The Stewardship Of Temple Space [#3] (John 2:13-22)

The kingdom’s like a merchant man, the kingdom’s not a market;
Christ cleared the temple made of stone, its market was His target;
“A house of prayer, this temple is, My zeal for it consumes me;
A den of robbers’ what it is, you’re blind so you can’t see it. []

In all the gospel pages, note, just He calls God His ‘Father’
(Except when Philip asks He show them ‘Father ‘– what a bother!);
The Pharisees? Already gone – from Temple to the market,
And daily life – “Let’s plug it in – apply the word – let’s start it.”

But Jesus knew the temple’s role, foreshadowing His journey,
From start of ministry for Him, ’till death with no attorney;
So when they asked – “Authority – from whence it comes this morning?”
He said, “Just kill Me you will see, I’ll rise – take that as warning!”

Disciples (rag-tag band just then), in Him put little credence,
’Till later when He rose to life (then marveled at His prescience);
“This temple” would much later go to rubble in rebellion;
“This temple” (Christ), would rise again with nations – numbers swelling –

God’s Temple – now no limits stop all nations from approaching;
It’s “outer courts” quite infinite, with “holy” not encroaching;
Up ’till that time, the central part was where Divine was dwelling;
But curtain keeping people out was rent (see later telling).

So here we have first saying of “I am” from lips of Jesus –
“I am the temple – you can’t see – the Spirit, that’s what frees us;
When Spirit of the living God gets in us, as in Eden,
 Then we’re the temple God designed, and we obtain our freedom.

No longer kept at garden’s gate, by curtain in the temple,
The Spirit comes and dwells in us, for space in us is ample;
“Now object of the Pharisees is possible”, says Jesus,
“Just let God’s Spirit rule your life from inside – that God pleases”.

But let’s now take a second look, have we become a “market”?
Not “merchant man” – for that’s okay – but has the other started?
That central spot, that holy spot, called “us”, and “I”, – our “being”,
Is it now just a marketplace which others now are seeing?

Or is it now a central hub, a little touch of heaven?
Which moves about throughout the world like seed, and light, and leaven;
All nations gathered round us as we go about our living,
Encountering God’s Spirit-flow through us His life-blood giving?

For if it is, then folks will ask, like Phil – “Show us the Father;
That we might die to shallowness, to others be less bother;
How can I have His life within, as center of my being?
Like Christ, then you, please tell me how – just say, for I’m believing.”

So let Christ drive the marketplace, consumption, from your center,
For you’ve been turned from House of Prayer to market where now enters
All manner of corruption, to the point that’s what is driving
Your life and being – mean and mean is how you do your striving.

Don’t get me wrong, for merchant men in ways are like in heaven;
It’s “marketplace within yourself” that spreads bad kind of leaven;
Your body, life, from head to toe, is where God could be dwelling,
Then from your life as merchant man, a flow of life is welling.

So here we are, two cubic feet of earth where God has presence,
Directing all we say and do – much better than His absence.
“Prosperity with righteousness” – no way we’ll see the latter
Without God in his Temple – us – without that, nothing matters.

For we, like Christ, can say His words, when asked by those around us –
When they ask, “What authority permits you? Please astound us.”
“I’ll give s sign to you, My friends – destroy this templed blessing,
And I’ll rise up like Phoenix-bird, My source of life confessing”.

Of course, they won’t believe a word you say, while you they’re killing every:
Three crosses on the hill’s ahead, that is, if you are willing
To take the path, the “Way” of Christ, the Truth, the Life of Jesus,
And Spirit-walk your life, in Him, thus do what Father pleases.

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