Today’s Thought “The Serenity of Michelangelo’s Art” G. Ward John 2 15 And He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” While the travel unto those Jews commemorating Passover only allowed basic articles to be carried with such distance proposed and whereas each family were responsible for an unblemished sacrifice (i.e., a lamb) to Almighty God for His sparing their people while in Egypt; bringing an uncooperative animal wasn’t feasible. Merchants of sorts would anticipate this, selling animals to these religious ones, along with understanding their need for monies exchanged as some would come from distant regions throughout the Roman Empire needing Jewish or Tyrian coinage. Most of these merchants were entirely unfair in their trade practices, taking advantage of God’s vulnerable. Jesus is depicted more for grace and peace than whipping folks behind and whereas many are only consumed with those passages so entirely melodious, it absolutely leaves out HIM as JUDGE (John 9:39). Pleasures now may produce pain later (God will not be mocked!) …