Cleaning House
The Jews had a system that, no
doubt, had started innocently enough, but had gotten out of hand. Since people came to the Passover from many
walks of life and some from great distances, they had set up places for those
that had to purchase sacrifices. Somewhere along the line, the motive turned
from ministry to money. Temple
currency was required for purchases. Similarly, to converting money when
entering a foreign country, it included a fee. Price gouging eventually became
the norm.
Sometimes things have subtly
worked their way into my life and taken the place of worship. Then, Jesus
brings them to mind and begins scourging them out of my life. He drives the religious
stuff out of where God should be, He runs off the sacrifices I am making with
wrong intentions, He pours out the motives behind it all, flips over the tables
of false actions, and scolds my claims of peace (doves). My service to God is
supposed to come from the heart, not outward actions that can grow into ungodly
things. Praise God, Jesus cleans house every once in a while and gets my
relationship with Him back.
"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves,
and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small
cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and
poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them
that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house
of merchandise. " John 2:13-16
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
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