Selling St. Peter’s
And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer;’ but you are making it a robbers’ den.” Matthew 21:13
Robbers’ – The Vatican is perhaps the most overwhelming monument in the world to the power of Christianity. Just standing in the square in front of St. Peter’s basilica leaves you breathless. To enter that marbled, gilded, towering structure, filled with relics and reminders, is almost more than the mind can absorb. But then you remember the words of Jesus, the One that all of this is supposed to honor. “It is written, ‘My house shall be called . . .’”
On the day I stood in awe of the human edifice, I saw something that made me weep. Crouched on the stonework of the square was an old woman, begging for coins. Many walked by, avoiding or ignoring her. They came to see the spectacle, not be obedient to the King in the least of these. What was the woman doing here, anyway? Didn’t she know she was in the way? Maybe she was a scam artist. The crowd pushed toward the vendors selling replicas of the saints, cold drinks, Vatican banners and other useless mementos. “You see, we’ve been to the Vatican. We saw its marvels. We were blessed.” I stooped to touch the old woman. “Can I pray for you?” This is, after all, God’s house. She smiled.
The Greek New Testament uses the word leston. It means those who take the property of another in the open and by violence. Does it fit all those who conducted their business in the square? Yes, I think so. Certainly they were not hiding the commercialization of this monument to God. They were using the place to their advantage. Tragically, no one objected, not even the church. The Vatican collects millions of dollars every day from all those tourists wishing to observe these treasures once dedicated to God. Violence? Yes, violence, for in the midst of all that marketing, God is defiled. His name is dragged through banker’s mud. His honor is sold to everyone who can afford to pay. What about the beggars in the square? Well, just step aside. They don’t belong in this place. They have no money to spend.
Watchman Nee once said that men have the innate ability to take something of the Spirit and convert it into a self-sustaining enterprise where God is no longer needed or desired. What do you suppose would happen if Jesus visited the Vatican? Do you think we would welcome Him as He cried out for reverence and prayer? Or would we point to our balance sheets, our artifacts and prestige and say, “We have written, ‘My house shall be a house of profit.’”
If you really want to visit St. Peter, go to the prison or the hospital. I’m quite sure you will find him there. He never cared a lot about marble. Silver and gold have I none, and all that.
