Time To Clean House

Mark 11:15b
"Jesus overturned the tables..."

After the Triumphant Entry of Jesus Christ as Messiah on Palm Sunday into Jerusalem, he left the city and spent the night in Bethany. Bethany is 2 miles East of Jerusalem.

The next day as Jesus and the disciples were leaving Bethany to return to Jerusalem on a second visit, verse 12 says Jesus was hungry. In the distance a fig tree was fully grown in leaves and appeared to have fruit. When he reached it, he found out it only had leaves and not any fruit. Jesus said," May no one ever eat fruit from you again!"and the disciples heard him say it.
Check in with the blog tomorrow and we will conclude this event on Jesus' third trip back into the city of Jerusalem.

Once the disciples and Jesus reached Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling merchandise throughout the temple courts. He overturned the tables of the money changers and benches of those selling the doves.

Have you ever questioned why such a dramatic response to the scene in the temple?
Let's look at what Jesus tells them in verse 17, "Is it not written:"My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a den of thieves."

Let's dig deeper:
Where was the religious market?
The sellers had set up their tables in the court of the Gentiles (Christians who were not Jews) where they should have been doing missionary work and worship instead.
What was one of the big selling items mentioned?
The market was full of sellers presenting doves for sale. History and Scripture writes that doves were one of the few sacrifices that the poor could afford to give. Read Lev. 14:21-22
The market sellers were victimizing the poor over their one sacrifice they could afford and this angered the Lord.
Why was the Market located here?
The religious leaders looked at the temple of God as a place of sacrifice.
God's perspective of his temple was that it is a place of prayer.

True prayer is a sacrifice.
Psalms 141:1-2 "O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."

These verses make two very profound statements.
1. When we pray with a clean heart and talk to our heavenly and Holy Father, our prayers are set before Him like sweet incense.
2. The reason we lift up our hands in worship, praise and prayer to God is to show our sacrifice and surrender to Him and Him alone.

Notice how Jesus says in verse 17,"But you have made it into a den of thieves."
Why do thieves or robbers run into a den?
The simple answer is: "to hide and cover up their sin"
Jesus is calling out and exposing the religious people on their lifestyle. Jesus is accusing the religious ones of running to the temple and hiding and covering their sin with their selling/business in the market of the courts of the temple.

QUESTION:
If God showed up in your house today what would He ask you to clean and throw out?

Today's Thought:
Help me Lord to be teachable and cleanable. It's time FOR YOU to clean house Lord.
O Lord, have your way in me!!