Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-12


not have hesitated if it had become
necessary to use force; for He was
consumed with zeal for His Fathers
house, and forgetting self entirely
would have done anything necessary
TO accomplish the cleansing of that
house and remove the stigma that
had been brought on His Fathers
place. AS He passed the tables He
turned them over.
Can you imagine the wild riot of
that scene? Oxen and sheep run
ming before His blows; men land you
may know how excited Orientals talk
and gesticulate) with tongues, hands
and feet going wildly; money scat
tered everywhere, and the bankers in
the confusion, on the floor, trying
to gather up as much of their pos
sessions as possible! And not one
resisting, if they did resent the com
handing, compelling young Man of
thirty who had so recently left thu
carpenters shop in an obscure vii
lagel
All! 1t was bold, magnificent
manifestation of His claim. BY this
act and the way it was received, He
claimed to be the Son of God and
this house His Fathers. 1t was also
a claim to be the King of the Jews;
for who but their King could claim
and exercise such authority as this
displayed?
Decidedly Sensational
His method was decidedly sensa-
tional. Had it been done yesterday
The Journal would have given it the
front page with 120point headlines;
the best reporter would have been
assigned to this story; interviews
with people prominent in political,
social, religious and financial circles
would have been run: and the leading
editorial of the day would have dealt
with the ACCESSIBILITY of such a course
having been pursued and the proba-
BILE effect it would have on the coun-
try.
1t was evidently then the most dis
cussed topic of the day. Groups Of
men might have been seen eagerly
engaged in conversation Around
every fireside families talked about
it. Some argued that it ought to
have been done before; but suggested
that He might have used milder
methods, 49,. it should have
been called to the attention of the
temple authorities; or petition
should have been circulated or a
group Of men in hoods whose iden-
tity could not be known should have
corrected the abuse; or case should
have been made against these rob
bers and let it take the due course
of the law; or the women should have
organized and passed some resolu-
ton on the subject and cleaned it up.
This discussion eventuated I'M a de-
mand by the Pharisees. They de-
manded of Jesus a sign of His au-
thority to do these things. Had they
had any spark of spirituality lett
they would have seen the sign. The
fact that such things had been al
lowed to go on was the best evidence
that neither priests nor rulers nor
people had any idea that God was
there in that temple. 1t had ceased
to be to them meeting place with
God, His dwelling place. Jesus
course of action had been the sever
est rebuke to them in that they had
all this time been allowing such
things to go on without ever appre'
ciating it, was, or should have been,
sign enough.
Seeing their density of spiritual
appreciation He was in no mood to
throw pearls before swine. He gave
them a sign though; but it was in
such form that it could be discern
ed only by those of spiritual capac-
ity. Destroy this temple" He said,
land l will raise it up in three days. y
None, not even His disciples, under
stood it then. But three years later
when at this very feast they turned
Him over to the Roman authorities,
because He was still making the
claim to be Gods Son. and proving
it, to be crucified; and when in three
days He was raised from the dead
His disciples understood that He had
spoken Of the temple Of His body
and believed the words He had
spoken.
His death and resurrection are still
the sign of His authority, of His
claim to vindicate His Fathers hon
or, to cleanse His Fathers house.
There are many today who do not
understand Him any better than
those Jews did then, for they are
utterly devoid of spiritual apprecia-
ton. Life with them is merely the
doing of this, the not doing of that
mere form. But God intended
that our lives as we'll as our wor-
ship shall be full of Himself, that
without Him all is mere form and
worthless. How far has your wor-
ship degenerated into mere formal
ity, be you Presbyterian or Method,
list or Baptist or Epscopalian or
! what not?
Notice that Jesus did not clean
up Jerusalem, although there were
undoubtedly many abuses there that
needed cleansing. 1t was His F'a-
theirs house that He cleansed. God $
habitatiOn today is the church-and
it needs one with consuming zeal
for His house to cleanse it from it's
unnoly traffic and merchandise, it's
tormality, its lack of spiritual ap-
! probation, its dependence on men
and mems plans instead of on God
and His will and method
Maybe YOU shall be the instru-
mont in Gods hands of removing the
insults to your Fathers house in
your circle of influence. But it will
take zeal that will consume you-an
| holy enthusiasm that will hurn nm