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Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’ (Matthew 21:12-13)
Dear Friend, I trust you had a restful weekend and found time to worship the Lord! If you went to church you might have celebrated Palm Sunday, Jesus' triumphant entry into the Holy City, and we want to take a day by day look at what Jesus did and experienced during that last week on earth we call Holy Week.
Use all your senses to imagine this scene. The Temple, rebuilt since King Solomon's day, splendid as a sight and symbol to the city of Jerusalem, majestic entrance up many steps built in a way to make you think and prepare for your contact with the Holy God of Israel. It is said the steps are not rhythmic like most steps that you can take in a rhythm or pattern, this purposefully make you want to take them slow with time to pray and reflect on Who and what is in this sacred place. Dedicated as God's House, the times and economy of the day made it become something for which it was not built nor dedicated. Sacrifices took place in it and every household or individual had to bring an unblemished lamb for slaughter before God as one which would take your place and die for your sins. It was the Pharisees who could determine the appropriateness of each animal, and the suspicion is that most animals were not deemed appropriate. That meant you had to buy one of their animals. And more than likely, the currency you brought just in case, was not the one they accepted, so you would be directed to the money-changers, who would, for a nice fee, take your currency and exchange it for the one the Pharisees took. Your original lamb would be sent to a pen nearby and we suspect within days, it would be on sale as one acceptable to the Pharisees. Racket, you say? Yes, you may.
Again, imagine the smells of said animals in a holy place. Imagine the noise of people arguing about the appropriate of prices, currencies, etc. Was Jesus right in claiming this was no longer a house of prayer? It was indeed a den of robbers.
Jesus was a righteous man, and a devoted Son of God. He spoke up when He needed to, and walked away in other cases when that was appropriate. And how more appropriate to start a holy week than by starting at the top; the Temple was the center of Israel's religious life, but it had fallen short and was no longer a place to pray and connect with God. Those in charge were well connected with greed and profit and no longer cared about the spiritual thing. All the things Jesus said about money and possessions stemmed from His knowledge of these thieves in the holy place.
A Temple Tantrum? No, a Temple Purification is more like it. And it brings it to us. Have we cleansed our spirits, bodies, minds, and lives of the unclean during these 40 days? Have we drawn closer to God? Can we say and sing, "It is well with my soul" in response to Wesley's traditional question, "How is it with your soul?" Dear Reader, I pray it is well with your soul and with all things centered and focused on Christ.
PRAYER: Awesome God, bless and protect us from ourselves, our greed, our evil desires, and our dedicated wanting to wander from You. Bless the start of this Holy Week in ways that bring honor and glory to Your name. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! What would Jesus do? Ask Him! And then do it!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST: Dear friends, please be in prayer for the Keck Family on the death of a loved one, JoAnn, who died Saturday night. She had been ill for some time and succumbed to illness. May the Lord bring comfort to her is our prayer.
