“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
This week celebrates the week that changed the world! At the beginning of the week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem in triumph, hailed as the new king of Israel. By the end of the week, Jesus would be crucified, dead, and buried. Then came that glorious Sunday morning when the resurrected Jesus left the grave behind, victorious over sin and death!
Throughout the week, there was tremendous conflict and profound teaching. On Monday, Jesus entered the city and began cleaning the filth that infected God’s Temple. The Temple was built to a holy place of worship, a beacon drawing people from all over the world to meet, pray, and worship God. Sadly, it had become a bazaar, a marketplace, a vast money-making operation built to overcharge and exploit travelers. Rather than set up business outside the grounds of the Temple, dishonest business was being done on God’s property.
No doubt, many celebrated the convenience of being able to take care of business on their way in and out. But the worship of God isn’t supposed to be about what’s convenient. It’s supposed to be pure, holy, and devoted. It should take some effort. It’s must be about wholehearted devotion to God in heaven. All the buying, selling, and negotiating cheapened and darkened all that. God’s house of prayer had truly become a den of thieves!
Jesus turned it all over! Grab ahold of the zeal of Jesus in that moment. Let His zeal become a powerful desire in yourself to worship and pray without distraction. Pray often and worship often, disciplining yourself do it without the thoughts and distractions of business and finances in your mind. As a Christian, your body is now God’s Temple – live with a zeal for holy devotion to God in worship and prayer.