Evening star., 1924-08-16

Jesus commenced His public min
istry by dramatically opening a Wig.
orous conflict with the vested inter
ests of His day. His courageous at
tack upon the religious, social, polit-
ical and financial forces, which were
closely interIocked, during the pass
over revealed His mission and power
He became at once an outstanding
public leader, whose activities and
sayings became a matter Of human
interest. He had dared without any
recognized authority to challenge the
control Of the worldly priests right
in the temple, which was the center
Of their national religious life and
the foundation of their political hope
as a people.
Christ selected the passover, when
Jerusalem would be crowded with
worshipers, to make His public en-
trance upon His Messianic mission.
The passover, which was a patriotic
religious festival commemorating the
founding of the nation, attracted
more people to Jerusalem than any
other patriotic or religious observ-
ance- Every Jewish male over IL
WAS expected to be present. For sew
era1 weeks great preparations had
been made to make it success. The
attendance of any crowd always at
tracts a class Of street merchants,
who pressed their wares upon the
masses as they passed by. People
coming from a great distance found
that 1t was impossible to bring their
cattle for sacrificial offerings with
them. SO there grew up at first out
side of the temple a large business
to supply the needs Of the worshipers.
Upon the pretext Of convenience for
those coming from a distance, but
really for personal profit and graft,
the officers Of the temple had permit
ted cattle dealers, money changers
and vendors Of sacrificial goods-sa1t,
meal, frankincense and oil-to enter
within the sacred precincts OF the
temple and sell their goods, which were
required in connection with the burnt
offerings Of the temple.
C0mmercialised Religion CONDEMNED
Ever since Jesus had first entered the
sacred edihce, which He called His
Fathers house, He had been impressed
with tho way commercialized religion
was profaning the temple Of Jehovah.
The encroachments had been SO gradual
that the slow growth Of the custom,
which was robbing the temple OF the
spirit OF worship and reverence, may
have blinded the eyes Of the masses as
we'll as those in authority, who did not
share in the graft connected with sales
within the court Of the Gentiles, so that
they did not notice it's moral significance.
Cabot has pointed out that worship
IS ono of the four pillars Of life.
"Anything that brings worldly meth
DDS and spirit into the house of God
rapidly changes tho very atmosphere
of Gods house." 1t will crowd out
the religious element and make the
material dominate the spiritual and
the temporal tho eternal. Tho Master
knew that the permission of the
barter and sale of cattle, doves and
the essentials for the sacrifices was
controlled by q trust. whose power
with the inspectors was so great that
they could assure the worshiper that
any saorificial goods purchased from
them would be acceptable. This
supply business had grown until 1t
has been estimated that a business
Of at least q third Of q million dollars
was transacted annually in connec-
ton with the feastS The temple
authorities had a corner upon the
market for sacred coins that each
Jew w10 required to secure to pay
annually into the temple treasury as