JESUS, BANKERS & MERCHANTS

Thank God another orgy of consumer spending and self gratification on the occasion of Christmas is over. Even Boxing Day has been perverted. The original Spirit of it was to give the surplus of gifts and food to those less fortunate in our midst, but it has turned into more self indulgent spending where people do selfish, crazy things to get at the stuff first.

The Bankers, the Merchants and the Corporate media they own are doing their utmost to get Jesus out of Christmas while Christmas sales make or break their merchandising year. They love to see the people rack up huge bills on their Bank credit cards and make the minimum payment.

What has happened to the people these last 2000 years? At the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in Palestine, the Angels proclaimed ‘Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will to Men.’  Peace is no longer valued in this world as War is the way of the Future because there is not much Good Will left between people and Nations.

WARFARE WITHOUT LIMITS: A DARKENING HUMAN HORIZON

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14

At the end of His life, Jesus was arrested, tortured and crucified in Jerusalem after 3 years of struggle with the Jewish religious leadership in Judea and Samaria, known to the world Today as the Occupied West Bank in the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. His final Public humiliation of leadership in the HQ of the Jewish religion was the straw that broke the camel’s back and they were determined to eliminate Him.

The Priests of the Jewish Temple had a cozy relationship with the Bankers and Merchants operating out of the Temple Property. Like the Muslims in Mecca Today, in those days all the Jews living in the Diaspora of the ancient world had to make a Pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a vibrant bustling city filled with activity.

As part of the ritual, those many Jewish Pilgrim-tourists had to make a gift offering to God in care of the Priests of the Temple. Because it was for God, only the best as approved by the Priests were kosher. It was the Priests who eventually consumed all the burnt sheep, other food gifts and the merchandise the people offered as Gift Offerings to God.

Because the Jews of the Diaspora had the currencies of their own lands, they 1st went to the money changers (banks) where their money was exchanged for the special “Temple currency.” It was with this kosher money they could buy the kosher merchandise from the merchants who rented their stalls on Temple Property from the Priests. The same merchandise and gift offerings to God could be had for half the price in the streets of Jerusalem.

With a little imagination I could see ancient Jerusalem teeming with people in the Temple and on the narrow streets daily as we see in Ottawa only on CanaDa Day.

Jesus arrives on this scene and obviously freaked out.  I don’t mean that in any pejorative sense. As he violently overturned all the Banker and Merchant tables, it was in righteous indignation. That’s what got Him busted then, and would get anyone busted doing the same thing Today

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but you have made it a den of thieves.
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Mark 11:15-18

In this world where Trust is broken down and Truth is fallen in the Streets, with thieves rampant in high places and low, the People still have not recognized the Spiritual symbolism of Christ being crucified between two thieves.

No one needs God, any other Judge or anyone to tell them being ripped off for anything is bad when it happens to you. Knowing that, there is a mentality these Days everyone is doing it so why not spread it around? This attitude on the part of the people from the greatest to the least leads to destruction,

Who would dare to speak Truth to Power these Days?

Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.
But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one inch to his height?
And why take thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles/Atheists seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:19-34

IMAGE OF THE BEAST