Sunday Special: Economy of gratuitous gifts.

This is by far my favourite scene in the Bible:

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money-changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ (John 2:13-16)

Jesus is angry because the temple of God became a market place where you buy and sell, where nothing comes for free. And this is completely against the nature of God: the Lamb of God comes to freely take away the sins of the world. You don't need to do anything to be overflowing with gifts from the Father.

Painting by Jeffrey Weston

I believe that this Gospel calls us all to be loving without measure. To stop making calculations whether helping this or that person is profitable. To be open to give up time and resources for others regardless of recognition that might come. Just do the loving thing. This is the only right thing to do. Because the truth is, that we have all been paid off already. 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20)

We are the temple out of which Jesus drives out the sellers and money-changers. We must become the places of God once again. Where the sacrifice of thanksgiving rings out from dawn till night time. I am constantly amazed how much I receive without even asking, and thanking the Lord each evening for specific blessings given in that day makes me realise how much I have and gives me even more reasons to give what I can freely. 

I would like to be more like the woman who has anointed Jesus' feet with precious oil and wiped them with her hair, without any sort of calculation. She has given all that she had most precious. Would I be so generous? I'm often so precious about things that I own, time that I have, words that I use. Every day I need to battle with the tradesman inside of my heart. Looking up at the cross, I see the perfect example of Love which doesn't expect anything in return for its gifts. Be holy as the Father is Holy. Be even a half, a quarter as generous as He is.