Trusting Money Changers?

Trusting Money Changers?

If you follow my work at all you have an idea that I’m not a fan of the bankers. As we learned in 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The bankers certainly have a love of money. Maybe the only time during the stories of the New Covenant in the Bible we see Jesus Christ get violent is when the “money changers” are occupying the outer ring of the Temple. This was as close as the gentiles were allowed to the Holy of Holies. This was also where the “money changers” generated enormous wealth for the “high priest” of the Temple. Jesus actually referred to this space as a “den of thieves”. I couldn’t agree more. These “thieves” are still occupying space in our lives today the only difference is the location of the “den”.

Matthew 21 NKJV

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

This event took place prior to the parable of the talents. I’ve never quiet understood the parable of the talents as it sounds contrary to what Jesus had just taught about the money changers. On the one hand the money changers (bankers) are called “thieves” and thrown out of the Temple in a violent manner and then a short time later Jesus is explaining to use the bankers as Jesus is calling, what sounds to be a person of meager means, “wicked and lazy“. The one thing I know is the man describes his “lord” as a “hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.” This person sounds like a pirate and someone that we should be cautious when in his presence. This raises a lot of questions in me. Using the words before me, it sounds like someone we should not trust. Perhaps I am just seeing this in todays terms and my vision is too clouded to see this parable in terms of the time when Jesus was speaking.

These two parables create confusion in me as they run in opposite directions one from the other. Once again, it is probably the secular world clouding my vision.

Matthew 25 NKJV

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’