A Question Mark Over Christmas

by · December 19, 2020

The gospels differ in how they tell the story of Jesus. Some cover some aspects that others don’t.

But one thing they appear to be agreed on is that Jesus had a problem with those who were using a religious context, the temple in Jerusalem, to make a profit.

John 2:14 – And he found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 

And we are told how Jesus for once showed his disapproval by using violent means.

Matthew 21:12 – And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

Jesus’s actions could perhaps be seen by some as not very Christian – no turning of the other cheek here. He finds profiteering on the back of religion unacceptable – and it sounds as if, because of this, he goes ahead and wrecks the place.

Mark 11:15 – Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

Luke 19:45 – Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling.

We always talk at this time of year about the commercialisation of Christmas. But these passages from the Bible telling the story of this quite shocking incident could lead us to ask: what would be Jesus’s view of how Christmas – supposedly the celebration of his arrival – has been commandeered to become a feast of consumption, spending and profit-making?

It would be presumptuous to try to answer that question.

But this year something else questions our way of life and our way of celebrating Christmas. The pandemic and its economic ramifications have highlighted the fact that our economy – including the Christmas economy – seems to depend on us buying and consuming things (often things that we may not actually need).

Perhaps we are being encouraged to overturn some tables…

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Nigel Summerley

Nigel Summerley retired from The Oldie magazine to return to freelance journalism. He previously held executive staff jobs at the London Evening Standard, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Express before freelancing for 20 years for newspapers including The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Guardian and the ‘i’ paper, plus a wide range of magazines. He continues to write about music, travel and health, and blogs at www.nigel-summerley.blogspot.com.

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