In John's gospel and in chapter two, we read that our Lord was cut and torn when he saw his Father's house - had become a place to trade, a place to commercialize, a place to merchandise, a place to get gain, and a place to transact for the buying of goods ( John's gospel differentiates from that of Luke and Matthew, in that it uses this word... " merchandise " )
And further he also refused access to anyone who sought to bring "a vessel" into the house of God.
Not only that - but we see he braided a whip together and brandished and whipped it around, and with spiritual violence he then tipped over the tables of them sitting at trade, and flat-out just threw them out, telling them as they left. you shall not make this place, a place to trade and get yourselves gain !!!
Titus calls THAT STUFF - "FILTHY LUCRE"
YES JESUS told them in no uncertain terms that his Father's house, was to " be a house of prayer"
But ye - have made into a den of theives, and into that of commerce, and into that of industry, and merchandised it through - your transcating on tables, and in your exchanging of selling and buying.
After this amazing event occured - Then remembered his disciples that it was written, in the book of the psalms " the zeal of thine house has... eaten me up "
Today we have those who define the church by saying: it is a " business " ( end quote )
Man 'O man - what a superficial and terribly lame understanding of what the church is, and what the church represents, and what the role and function of Christ's church... in the community is !!
It's "almost" border-line - to an apostate view of what the church is, and how the body of Christ ( the church ) should be "defined"
Paul preached the church is Christ's body, and that we are - members in particular.
So What all - do you think out there ??
Personally i think Jesus would drive out these
people that flog goods and stuff on there porches foyer- entrances, setting-up there own tables of merchandise, and there own stalls of buying and selling ( how is today's church trade of raffling this and raffling that, all of the fund raising itemizing, and the selling of trinkets, trivia items etc etc ) any different ?? i ask you ?
This is a repeat of John chapter two my friends
Jesus said they made merchandise of his father's house - on that day, around 2000 years ago !!
And history is indeed repeating itself today in this way !! :-(
What a sham and disgrace - and worse the lack of discernment on my part and your part, and the churches part - to not recognize this trading and commercializing of the gospel, with all of it's paraphanalia ...ad-infinitum, ad-nauseam.
Jesus must be embarrassed when people answer by definition of what the church is: when they reply with this answer " the church is a business "
shame on us, and shame on us for not knowing the church is his people and his body, and we are his temple and his lively stones, and we are salt and light in the community !!
A beacon and a kingdom of light to a dark world,that is kept in darkness... because to sin.