Posted on 09/27/2019 9:30:51 AM PDT by Salvation
In the Mass for Thursday of the 25th week of the year, we read from the book of the prophet Haggai, who wrote at the time of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile, which had begun in 587 B.C. The Jewish people were permitted to return to the Promised Land beginning in about 538 B.C. Haggai wrote his book in the summer of 520 B.C. and in it he scolds the people for concentrating on their “paneled houses” while the Temple is in a ruinous state. He ties their weak piety to the failure of crops, their inability to enjoy what they have, and other calamities.
Zechariah, who wrote in the autumn of 520 B.C., also expresses concern for the poor state of the Temple and ties its rebuilding to future blessings, including the coming of the Messiah. Later, we will examine Zechariah’s writing.
In today’s post we look at a passage from the Book of Haggai and ponder what it means for us:
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’” Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Think carefully about your ways. You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.” You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house (Haggai, 1:2ff).
God does not need a fancy temple, but we do. The building of beautiful churches says a lot about our priorities and where our heart lies. Churches express our love for God and our desire to honor and thank Him. They need not be extravagant, but they should be adorned with a beauty and form that stands out as sacred and memorable, as an expression that we love God and take Him seriously, that He is a priority in our lives. In the Middle Ages, the town church was usually centrally located and was the tallest and most prominent building. By the 16th century, palaces and government buildings began to take that place. Today, the skyscrapers of our cities are named for investment banks and insurance companies. Yes, our buildings say something about our priorities!
Churches are also meant to remind us of Heaven. Until recent decades, they were built along lines that spoke to the heavenly realities both Moses and John saw as they were shown the heavenly worship and vision. Churches have high jeweled (stained glass) walls because Heaven does. Churches have glorious throne-like altars with the tabernacle at the center amidst tall candles because in Heaven there is a throne-like altar with the Lamb upon it and Jesus stands among the lampstands. Paintings and statues of saints and angels, incense, priestly robes, standing/kneeling appropriately, and singing of hymns all remind us of the communion of saints and angels in the heavenly worship. All of this is revealed in the heavenly visions contained in the Bible. (I have written more on this topic here and here.)
Haggai’s opening vision also says a lot about our inability to enjoy even the good things we have without God at the center. We all have a God-sized hole in our heart and only He can ultimately fill it. Trying to get created things to fill that gap is both frustrating and futile. The good things we do have point to God, the giver, and should inspire in us a gratitude and longing for Him. If we remove or marginalize God, our disorder affections gnaw away at us; no matter how much we get we remain dissatisfied.
God says through Haggai that fixing the ruined Temple is the way to fix their hearts. It is less about the building than about hearts. It is interesting that some of the most glorious and beautiful churches in this country were built by poor immigrant communities. We now live in times of comparative affluence, especially in America, but although incomes and home sizes have grown our churches seem to be built on the cheap, lacking both the nobility and glory that belong to God and which poorer generations produced in the churches of their time.
The problem has both theological and liturgical roots. A flawed notion of the liturgy claimed that churches should look more like living rooms or dining rooms than Heaven. (N.B. Some more recently built churches are returning to more traditional forms, but the reform has been slow).
Another problem was/is the “poverty of Judas.” This is the idea that money spent on buildings would be better used by being given to the poor. There may be a little truth to that, but the poor also want and need beautiful churches that remind them of Heaven and give due honor to God. A church is a space of beauty that all can share.
Yet another reason is that we just don’t value or prioritize the Lord and the liturgy as highly anymore. If we give less to the church perhaps we can buy a nicer car, a boat, or a vacation home. How is that ephemeral stuff working out for us? Are we happier? Haggai says no: You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. Exactly! All our blessing point to God and should instill gratitude and a longing for the true completion of an eternal relationship with Him.
Enough said for now. The point is not so much a building itself but what the building says about our hearts. God says today through Haggai, in effect, “Your paneled houses and the ruined Temple are a testimony to the condition of your hearts and your flawed priorities.”
Indeed, God should get the first fruits of our harvest, our best and highest effort. This is not because he needs them but because we do.
Even as an agnostic, I can’t argue with that!
Monsignor Pope Ping!
I am my church/temple. I need no building to know the Lord. I give unto him by being kind & charitable to those who deserve it and at times to those who do not.
