The Passover was near… as an orthodox Jew,

Jesus does what all religious people do to celebrate a special holiday, he observes PASHA – a night of remembrance.

Remembering that there was a time that his ancestors where in bondage to Pharaoh in Egypt and God delivered them on a night when the angel of death took all first born, both animal and human. On that fateful night they where to paint their doorpost with the blood of the Passover lamb.  It would be a sign for the angel to spare the first born of Israel. . Exodus 12. 7, 11-13.

            So Jesus and his disciples make their way to Jerusalem.

When he got there he went straight to Temple… of which today only West Wall remains. It is called the Wailing Wall. It was into that wall that Barrack Obama inserted a personal prayer that was later made public…

The temple at the time of Jesus was called Herod’s Temple only, Solomon’s Portico was still in tact.

It was in the courtyard of the Gentiles that the merchants set up their booth for trade. .

             Jesus saw the biggest YARD sale of all time. Cattle, sheep, goats, birds and of course the money changers.

In those days a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a journey of a lifetime. And when you got there you would want to make an offering… Jesus had been there only once before with Mary and Joseph’s young boy…

He got into some hot water when after three days journey they realized that he was not among his kin and so they went back looking for him. He got into hot water again, as we soon learn.

            When folk show up for worship some preacher passes the offering plate. In those days it was no different, except that the offering was a sacrifice of a sheep, or bull… all depending on the nature of the sin and the size of the penitents wallet.

            Since people came great distances, it was not always convenient to drag a sheep or goat along . . .

I recall when we came to America and lived on a farm in Tennessee. .

            “Born on a mountain top in Tennessee… “Davie,                 Davie Crockett King of the wild frontier” That was my battle cry as my brother and I combed the hillside for a few black angus cows that my father decided would provide us with milk each day.. They where free range cattle. 

            The two of us would set out each evening looking for cattle and prayed that we would locate them before it was dark. Once we found them we heard them back to the barn. Some days we where more successful than others. … it was no easy job.

I don’t think anyone ever told my dad that black angus are not milk cows.

            It was no easy job herding sheep and cows in Jesus day either.

So what’s wrong with a cattle auction or sheep shearing on Solomon’s Portico?

Enter the moneychangers.

Remember the OT reading today?

The first commandment – I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of the land of EGYPT – therefore

You shall have no other Gods before me…pull out a dollar.

Whose picture is on this?

            Roman Currency carried likenesses of a long dynasty of Caesars starting with Galaba Caesar and ending with Nero. On the currency in Jesus day was Tiberius son of the Divine Augusts… who is still with us in the 8^th month of the year..

            So, if you where not into herding cattle or sheep but had a wallet full of money – you could buy your offering once you got there . . . call it a temple token;

one that did not have one of the Caesars on it.

            Although we are not told in this Gospel reading there is a strong suggestions that when you gave the money changers a dianarius..

            It was something much less you got back.

I know the feeling…

The last time we were in Germany the Deutsche bank at the Frankfurt Air Port – made my US dollar look like cotton briefs had been dropped into washing machine without the pre-shrunk label. Against The EURO the dollar is only pocket change these days.

So those who came to the temple got less back than they should have.

He told the moneychangers to take their tables and scat. He even helped them along the way.

                        Commercialism in the name of Religion did not start with Pope Leo X when he sold indulgences to fiancé the building of St Peters in Rome and brother Martin had to Suggest that since Jesus had already paid for our Souls with his life, the Pope could not extract an additional price.

                        As Lutherans we shy away from fundraisers in the church.

            There are other reasons as well… like “we give thee but thy own what ere the gift may be. All that we have is thins alone, a trust o Lord from thee… “

There is little doubt that when someone comes to a yard sale and starts beating up on people and turning over tables and that someone is Jesus, he is angry.

            What make you angry? I get angry when I hear about children or animals       being abused. Or for that matter whenever I witness anyone who is weak or vulnerable being taken advantaged of.

            I get angry when I  learn about corruption in Government  - here or abroad.

            I don’t have an MBA and even if I did, I doubt that I could have kept up with he shanegans.. of Wall Street. I am angry that deregulation made it possible.

One of the functions of Government it to protect us. The aftermath of 911 is a tragedy – the aftermath of the collapse of the financial market is a travesty!

            I get angry that the richest country in the world can bail out wall street bankers and does not have he political will  to address the need of 40 million of its own who have  no health insurance.

            I get angry when some religious groups use the Bible to discredit those life style or sexual orientation does not conform to their myopic world view of God grace.

            I get angry in my petty moments when people don’t use turn signals or cut in front of me… or when the Eagles don’t get to the Super Bowl because their defense all of  a sudden decides to sit one out.

             I really, really, get angry with myself  when I don’t speak out to address those things that make me angry..

In the O.T. THERE  are plenty of references to God’s anger..

So God gives his people the 10 commandments to help them get it right.

The Bible is a complex book.  Luther reminded us to pray before we start trying to read it.

            In Jesus day as in our day, organized religion with its overlay of tradition, ritual, liturgy, hierarchy, bureaucracy can get in the way of the Gospel.

 The mainline churches are loosing members while the independent non-denominational churches  are growing.

            But that does not necessarily mean that they have it right and we don’t … Growth does not equate with Gospel.

            I’d like for all of you to get angry.

            Angry enough to re-order your priorities when it        comes to this our on Sundays.

Angry enough to make weekly worship a priority.

Angry enough to make the ministry of MLC the first line item in your budget.

Angry enough  to speak out when you find people who are being discriminate against because of their sexual orientation, nationality, race, gender  or just because the don’t conform to the status quo of what is the norm.

ANGRY  enough  to make MLC a watchword for Cape May…

A watchword for  the place  where you meet Jesus at worship.

Where there are people who love people

A place where we practice what we preach

Where you can find an advocate  for justice, for the homeless for Jesus.. .amen