A House of Trade
How often in the bible to do you see Jesus getting angry? The Pharisees tried to back him into corners, but never could. He was scoffed at and mocked. The ONLY time we ever read of Jesus's anger in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) at the church toward those who turned the temple into a "den of thieves" or a house of trade as in John 2:16. That incident alone should be an example of righteous anger (breaking God's commandments) versus human anger over things like misunderstandings.
Jesus was not mad that the temple was selling a book or a Biblical aid or something. Jesus was upset that the focus was completely turned away from God. People who visited the temple during the Passover had to pay a temple tax (like paying to go to church) and money changers served as the one who could convert Roman coins into "acceptable" currency for the temple offerings and the temple tax.
This is not the same as a tithe or offering. Even in today's times, if I use a foreign bill or coin as an offering or tithe, there shouldn't be anyone there who is working at the church as a foreign cash exchange. That business should be done at the appropriate time and place like at a bank, not during the time of worship to God. When we go to church, we are going to worship God. He is the focus, not the person we find attractive, not the person you want to rub elbows with for political or personal gain. God's word and teaching is the focus.
References- Got Questions and Study Light- Dave Guzik (Section B:1a-d)
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Lost and Found
Just like the scribes and Pharisees who scoffed at many things Jesus did, we can get caught up serving the perceptions of others and even fall victim to assessing the actions of others based on our own beliefs. Now what does that mean? It means that just because others see it as wrong or just because we think it is wrong, it doesn't mean that God thinks it is wrong. How do we know what God thinks? We go to His word.
In Luke 15:2, The Pharisees and scribes were mocking what Jesus was doing. He ate with those who were lost. He ate with those who sinned. Pharisees stayed away from those that were seen as unholy. So, for Jesus to sit with these people, accept them as sinners and eat with them, was taking a shot at how the Pharisees lived and believed.
This is where Jesus comes into our own lives and shows us how we think and how we believe and act is not always in tune with what God wants from us. In verses 8-10, Jesus tells of the parable of the lost coin and a woman who celebrates finding her lost coin. She does not just say "Forget it. It's only one coin." She lights a lamp and looks for that coin until it is found and rejoices in its being found. Isn't that what God does with us? He looks for us until we are found. How many people do you know have a story to tell of how they were lost and then found which includes testimony of how "circumstances and coincidences" came to lead them to Christ? I know a few. I am one of them. I walked away from Jesus years ago and kept getting reminded of him time after time again by family members, classmates, and friends. God was sending messages to me through others in order to bring me a, a lost coin, back to his coin collection.
God cares for us and values us more than birds (Matthew 6:25-26). Since He values us that much, then how can anyone ever think that they don't matter. GOD LOVES YOU! He wants you in His family. Those coincidences are God speaking to you.
If you are lost, you can be found again.
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