Wednesday, May 1, 2013
TEXT: JOHN 2:13-21
Key Verse: “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2:16).
Different forms of trading activities go on around most worship centres today. This is most common when there is one form of camp meeting or the other. You have the bookshops where Christian materials, tapes, videos, accessories, etc. are sold. The intention is to facilitate worship by making some helpful materials available for worshippers.
However, for greed and love of money, many who engage in such transactions take advantage of the church situation to exploit people and distract the entire worship process. This was exactly the situation in our text for meditation today. The whole essence of worship and the feast of Passover had been turned into money-making business. The Jews in connivance with the priests would not accept any other currency, thus forcing worshippers from other places to change their monies at an exorbitant rate with the money changers. They also charged a fee for inspection of animals brought for sacrifice to be sure that they were without blemish. In most cases, the animals brought were disapproved, forcing the worshippers to buy other ones at a higher price than the market value.
The whole temple scene turned to market that Jesus could not bear. He chased them all out and cleansed the temple.
Should Jesus visit your church or the temple of your heart during worship, will He have to take up a whip or be glad to pour out a blessing? Let’s cleanse ourselves from all kinds of pollution brought by greed so as to be true worshippers and not temple business men and women.
Thought for the Day : Guard His temple jealously.