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�?Message Board : sorry for being away
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 Message 8 of 11 in Discussion 
From: Evonne  in response to Message 7Sent: 9/27/2007 3:23 PM

John 2:13-16 "The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"

So, who are the actual merchants in your case?  The people selling the parking spaces?

You do have a point.  I think in that particular part of the story, Jesus objected to the temple being turned into a big business.

v.13     In the outer court of the temple were set up a variety of merchants who provided the animals necessary to offer sacrifices and the moneychangers from whom one could buy the particular and not generally circulated coins that were required for the payment of temple dues.  All of this took place in what was called the Court of the Gentiles, the only part of the temple where Gentile believers could come to pray.  So all of the noise and activity of the place virtually ruined that part of the temple as a place of prayer.  What Jesus was rejecting was not the selling of animals or the changing of money per se, but the entire attitude that lay behind the worship of the temple being turned into big business and the lack of reverence that allowed such commerce to be transacted within the temple itself.

http://www.faithtacoma.org/sermons/Matthew/Matthew72.21.12-22.Jun5.05.htm

I don't make a fuss however, especially in the case where the church will not survive without other income otherwise.  If they need the money, and people object to their manner of raising funds, perhaps an offer to raise funds for them is in order.  Also, if they are being a good neighbor and offering the space for a token amount of money to cover legal issues, that is a consideration as well.  That is in a completely different spirit than simply being a merchant in the temple.  There are businesses adjoining the church I go to that allow us to park there for free during masses. 

At the Buddhist temple there were several Tibetan monks selling their wares for the purpose of feeding their monastery back in India.  ALL the proceeds go to this purpose.  So the sales are keeping within the context of the spirituality.  Helping others is a kind of prayer.

If none of those situations apply, you do have a historically valid biblical viewpoint.



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     re: sorry for being away   MSN Nicknamedracony_gimp  9/28/2007 8:40 PM