Jesus was not one to mince words.
A “spade” to him was not a handy device to dislodge and move bits of earth, creating a small pit or a pile. It was quite simply:
a spade
Matthew 21:12-13 speaks plainly:
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Temple = House of Prayer, reduced to a “den of thieves“.
Pray, who were these thieves?
Men sanctioned by the priests in charge. Who declare that the dove you bring is spotty and the one they sell for double or triple the price or more, is blemishless and the only one acceptable to God to atone for your sins. Likewise, the lambs. Likewise, whatever. John 2:15 makes it clear that there were also sheep and oxen involved in the unfair bargain.
You need local currency to buy these things – maybe even temple money, warranting the exchange of your foreign money. The commission? not the competitive rates you can swing in Singapore street corners.
John also is quite graphic in his description of the means Jesus used to “drive out”. He used a whip of cords. Quite severe, what? Yes, Jesus cannot tolerate wickedness in sacred places.
Ever since Jesus went to the cross for forgiveness of our sins by His vicarious sacrifice, the Church has been looking for opportunities to capitalize on this great remission though conditions of its own invention, quite disregarding that in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace Eph.1:7. The Church started selling indulgences for monetary gain. , According to this theory, an indulgence is a way to reduce the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven! And it played on the gullibility of people. Intermixed with this, was the amorphous concept of purgatory!
On 3 September 2023 the Economic Offences Department of the Madhya Pradesh police arrested the former bishop of Jabalpur, P.C Singh and charged him with criminal breach of trust, cheating, forging documents, and criminal conspiracy while transferring the government land given on lease to the CNI.
The Madras High Court has sentenced the Church of South India Madras Diocese Bishop and two pastors to three months simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,500 each for contempt of court.
Yes, the Temple needs to be cleansed!
Brilliant Judah. My hair on my skin is standing up. I did not know about the CSI bishops contempt of court…i am saddened ….
Yes, it is saddening Arlene