!!!WARNING!!! you may have entered the marketplace

beware of institutions whose decisions are motivated by a continuing relevance of itself.


paul made tents because he said very explicitly he did not want to have people questioning the motivation of his faith. it seems entirely possible that the idea of selling doves in the marketplace probably was not started by greedy entrepreneurs, but people who could not reconcile service to God with their need for sustaining income. some of them probably said to themselves, "i want to serve God, but cannot sustain security if i neglect my 'responsibilities.'" could much of america be a giant marketplace, whose pastoral desks are in fact the modern dove cage?

so when does professional ministry cross the lines paul and jesus addressed?

when the motivations to sustain the institution takes time away from "going the ends of the earth" (jesus' words)

definitions must be subjective in this case to avoid legalistic outcomes, but there are lenses to look at the idea through...

perhaps jesus was more upset that people in the marketplace were trying to avoid trusting God by finding a sure fire way to make money and serve him. striking a convenient balance between the heavenly and earthly never seemed to be his game and it seems that having to request your profit from doing God's service would be a block to trusting him and a little off of what he told the rich young ruler (which you can think about it by checking out the video at the bottom of the page).