The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 5 January 2022 – TOPIC: THE ZEAL FOR MY FATHER’S HOUSE
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TOPIC: THE ZEAL FOR MY FATHER’S HOUSE
READ: JOHN 2:13 – 25, NKJV13. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17.
Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” 18. So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” 19. Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20. Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21.
But He was speaking of the temple of His body.22. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. 23. Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25. and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
THE MESSAGE:The Jews who came to make sacrifices in the temple had come from distant lands (Acts 2:5 – 11). The currencies of their different countries needed to be changed to Jewish money; and also, they needed to buy sheep, cattle, and doves (verse 14) for their sacrifices. The traders whom Jesus Christ drove out were rendering services with their foreign exchange businesses and the sale of animals for sacrifices.
Jesus Christ drove them out for turning the court of the gentiles, the only space allocated to Gentile’s worshippers (John 12: 20) into their marketplace. And to make matters worse, they did not do clean business (Matthew 21:13): They shortchanged the unsuspecting foreigners. It tells how some of our actions may have good beginnings and intentions, but economic considerations may become our priority later.Consider fund-raising in our Churches today and the way we manipulate members to give more and more. How can we ensure we do not turn God’s house into a marketplace or a den of robbers? How do we react to practices we consider unbiblical in the Church: Quit and start a new congregation? Or, worse still, abandon Church altogether?
Notice Jesus’ reaction (verse 15) and his reason (verse 17). Zeal for our Father’s house from within should drive us to righteous action. We need discernment and wisdom as well as knowledge of the authority we have. Doing the right thing in the wrong place or in the wrong manner can make Jesus angry with us. Can you think of other examples? Check your own life!
PRAYER: Deliver me, Lord, from serving mammon or allowing it to take over decency and decorum from my life. Amen
