JESUS AND THE MERCHANTS BY MUTIE OSCAR GHITTO

i read the bible while my mind was trying to visualize and digest what was being fed into its stomach. i let myself shift back in time, so that i was a member of Jesus crowd. i saw myself following him everywhere, like his shadow. i want to think of myself as peter, so that i won't miss any incident. And it pays. Everywhere the Lord goes I follow him. There is this particular time when i see us entering into the temple. Jesus is leading the flock, like good little children, we copy each and every gesture he does. I bet its because we want to identify with him, therefore mimicking becomes our nature. I am at the crowds' rare, trudging forward when i unexpectedly hit my brother before me. "sorry Batholomew" i utter, with a sad face to give meaning to my words lest i be judged a good hypocrite. It occurs to me that our Lord has halted. I admonish myself for being so absent minded. Its not the nature of Peter. "Peter, hand over my whip" the words hit my now attentive ears. I instantly fumble into my bag and hands him over a long smooth whip, so that he whips the merchants out of the church. Just a glance at his face and i can read fury and disappointment. I then ask myself, is this the Jesus i know? so he can get angry.I bet i should be careful from now on. It is this event that gets me into thinking, the fountain that issues forth sweet water can also issue forth bitter water. You never know. Jesus whipped merchants out of the church, he could as well have embraced them. But he did not. Because there are extremes. Because the word of God is not a play ground. lets therefore not cheat ourselves that generations are changing, they are but the word of GOD still remains the same. When i take a glance at the book of Ecclesiastes...."enjoy the days of your youth, before the days come when you say you do not enjoy life anymore because you are old. But remember you shall be judged by your actions." its pretty clear. Every thing is in black and white. You don't have to still in order to resonate with the thief, in order to show him you know how you feel, if our Lord had done that, i too would have stolen so that i resonated with thugs. BUT OUR LORD REBUKED MERCHANTS.Am not holy. Am emulating Christ who told me to rebuke certain attitudes. The bible has been very clear on its message. The sinful woman was forgiven, so that we would be taught the art of forgiveness for we are all sinners. Its therefore unfortunate to manipulate this lesson to fit our whims. It goes against bible the politics.In the letter of Paul to the church at Corinth, (Corinthians) Paul is addressing several problems relating to the new church. Among them bad blood among Christians. The issue of sex has also been thoroughly addressed. Let those who have ears listen, Adultery, fornication, masturbation, bestiality, homosexuality name them is wrong and condemned. Paul puts this message rather blankly. I did not read somewhere where Paul sleeps with someones wife so as to resonate with adulterers. He instead rebukes the act. Why don't we emulate him?