「我的殿宇將稱為萬民的祈禱所」（依56:7；路19:46）所以把聖殿管理好，是全心、全靈、全力、全意愛上主天主（10:27）的表現，是履行「最大誡命」，是非常重要的事。由誰來做？當然是司祭了。
雖然天主不食人間煙火，但一磚一瓦是不會從天而降，而是需要真金白銀買來的。聖殿的維修和負責管理聖殿的司祭們的伙食住宿，是需要相當可觀的金錢來維持的。讓商人在聖殿的外圍擺賣，既方便朝聖者，又可以增加聖殿的租金收入，是一個正確的財政方案。至於執行起來，應該交給誰負責督察呢…
司祭們素來不知道自己的錯謬嗎？他們不知道群眾的不滿嗎？朝聖者不是刁民，他們的眼睛是雪亮的，他們是不會無理取鬧的。很明顯，耶穌的清理聖殿行動，是得到耶路撒冷居民和朝聖者的支持（19:48）！
接到了「業績評估」，不但不思改進，反而「設法要除掉」耶穌！可見，司祭們真是心盲了！可惜的是，當今世上，這些司祭並不孤獨，很多當權者也是採取這種不肯面對現實的「滅聲」政策，鏟除「吹哨人」！難道他們這樣天真，「視而不見，聽而不聞」，問題便不存在，問題便會隨著時間而消逝嗎？
主啊！求祢保護執政者的心智，讓他們能認清真理，造福人民。亞孟。
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：Wikipedia
When Embezzlement Happens (Luke 19:45-48)
"My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7; Luke 19:46) Therefore, managing the Temple well is to "love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind" (10:27), doing the greatest commandment. It is an extremely important business. Who should take this duty up? Of course the priests.
Although God doesn't need sacrifices, each brick and stone do not descend from heavens but have to be paid for. The maintenance of the Temple and the livelihood of the priests had to be provided for. The amount was huge. Allowing merchants to do business in the outskirt of the Temple was not only convenient for pilgrims but also increased Temple incomes. It was an appropriate financial arrangement. However, who came to inspect the execution?
When the Son of God came to pre-inspect the Temple, he "proceeded to drive out those who were selling things" (19:45) It was a very negative evaluation of the management of the priests, a warning to what was to descend on Jerusalem. Afterwards, Jesus still came to teach every day in the Temple area (19:47), showing that the Son of God never meant to abandon them. His cleansing was well-intended.
Had the priests never known their own mistakes? Were pilgrims' dissatisfactions unknown to them? Pilgrims weren't hooligans. Their visions were sharp. They weren't troublemakers. Obviously, Jesus' cleansing action was supported by pilgrims as well as inhabitants of Jerusalem (19:48)!
After getting the evaluation report, the priests refused to improve. On the contrary, they sought to put Jesus to death! They were genuinely blind at hearts. Regrettably, the priests were not alone in modern times. Today, many people in power deploy the same policy to silence the whistle-blowers! Are they really so naïve as to believe that denying the problem and the problem will pass away in time?
Lord! Protect the hearts and minds of the people in power. Let them know the truth and serve the good of the people. Amen.
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