Lazy sacrifices
Jewish law required that people bring an animal to sacrifice when they came to the Temple. They were supposed to pick the best from the flock to sacrifice. Instead, by the time Jesus went to the Temple, it had become custom that people who did not want to make the journey with their sacrifice (people walked from up to 15 miles away) or were too poor to have anything to bring would buy a sacrifice at the Temple. This is a problem for several reasons.
1. The money changers often gave a poor exchange rate and the farmers who were selling would charge outrageous amounts. All of this was on top of the Temple tax, which was the equivalent of 3 weeks' wages. This took advantage of the poor.
2. For those who had animals to sacrifice, opting to just purchase a sacrifice at the Temple were portraying lazy worship. They went through the motions because it was the law, but they missed the point.
How many times do we make Christianity an act of convenience instead of offering true sacrifice?
The area where the merchants and money changers had set up was the first area of the Temple, the only place Gentiles were allowed to be. The only image of a relationship with God the non-believers got was one with liars and extortioners. We are often the only picture of a relationship with God that some people see. Do they see our lazy worship and selfishness as the image of God?
Created over 1 year ago
