Zeal
Day 3
“Then he went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.†(Luke 19:45-46)
Jesus capped His “triumphal entry†into the city of Jerusalem with a dramatic public display of righteous indignation. He was livid. For the second time in his public ministry, Jesus lashed at those culprits responsible for the desecration of the Temple. The first time He did it, our Lord made a whip, overturned tables, scattered their merchandises and chased the nefarious merchants out of the sacred Temple grounds - John 2:13-17.
This action of Jesus seemed to be out of His character, at least, in the eyes of those who didn’t really have a clue as to who Jesus really was. The Jews around Jesus at the temple saw what the Lord did. They interrogated Him. “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?†– John 2:18
But for the disciples who knew Him, what Jesus did was not done out of a knee-jerk fashion. That was not a reckless action of a maniac who had gone amok. No. It wasn’t. Rather, it was an act of justice of holy man consumed by His zeal for God! – John 2:17
Jesus knew the purpose of that temple, which was originally envisioned by King David. It was a place designed for the God and His chosen people to commune. It was meant to be as a place of prayer – Isaiah 56:7. But because of the backslidden ways of God’s nation at that time, the space reserved for the holy became a den for the profane.
As God’s holy priesthood, we are meant to share in our Lord’s zeal. We must never “lack in zeal†– Romans 12:11. Like Jesus, our zeal must make us protect the interests of God at all costs. Even if it would mean sacrificing our own comforts and conveniences. We must be prepared to drive out of our lives any influence that is inconsistent or contrary to the character of God’s holiness. We must also overturn the control of any force that is usurping the authority of God over us.
You and I are now God’s temple in the Spirit – 1 Corinthians 3:16. Let’s keep it that way. Let our lives be a sacred ground bustling with holy vocations, our hearts chambers echoing with joyful noise of praises and our sanctuary filled with the scent of our intercessions!
Jesus capped His “triumphal entry†into the city of Jerusalem with a dramatic public display of righteous indignation. He was livid. For the second time in his public ministry, Jesus lashed at those culprits responsible for the desecration of the Temple. The first time He did it, our Lord made a whip, overturned tables, scattered their merchandises and chased the nefarious merchants out of the sacred Temple grounds - John 2:13-17.
This action of Jesus seemed to be out of His character, at least, in the eyes of those who didn’t really have a clue as to who Jesus really was. The Jews around Jesus at the temple saw what the Lord did. They interrogated Him. “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?†– John 2:18
But for the disciples who knew Him, what Jesus did was not done out of a knee-jerk fashion. That was not a reckless action of a maniac who had gone amok. No. It wasn’t. Rather, it was an act of justice of holy man consumed by His zeal for God! – John 2:17
Jesus knew the purpose of that temple, which was originally envisioned by King David. It was a place designed for the God and His chosen people to commune. It was meant to be as a place of prayer – Isaiah 56:7. But because of the backslidden ways of God’s nation at that time, the space reserved for the holy became a den for the profane.
As God’s holy priesthood, we are meant to share in our Lord’s zeal. We must never “lack in zeal†– Romans 12:11. Like Jesus, our zeal must make us protect the interests of God at all costs. Even if it would mean sacrificing our own comforts and conveniences. We must be prepared to drive out of our lives any influence that is inconsistent or contrary to the character of God’s holiness. We must also overturn the control of any force that is usurping the authority of God over us.
You and I are now God’s temple in the Spirit – 1 Corinthians 3:16. Let’s keep it that way. Let our lives be a sacred ground bustling with holy vocations, our hearts chambers echoing with joyful noise of praises and our sanctuary filled with the scent of our intercessions!
