“And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.” Mark 11:15
March 6, 2024
Jesus invited the world-weary to come to Him with the words, “for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). But it was this same Jesus who upon coming to the temple in Jerusalem was outraged by what He saw. The temple had become a place of commercial profiteering. The one area where Gentiles were allowed to come and worship God was like a street carnival. Animals and fowls that met ritual requirements were sold in the court of the Gentiles for use in the sacrifices. Money exchange was required. The “gentle and lowly in heart” Jesus took dramatic action in order to keep the purpose of the Temple from being sabotaged. Though the means of worship in this age are different, genuine spiritual worship can become corrupted. It is a warning of the danger of defiling worship by the failure to clearly teach the Word of God, by substituting entertainment for true worship. It is an outrage when we settle for emotional manipulation rather than with genuine God-seeking hearts overwhelmed in response to the Word of God.
H
“O Lord, search me that I may rid my worship of defiling motives. I want my life to be the continual offering of devotion to you, whether in a church service, in my work place, cleaning up my garage or driving in heavy traffic.”