12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.
"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,
" 'From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise'?"
17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Growing up I remember this bible story as the first time I see Jesus angry. We had this set of books at home with tapes that narrated the bible stories and I distinctly remember the illustration is of Jesus turning over tables and looking really angry.
The church is to be a house of prayer where the blind and lame can come for healing and children can shout praises. While reading this passage I wondered what Jesus would do if he came to our church today. We are not blatantly selling or buying goods but what worldly influences have we brought into his temple? Would Jesus be angry at the state of our church? Is it a house of prayer and do we welcome the lame and blind so they may be healed?
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3 comments:
thanks for an insightful reflection, christine. i think we must dishonor the Lord many times by the worldly and materialistic aspirations we harbor in our hearts even as we worship Him in His house. we should all reflect soberly on our attitudes as we enter His presence, most especially in the place of worship. we may be a little more subtle than the moneychangers, but we are surely no less guilty. and if He was exceedingly angry at the moneychangers, He must be exceedingly angry and grieved at the attitudes of our hearts when they are not right.
the right attitude is that of the children who praised Jesus from their hearts for the "wonderful things that He did". may we grow in our knowledge of Him that we might also see the "wonderful things" that He has done and is doing, that we might truly praise Him from our hearts with exceeding joy as the children did that day.
you bring up a good point, christine, about God's reaction to the state of our church. i wonder if He would be please or angry. although it's often times easier to displease God because we can not physically see His anger, may we be conscious of His presence where ever we are.
wow... those are some great questions Christine!
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