Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Week(s) (02/10/11)
-
TITLE: The Anger of Jesus this Week | Previous Challenge Entry
By Japhet Mphande
02/14/11 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
This week, I am reminded of what everyone does. Even children are not spared from this. Jesus Christ himself publicly demonstrated this. The Bible too gives a green light to this but with warning of how far you can stretch your anger – Ephesians 4:26.
It was during this week that Jesus was overpowered with anger in public and in a sacred place, the temple. With one man, the situation turned electric as his anger sent shocking waves to sellers and buyers in the temple.
An old Jewish woman, probably in her seventies selling tomatoes and onions only saw a young boy, aged 13, somersaulting over her selling tables. The boy was quickening his moves to free from possible danger. The old woman gazed the boy as he continued to shovel himself in the turned-out market square.
Soon it was a large crowd wiggling over and through the tables. At this point the lady noticed something was badly wrong. The horde was freeing from one man, Jesus, wielding a large sjambok. Birds of the air were freed and so were animals in the temple.
The sound of coins in pockets sounded. Another sound was that of them dropping on the floor as these sellers in an illegal place were seen as brigands by Christ.
Within a fraction of a second the temple’s floor was littered with salad vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers), root vegetables (carrots, beetroots, turnip but a few), cabbages, shallots, broccoli, rape, okra. There were also peas and beans. Berries were also on the floor. A great danger for the masses came from avocados and bananas. Many who stepped on them slipped and some were trampled upon.
The merchandise was great. The temple had turned into a great market too. They made great profits in God’s house. As people trickled into Jerusalem for the Passover, the profits of traders tripled. In modern day, it would have been a supermarket.
Recently, I visited a “spiritual supermarket” they call it a praying centre, they don not call it a church any more. It is manned by a ‘profita’ nothing in common with the word prophet. But as they welcomed me, they told me together with other visitors to remain. We were treated with refreshments. After that we received a price chart, with the profita himself explaining the bills. I got perplexed.
There was a charge for casting out demons, that charge depended on the language the demons were speaking as well as the number. Phew…! I whistled to myself. Blessings had another charge and the list went on to healing. This was categorized. HIV/Aids prayer treatment was very expensive, almost unaffordable by local standards. There was also another charge for those who wanted to be preached to other than on the profita’s designated days of preaching.
But I am reminded that Matthew 10:8 (NIV) says, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, 37 drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Acts 8:18-20 knowing how tricky the heart of man is and how bribery and corruption continues surrounding us Peter is a model there.
Phew…! I wonder, this week if Jesus was here, what would he do to this profita? He is not the only type. Many people have found themselves paying for services offered by some servants of God. Many more have various unclear ways of merchandizing what God has given them to advance in His Kingdom. This week, I still wonder! Where is the strong Jesus this weak? Is he weak to drip out such men in his kingdom today? I wonder.
© 2011 606 words
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.