The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-25

Jesus Cfennzes the Temple.
The Lamb OF the marriage scene at
Cana suddenly becomes q Lion In the
presence Of the gross proclamation OF
His Fathers house. He who adorned
and beautifed that innocent domestic
incident with His presence and first
miracle. that He wrought, has now an
aspect terrible in the extreme He
smites the earth with the iron ROD OF
HIS mouth. and before the fan in HIS
hand to chaff the flies away.
A scandalous sale Of privilege to
merchants and others to unlawfully
block ade the city sidewalks of New
York was not long since unearthed.
A corrupt hierarchy was doing some
thing like that in the temple. For q
ixed price, or q per centum on the
sales, they were allowing the traffick-
their wares. The growth was by All
most imperceptible degrees The ma
tional conscience. cailous though 1t
was. would have resented a wholesale
Introduction of the market. Located,
too, as Il was in the least sacred part,
the court of the Gentfles, and partak-
Ing as 1t did of the nature Of an In
suit to the foreign-born. It gave the
least possible offense to the native
Jews.
So for gain the temple is fmetamor-
phosed into stockyard. Bleating
lambs drown the sound of the tinkling
bells on the fringe of the high priests
robe, and the lowing of cattle completes
with the antiphonai chanting OF the
priests. The sweet incense of the
golden censor is neutralized by the
malodors incident to a cattie-pen.
Above all rise the piercing tones, the
excited chaffering of the buyer and
the seller. and the money-monger con-
tending for his ave per centum. No
7r.sh4 81 sf1nrNh1nfQ AVallRG
themselves of the presence of worship
pers from foreign parts to expose for
sale articles that had not even the
poor excuse OF slight connection with
the temple service. So the temple
had become noisy, filthy place At
It should be pervaded by a holy calm
and quiet. It was really characterized
BY the greatest and profanest con-
fusion. Marnmon had supplanted God
in His own sanctuary.
OF his proclamation Jesus had been
the silent observer on His annual Wis
it's to JersuaIem. 1t was no late dis
coyery on His part. His indignation
was all the more terrible because it
had been so long pent up. How this
Galilean peasant could single-handed
expel the horde Of trafflckers who had
attached themselves to marble pillar
and atessellated floor with the tenacity
Oh DaTnaCleS, mas D6en udlIcT VI
prise to some who have sought SUI
pernatural explanation, and have sup
posed that Jesus was aided by q sud
den outbeaming of His Divinity. No
doubt Jesus face and carriage were
majestic, and His voice authoritative;
but 1t must be remembered He was
dealing with lot of conscience
ards. They were perfectly aware of
the illegal and sacrilegious character
of their business. Again, there were
many devout souls who had long been
outraged by these time-honored
abuses. They rejoiced to see the
standard set up, and gladly lent a
hand to aid in the expulsion,
The startled temple authorities re-
gain their equilibrium, and set upon
Jesus as He stands there in the midst
of the temple He had made pure and
quiet once more. They display that
pitffuI folly which always afterward
characterize their attacks upon Him.
They dare not raise a question as to
the business of the thing done. Was
not that very business OF the, thing
done a sufficient credentiaI Of the doer?
1t was ridiculous to ask. for an addi-
tional sign. They betrayed the pow
erty Of their resources in ding so.
All through His ministry, even as
He hung on the cross, Jesus was I'M
portuned for a sign; but He never
once worked a miracle on demand.
On this occasion He responded with a
paraboIic saying, the meaning OF which
unfolded itself to friend and foe alike,
on the occasion of His resurrection.
Like many of Jesus sayings, this had
both a literal and hgurative meaning.
The literal referred to His BODY, which
the Jews did destroy, and which Jesus
raised three days later. The spiritual
meaning might be brought out in a
paraphrase: Continue to destroy this
temple BY deliberate proclamation of 1t,
and out OF 1t. as from a decaying
husk. 1 wi1l raise the living stalk of
My Church"