The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-31

-J~sas CI-snsiag the Temple = jobs
A;i3-.a
Especially Arranged rom Peloubct's SotesI
GOLDEN TExT--Msxc not my Fathers acuse
. house Of observation-disclosures :id
THE FIRST YEAR or JESUS PUBLIC AINs-
5RY-A u. q. Third event
THE SECTION includes simply the verse; Of
che lesson
Compare the accounts Of similar cicsslsng
Of the temple three yeS<s sater. at the <.ose Of
HIS ministry recorded in Matthew ss:is, -.
Mark il.i5-i7; Luke s:45. w. Also reference
20 this earlier account ut the trial Of Jesus. In
Matt. 25:59-Si. and Mark 45'-5s-
TIxE-A ID -, at the Passover. April S-iS
PLAcE-Jerusalem: in the temple.
CIRCUNsTASCEs = Jesus has just entered
upon His public ministry. lie has gained fv0
or six disciples who believe that He Is tho
promised Messiah. He has confirmed their
faith and revealed His true nature to them by
the miracle at Cana After that He made =
brief visit to Capernaum. which Was later 10 be
His home and the scene OF many Of His labors
for year and a half, and thon lie returned to
Jerusalem in time to attend the Passover
LESSON MOTIFS
1. Dissertation OF the Temple--VA
Is, Ia l3 And the Jews Passover"
the great annual religious feast of the
Jews 10 which all good Jews were ex-
pected TO come. Sometimes, according
10 Josephus. as many as two million Wis
itors Were present ''Jesus wentup'' from
Capernaum ". I'D Jesus was particu-
lar To attend these great feasts, for
however they were often perverted and
misused by some, they were divinely
appointed services. lie Himself was to
be their fulfillment. And lie could
reach great numbers at that time.
with HIS teaching, and scatter the
seeds Of truth over all countries
IA. And found in the temple:" The
word translated temple signifies not
merely the central edifice, wherein
were the holy place and the holy Of
holies. but that edifice, with all its sur
rounding courts including the court OF
the Gentiles, in which the noisy and
irreverent traders were now busy
American Com. This court had an
area of fourteen acres, and was sep
arated from the inner court by a wall
breast high. and bearing intimations
which forbade the encroachment OF
Gentiles on pain Of death Round this
outer court ran marble colonnades,
richly ornamented. and supported by
four rows of pillars. and rooted with
cedar. affording ample shade to the
traders-Dods. Those that sold oxen
and sheep and doves" The animals
used in sacrifice, very great numbers of
which would be required for the Pass
over and other sacrifices ''Worshipers
coming from remote parts Of the Holy
Land, and from countries be-
yond. found it convenience to be
able to purchase on the spot the
material for various offerings-salt,
meal. oil. frankincense. "-Dods. And
the changers Of money sitting" Money
would be required Q) to purchase
materials for offerings; (a) to present
as free-offerings to the temple treasury
Mark l2:4l; Luke 2ll); t3) to pay the
yearly temple tax of half a sh.kel due
from every jew, however poor. This
could not be received exceptin a native
coin called the temple shekel, which
was not generally current. Strangers,
therefore. had to change their Roman,
Greek or eastern money, at the stalls
Of the money-changers, to obtain the
coin required. This trade gave ready
means for fraud, which was only too
Naclear- The pilgrims
brought with them the coinage of their
own country - Syrian Egyptian.
Greek. as the case might be-and their
money was either not current In
Palestine. or, as being stamped with
the symbols Of heather worship, could
not be received into the corban, or
treasury of the temple" We must
picture to ourselves, in addition to all
the stir and hustle inseparable from
such traffic. the wrangling and bitter
words and reckless oaths which neces-
sarily grew out If it with such people
as the Jews
The excuse was that this was very
convenient for the worshipers and the
traffic was connected with sacred things
and with true worship. Moreover, the
traffic was only in that part Of the
temple into which any heather might
enter, and not in the more sacred por-
tons For similar reasons worldly
thoughts and conversation are allowed
to intrudc upon the Sabbath, and into
hours Of devotion. The good is often
the enemy Of the best" Cattle are
good. but not when they usurp the
place Of worship in the temple Art
and literature are good, but not when
they are substitutes for piety and devo-
ton on the sabbath.
Reasons Why 1t Was Wrong. Turn
ing the temple courts into place OF
merchandise destroyed the very pur-
pose for which the temple was built.
and changed its results into the very
opposite. ti) For the dealers, the spir-
1t of worship was lost Instead OF
praying they were bargaining. In
stead Of worshiping, they were making
money (e) The opportunities for fraud
were very great. The dealers had .
monopoly and could charge such prices
as they pleased. They were trading
with strangers who often did not
know the true values 81 the merchan-
disc. The great crowds made the over
changing much easier. The result was
that the temple court became "a den
OF thieves" Mark l1.17 Dishon-
esty in connection with religion does
much more harm than elsewhere. It
creates unbelievers. II undermines the
power Of religion. II turns men away
| from the truth. f3) The court Of the
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