Jesus and The Tax Collectors

seperate church and state

Bingo!!!!
If there was a prize, Ceili would recieve it. :wink:

I think you'd better do a re-read of the Bible, pistoff. Jesus did not get pissed at any tax collectors in the Temple. He was righteously upset by money-changers in the Temple because they were turning a profit from the poor rubes who came in off the farm to worship at the Temple in the big city of Jerusalem. The message here might be, "Beware of televangelists or anyone else who says you will be saved if you give me a tenth (at least) of all your money."

There are at least two famous stories about Jesus and tax collectors. He was apt to tolerate them as a necessary evil. The most fanous, of course, is the one where some tax collectors tried to trick him into uttering treason by asking whether it was righteous to give money to the oppressors (i.r., the Romans). He asked whose picture is that on the coin. They answered, Caesar's. He said, "Then render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's."

The other story is in Matthew, somewhere around Chapter 22. Very similar moral.

Thank you.
Yeah, it's been many years since I read the good book. Thanks for correction. Turns out the point has been taken with your story though.

The Money Changers
During the time of the New Testament, Jerusalem was under Roman occupation, and Roman money was in common use. The Jewish authorities however required that only Hebrew money was acceptable payment for the Temple tax. So, money changers were allowed to set up tables and benches (the English word bank is derived from the word bench) for themselves in the court of the Gentiles where they exchanged not just local Roman money, but also foreign currency from distant travelers, for shekels. Along with them were peddlers who sold animals, birds and various items for worship and sacrifice.
The money changers profited greatly from the exchange rates that they charged worshipers for shekels to pay the priests, and then from the priests to convert it back into Roman money - they were "cashing in" from both ends. They also profited exorbitantly from loans that they made - with interest rates up to 300 per cent. While there is nothing wrong with capitalism, or providing a useful and convenient banking service, these particular "bankers" were greedy profiteers who cared nothing about using God's Temple, and His worshipers, as a means to get rich.

It was the sight of this Temple "market" that triggered the only recorded incident in the human lifetime of Jesus Christ in which He reacted in a violent manner toward anyone -

"And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the Temple [see Temples] and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the Temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and He would not allow any one to carry anything through the Temple. And He taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." (Mark 11:15-17 RSV)

from:
http://www.execulink.com/~wblank/20000315.htm

What's interesting is that a caveat is made about capitalism and banking (i.e. usury) by the author of this article.

The more things change...


Only now they have radio and tv, news papers and the Net...eh.