J 2:13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!"
I was thinking about our Lord's passion for the holiness of the temple of God because it is the center of worship. Of course, our Lord explains that the real temple is the body, soul, and spirit of each Believer:
J 2:19 ... Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
I am reminded of reiterations of this truth by Stephen in Acts 7 and Paul in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 6.
Q: How have I turned His temple (myself) into a marketplace?
A: Whenever I allow worldy things to be my focus, I am not wholly dedicated to worshiping the Lord.
An even more challenging point is that maintaining a holy temple is not a passive responsibility. It is an active spiritual battle of the heart and mind that continues until we die:
2 Cor 10:3 We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
The focus here is not on the destruction of evil, but on the glorification and lordship of Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy and grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, please search me and expose the worldliness and corrupted aspects of my life so that I can repent and give myself even more to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Lord, I want to worship you in spirit and in truth, and I want you to be pleased. Lord, you are so good and kind; please continue to be patient with me and help me see the importance of holiness. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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