Today’s Gospel passage comes from the Gospel according to Matthew where we read:

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself”?’ He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea”, it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’ (Mt. 21:12-22).

The house of God is a place of prayer for all people; however, during Jesus’ day, the Temple became a place of business, where the money changers ruled, exchanging Temple currency to make money for themselves by banking on the faithful people’s devotion.  This was wrong, and Jesus called them on it.  He exhibited “righteous anger,” that being, anger in accord with divine or moral law, a justifiable decision or action, an action which arises from an outraged sense of justice or morality.  In short, the money changers were using people for their own enrichment, and Jesus acted accordingly.  You and I should strive to make God’s house a place where all people may come and find rest.

Let us pray:  Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

SUMMER ART CLASSES begin this Saturday.

PLEASE REMEMBER EVERONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, and for all of those who have left this life marked as Christ’s own, especially Nora Makowski who died 8 years ago this week, and all of those whom we know and who have died: Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servants.  Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, sheep of your own fold, lambs of your own flock, sinners of your own redeeming. Receive them into the arms of your mercy,  into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550