20th Sunday after Pentecost

Jesus is questioned about his actions in the temple the day after he knocked down the tables and let loose the animals that were set aside for sacrifices. Jesus quotes two prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah. "My house should be a house of prayer and you have made it a robbers cave." The priests questioned his authority and in true Rabbinical form answers their questions with another question; "Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?" The Bible is ambiguous concerning animal sacrifices. Meat in all Biblical times, unlike today, was expensive, rare and extraordinary. Animal sacrifices were for the wealthy, regular workers could not afford the extravagance. Torah speaks of animal sacrifices in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Leviticus gives details on what kind of animals to sacrifice and for the specific reasons. Yet, in other places such as Ps. 50. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Micah it is clear that God does not want animal sacrifices but wants righteousness, which is caring for the poor. Jesus walks into a sacrificial system and ceases all sacrifices, thereby, siding with the prophets and showing the sacrificial laws to be false. He references John the Baptist who taught that we should take care of everyone. Jesus puts Tax Collectors and prostitutes in the same room and at the same table. Tax Collectors took what they wanted from the people; they were traitors to Israel and destroyers of Israel. They overtaxed the people and kept the profit. They would grab whatever they wanted, possessions, food, land, children and women. They created prostitutes by operating under their own rules. In short, they were loan sharks and pimps. The problem and solution are at the same table, by bringing the victimizers and the victims together and creating reconciliation. The Tax Collectors and Prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of Heaven together. They will be changes economically and spiritually at the same time. The question is then, sacrifice or sharing? What will happen in Washington this week? Will someone proverbially get it in the neck, or will there be sharing and healing of a very large economic problem. Jesus preaches and teaches sharing, even sharing himself as he did on the cross and as he does in communion. Few congregations spend outside their own four walls. Every congregation must ask as we also must ask, "are we keeping finances for ourselves or are we sharing by giving it away?"