Walls, Freedom & God

In his Pentecost 24 sermon Glynn Cardy looks at how we seem to wall in God like our special pet.  He suggests that they don't work.  God is about freedom."Walls surrounded the Temple that Jesus knew, the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. Inside were an Outer Courtyard, then more walls and an Inner Courtyard. Within that was the Holy Place, and within that – separated by a thick curtain – was the Holy of Holies. This was where God was said to dwell. There were lots of walls protecting God. There were lots of priests and guards protecting the walls. And there were lots of rules and regulations protecting the priests and guards. God was safe and secure. “Do you see these great buildings?” said Jesus. “Not one stone will be left here upon another, all will be thrown down.” "Jesus, like other reform-oriented Jews, was critical of the Temple. The Temple was the dominant symbol of ecclesiastical power and authority. This was where the pious and their pet God ruled. This was where the chosen, those who had wealth and influence, could appease and please God. The Temple symbolized spiritual stability and protection. It was indeed an imposing and beautiful structure.  "Yet for Jesus it symbolized the imprisonment of God and the spiritual impoverishment of the common people." Full text and video links at www.stmatthews.org.nz.