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Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
Righteous anger. My dad recently came to visit me from upstate New York. I thought it was important for him to stay at a nice hotel close to me. I found one, La Quinta.
On his very first night he noticed water dripping from the ceiling and into his bathroom. The amount was so much it made it impossible for him to get a good night sleep. So at 4:00 am he moved from one room to another. When I found out, I immediately went to the front desk to complain. The hotel manager promised me a full refund at checkout. When that day arrived, there was no refund.
Today, I am still working on it.
Now if something like this had happened to me before I became a priest, I can honestly say this issue would have been settled long ago. Why? Because I would not have held back. I would have made a scene. And believe me: I know how to make a scene, for I have seen how to make a scene with my very own eyes.
"Sorry, sir, there is nothing we can do." That's what the ticket master said to me after they (American Airlines) announced my flight had been cancelled. "Oh, darn", I said. And I said it very politely. I walked away with my head down, not knowing what to do. The next person in line was told the same exact thing. But this passenger demanded in a very loud tone of voice that they book him on another flight. I turned around and looked at him and thought to myself, "What a fool! Why insist? 'There is nothing they can do.'"
How stupid I was.
The man left with a dozen free meal tickets and a hotel room. And even with that, he said, "You haven't heard the last from me."
I couldn't believe it!
Politeness or pansism. Are you a pansy? Do you let people take advantage of you? Do you hide your pansism with politeness?
If people can take advantage of you, they will! If they don't feel any pressure to give you something, they won't!...even if you deserve it.
The Church. Back in the 1960's the Church opened herself up to the world. With love she reached out to others...and got her spine broken.
When did Catholics become so spineless? When did we lose our will to fight for what is right, good and holy?
"Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things...And every day he was teaching in the temple area."
He cleaned out the place and made room for himself! He got what he wanted.
The Lord knew He was right. The Pharisees knew He was right. Those who where selling things knew He was right. When you're right, you're right!
Do you know you're right?
Jesus' righteous anger was because of His Father. Jesus was protecting His Father's House, His Father's Spirit within that House as He wants us to do with ourselves. He was not protecting Himself. If anything, He was one step closer to setting Himself up for death.
ReplyDeleteJesus didn't fight fire with fire. He fought with Love, dying to Himself.
I'm writing anonymously so you won't have righteous anger with me! :) :)