I think paid for before built goves the congregation more time to share the gospel and not have to worry about the building so much.
And God’s people inside and how they greet/welcome visitors is more important than the building. I give two examples”
1) I visited a small Disciple of Christ Church next to Ft. Hood, TX, after I was assigned there. I was raised as a member of the Disciples. After 3 consecutive Sundays of attendance, I received no greeting from any member of the congregation. I decided that they did not want me, an unknown person to them, as a potential member, I thus never returned. I was not married at this time.
2) I was assigned to the Pentagon a few years later and visited a Disciple of Christ Church that was 2 miles from the house we bought near Andrews Air Force Base. My family and I were welcomed as soon as we walked into the foyer. Several people introduced themselves, showed us where the nursery was as we had our 3 year old daughter with us and we were introduced to the interim pastor. Afterwards we were invited into the fellowship hall for coffee. I chatted with the interim minister mentioning that I had grown up in a Disciple congregation in Indiana and found out that he had several churches there many years previously and, wonder of wonders, knew of my home congregation and the minister who married my parents. I moved my membership to Bethany and joyfully attended and participated for 31 years until I moved back to my Indiana home town. After that first Sunday, my wife and I decided that we didn’t need to visit any other churches in the local area.
Jesus is the temple. The OT temple points to Him.
**I give unto him by being kind & charitable to those who deserve it and at times to those who do not.**
Sounds like ‘works’ to me.
Lure them in with accoutrements, rather than biblical truths.
The Biblical truths prevail in the Catholic Church.
Even though many of your major doctrines are not present in the Bible and you have to appeal to your magisterium? The Christ found in the Bible cared about people not buildings. I wonder what He would say about magnificent cathedrals built with blasphemous relics in the altars while the people around starved and loved in abject poverty. I wonder what He would say about the Vatican hoarding 25% of the worlds treasure and priceless art while it’s people starve physically and spiritually. Maybe I don’t have to wonder. He said where your treasure is there your heart is also.
What is the source for your quotes? Or is this merely your opinion?
When I toured the Vatican the tour guide proudly announced the Vatican had over 25% of the worlds priceless art. My source is the Vatican itself
There are many beautiful churches around the world, and while it is true that God instructed the exact specifications of the Temple to be built, it was because it was a temporary dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. But now, WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 6:16. WE are the body of Christ 1Corinthians 12:27. We are His church, His temple Ephesians 2:19-22
Whether we worship in a beautiful church of stone and stained glass, a very humble frame building, or someone’s living room, it matters not, for “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I, in the midst of them”. Matthew 18:20 BTW, where Jesus says, “there ‘am I’ in the midst of them”, “am I” is the equivalent of the “I am” of the Old Testament. It denotes His eternality, His eternal existence.
So, we can presume the LCMS have sold off these beautiful churches and given the money to the poor?
I wonder what He would say about the Vatican hoarding 25% of the worlds treasure and priceless art while it’s people starve physically and spiritually.
Let us know when the LCMS has sold off all of the artifacts in its museum and has given the money to feed the poor.
We do not have museums. Our congregations support their physical buildings not the national organization . Some older ones are beautiful but we do not possess anywhere near 1/4 or the worlds priceless treasure nor do we want to. We certainly do not give tours boasting about our physical possessions. I’m not the one posting articles on why we should build grand buildings while our congregants are starve physically and spiritually. The LCMS has a large disaster relief program to help the hurting. Typical catholic response to change the subject though. Might want to look at that log in your eye.
Visit the CHI Museum at the LCMS International Center
we do not possess anywhere near...
Typical liberal response: You have more so you should give up yours, but not us.
I’m not the one posting articles on why we should build grand building
Yet, you have them.
The LCMS has a large disaster relief program to help the hurting.
Catholics have Catholic Social Services, the Church in Need, many Catholic hospitals, etc.
Typical catholic response to change the subject though.
There's not subject change: we're talking about giving up church possessions. But I can understand why you don't want the LCMS mentioned.
Might want to look at that log in your eye.
Well, that's funny. I was thinking the same about you. You're the one criticizing the Catholic Church about selling off, but then claim oh no, the LCMS can't, we don't have as much. The hypocrisy is thick.
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