by dvx
Thu Dec 25th, 2008 at 08:13:15 AM EST
This article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung caught my eye this morning:
| Jesus und die Finanzkrise - Der Zorn Gottes - Politik - sueddeutsche.de | | Jesus and the financial crisis - the wrath of God |
| Nach dem desaströsen Jahr 2008, dem Jahr der geplatzten globalen Gier, möchte man eine andere Krippe aufstellen: nicht die mit den Schafen, Hirten und dem Jesulein-Jesus. | | Following this disastrous 2008, the year of the bursting of global greed, one would like to erect an alternative creche: not the one with sheep, shepherds and the Baby Jesus. |
| Es gibt auch einen anderen Jesus: Der steht mit heiligem Zorn im Tempel, eine Geißel aus Stricken in der Hand, stürzt die Tische um und wirft die Händler und Geldwechsler hinaus, die das "Haus des Vaters" zur Räuberhöhle gemacht haben. El Greco hat diese Szene im Tempel öfter und lieber gemalt als die Geburt im Stall. | | There is another Jesus: He stands in the temple in holy wrath, a scourge of knotted ropes in his fist, upends the tables and casts out the merchants and the money-changers who have made the "house of the Father" into a den of robbers. El Greco painted this scene more often than, and with preference over, the birth in the manger. |
| Womöglich war sie auch den Evangelisten wichtiger. Über die Tempelreinigung berichten sie jedenfalls alle vier - Matthäus, Markus, Lukas und Johannes. Die Weihnachtsgeschichte dagegen steht nur bei Lukas und Matthäus. | | It may well have been more important to the Evangelists as well. At any rate, all four - Mathew, Mark, Luke and John - recount the cleansing of the temple. By contrast, the Christmas story is found only in Luke and Mathew. |
Given how relevant this story is to... well, you can all guess what's coming, can't you:
John 2 King James Bible
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
Some things are so inherently corrupt that not even an infinitely merciful deity can love them: Maybe that's a spiritual bottom line message we want to take with us into the new year.
