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In Order. Dirty Temple?

October 6, 2017. John 2-4

In Order. Dirty Temple?

For those of you who have thought that Jesus was always a quiet man, one who never got angry or raised his voice and only spoke in parables, well you may be surprised by a few of these verses describing Jesus and his actions in a temple. 

John 2:13-17

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

To those who sold the doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Ever imagine Jesus doing something like that? Overturning tables, kicking people out, yelling at them to leave the temple? But why? Why did he get so upset about people using the temple? Answer: it wasn’t being used to bring honor and glory to God. It was being defiled and destroyed.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Your body is a temple, a place that the Holy Spirit dwells.  Picture your own personal temple for your Heavenly Father, what would it look like inside? What is going on in your temple right now? People may see the outside, you look all put together, you say the right things, you are involved in all the right areas. But what is going on on the inside? What is happening behind those closed doors? Is it a place you would be proud to let the Holy Spirit come in and live? Would be ok with others looking in and seeing it all?

Challenge yourself today to ask these hard questions and answer them truthfully to the Holy Spirit.  And if there is something that you know you need to work on, pray and take action to clean it up.  

Andrea Fite

Andrea is a wife to an amazing man, mother to a sweet little boy, Christ following, coffee addicted, book-loving woman. She grew up as a missionary and pastor’s kid, and learned at a young age that...more