disciples interpreted the saying after Jesus’ death and resurrection. For Christians, Jesus is our temple, the centre for our prayers. The religious and civic authorities tried to destroy Jesus by putting him to death on a cross at Golgotha. But Jesus rose again after three days and is available to us now, anywhere, anytime as our house of prayer.

The past year has proved that the church is not dependent on its buildings. The church is wherever the people of God can be found – in their homes, on the end of a phone, helping with the food bank or on people’s doorsteps delivering shopping and medicines. And using paper, television, computers or other devices, Christ’s church can still join with others and the hosts of heaven to worship God and bring the needs of the world to him.

The church is wherever we are seeking to meet the needs of those around us – speaking out for the voiceless, standing up for the oppressed and supporting the weak. And all our actions should be grounded in prayer, in listening to and talking to God, bringing our own needs and the needs of others to him and waiting for his response.

Prayer

Lord, help us to worship you in spirit and in truth wherever we are. Thank you for the church, your people here on earth.

May we serve you and our communities day by day. Amen

Please pray for:

• The Church of God throughout the world, remembering especially those who face persecution and danger because of their faith.
• The leaders of the nations that they may rule with justice, honesty and respect.
• The powerless, for the victims of famine and war, and for all who strive for justice and peace.