I have so many thoughts right now it feels like I have no thoughts. Everything is jumping around and it is hard to get them to sit still. One thing this year that I had forgotten was my star word from church. It was purpose and I am not sure I have found my purpose yet or I found it and lost it along the way.
Speaking of church something interesting came out of that yesterday. We got back to watching the Chosen and started with a scene not found in scripture that is trying to add context to the money changers at the temple. In some ways this scene can be confusing for modern people. The historical context is mostly lost to modern minds.
The concept of money changer is radically different. Most people don’t encounter money changers that often. Especially now that AmEx doesn’t even issue travelers checks anymore and your debit and credit cards work just as good around the world, but even with that very few people encounter money changers outside of airports.
Reading about money changers outside a temple becomes even more confusing when the other lost practices enter like sacrifice and that era’s view on atonement. There is so much cultural memory that has been squeezed out by time that a true understanding of many bible passes are difficult.
The money changers is a perfect example. There is the surface reasoning that Jesus was upset that business was being conducted on temple grounds at all, that the concept of money is upsetting to Jesus, that Jesus is upset at the corruption of middle men, or that the scene is symbolic and the sacrifices themselves are no longer needed as Jesus is taking their place.
There are a lot of ways to read that, but what makes it even more interesting is diving into how the temple rules and the money exchange works. The temple tax had to be paid in shekels and the temple preferred the shekels with the highest silver count. The money changers would change the currency of other provinces and the empire for the shekels and charge a fee for their service.
If you take a second to think about it this is similar to the practice of the church that Martin Luther was upset by. The context clues it ads to the story are also interesting but I am not sure it really answers the burning question behind the scene and my guess it the anger is aimed deeper and higher at the chief priest and the general corruption and collusion of temple leadership.
David Huzzard Writes 