Religious Corruption

Scripture to Read:
- John 2:12-25 NAS
- Jeremiah 7:1-15 NAS
- Matthew 21:12-13 NAS
- Mark 11:15-17 NAS
- Luke 19:45-47 NAS

In a Bible Study that I help lead, we have been studying the Gospel of John. We just recently finished talking about Chapter 2 and thought I would share a couple of things that really stood out to me. I hope that there are something that can help you in your walk with God.

In the John passage, we Jesus going to Jerusalem for the Passover. This is a celebration of the miraculous way that God lead the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt (Exodus 20 NAS). It is a very significant celebration for the Hebrew people. Not only was it a miraculous leading out of bondage of slavery, but God used it to point us to when He would eventually lead us out of bondage to sin (something I will discuss in detail at another time). In reading the Old Testament, one will see that animal sacrifices played a very, very important role in the Jewish worship.

With the sacrifices, God called His people to bring an animal without blemish (not sick, lame, injured, etc.). Why might this be? Because the animal sacrifices were to 'cover up' our sins, it was to be something that cost us. Just as the sins that we commit cause damage in our relationships with God and with others, making amends should not 'be cheap.' Ever have someone do something wrong against you and then apologize in such a way that you questioned their sincerity? In a way, that was how bringing 'damaged goods' for a sacrifice to God would be. Think about it, how sincere do you think God would see you if you kept animals that were healthy and only brought the 'left overs' or that which was of little value to you? I talk about this idea a little more in depth in my blog entry concerning Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, “Cost of Discipleship.” Because God knows our thoughts and attitudes, this is something important to keep in mind.

Because of the danger of people not bringing their best for offerings, the religious leaders during Jesus time provided animals for sacrifice. Now, having animals available would be helpful to people in two ways. First of all, it would ensure that animals that met the “without blemish” aspect were available. Secondly, for some people who had to travel long distances to make sacrifices at the Temple, this would be a good option. Travelers would not have to worry about the animal(s) they brought for their sacrifice becoming sick or injured on the way. However, instead of having animals available for people to buy, people were only allowed to use the animals that they provided. And, the Pharisees could charge what ever price they wanted.

Because Roman money had a picture of Caesar, who was considered to be a god of sorts, the religious leaders did not want that money in the Temple. Nor did they want that kind of money being used to purchase animals for sacrifice. (See these articles on 'money changers:' here and here). God's intent was that the Priests would live off of parts of certain sacrifices and off of the money collected yearly. Instead of being content with how God wanted to provide for them, they chose to force people to give them more money.

In the Jeremiah passage, two things were being addressed. One was the Jewish people's trusting the presence of God's Temple for their protection. The Jewish people believed that since the Temple, where God dwelt, was in Jerusalem, God would protect them so that it would not be destroyed. However, God told them through Jeremiah that this was not the case. God would not protect them merely because of the presence of His Temple was there. He would Divinely protect them because of their devotion to Him and following His Laws. In short, the Jewish people were making an idol out of of the Temple building and the sacrifices. Instead of genuine repentance of sin and seeking to whole-heartily follow God, they went through the motions of religious worship.

A large portion of the Priests during Jeremiah's time were spiritually corrupt. God's intent was that the Priests were to be the moral and religious leaders to God's people. Because they were not correcting the people and were leading corrupt lives themselves, God viewed them as being like robbers. The thing is, the Hebrew word, פריץ (pronounced per-eets') is better translated as 'violent one, breaker, robber, murderer' (). Pretty harsh, huh? You might be wondering how this may tie in to what Jeremiah and Jesus addressing in their respective situations. I will try to clarify that.

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly referred to idolatry a spiritual form of adultery. One has to remember that covenants (a legal kind of agreement) was, and still is, very important. We see time and again God making a covenant with a person or a people (for example, Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew people). A covenant has to have two or more people or groups come together to agree on the benefits and consequences for a given covenant. With Israel, God promised to not just protect them if they were obedient to Him, but that He would richly bless them. In contrast, if they chose to disobey God, He would bring about a variety of punishments. When the nation of Israel came into being, the Priests were charged with leading worship and being the moral compass of the nation. When they became corrupt, the people in turn followed and became corrupt. Although we are all human and make mistakes, there is a difference between unintentionally leading someone astray and purposely doing so.

In Jeremiah's time, many of the Priests were not executing or teaching God's justice. They were seeking their own selfish aims. One aspect was teaching that because the Temple was in Jerusalem, the Hebrew people would be protected. Between this belief, allowing idolatry (worship of Baal and other foreign gods), and perverting justice, God saw them as being no better than violent thieves and murderers. Although they may not be actually committing armed robbery or murderer to the physical body, they were not teaching the people of Israel how to obey God. They were, in fact, leading them astray with false teachings. So, in a very real sense, they were committing these heinous crimes of armed robbery and murder in a spiritual form. They were preventing the people of Israel from repenting of their sins and returning to God. Not just that, but they were often receiving bribes for perverting justice. In leading the Hebrew people astray, they were preventing the people of having a relationship with God. This would, in turn, further their spiritual bondage and prevent them from being reconciled to God. Therefore, they would continue to be 'dead in their sins' instead of being 'alive' by having a healthy relationship with God.

When the Pharisees and Sadducee did similar things during Jesus' time, it starts to make sense why Jesus would reference Jeremiah's speech. Although theologians differ on which religious holiday it was that Jeremiah did his speech in Jeremiah 7, it is very possible that it could have been the Passover. If it had been during Passover in Jeremiah 7, then it makes more sense for Jesus to quote him while he is driving out the money changers and those selling animals. Although the passage in John does not refer to the people that Jesus drove out as 'robbers,' the authors of Matthew, Luke and Mark do. The word that they use is λεστες (pronounced lace-tace'). The meaning of that Greek word is 'a robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand.' All of these words have a sense of someone using force to take things from someone else.

You are probably wondering how this might apply to each of us. When a person is entrusted with the care of someone else, it is important that he or she execute that role in a responsible manner. This is reflected in the Jeremiah and Gospel passages shows how important it is to God. In all of the above passages, God had very harsh words for the religious leaders who were leading His people away from Him. Their role was extremely important. They were to teach God's chosen people how to obey God. In obeying God, they would experience life (being spiritually connected to God and receiving His blessings). Instead, the religious leaders were teaching disobedience to God. This, in turn, prevented the people from returning to Him. It wasn't that they were not fulfilling their calling as caretakers, they were using their position for their own gain.

Every society has laws for people to live by. Whether in the military or the civilian world, we have laws governing how people are to lead others. The leader is charged with taking care of those he or she are responsible. Whether is a parent responsible for the upbringing of a child, a teacher charged with correctly instructing his or her students, or a police officer in charge of the public's safety, there are consequences for not doing their job. Whether by negligence or on purpose, those who do not fulfill their position of responsibility are to be held accountable. It is the same for those that God has charged with the spiritual well-being of His people. God will hold each of us accountable for how we shepherd His people. For all leaders, we can do great harm physically, emotionally, economically, etc., when we make the wrong decisions. Some consequences can be short-term or long-term. But for those of us that God has called to shepherd His people, our bad decisions can have eternal consequences. We must always keep this in mind, seeking God's insight and strength to lead His people in ways that honor Him. Though we are human and make mistakes, we must not purposely chose to lead His people astray. Do you not want to receive God's blessings for obedience? I know that I do. Let us earnestly seek to lead with integrity, with compassion, and to lead people to God and not away.