Mark 11:15-18 "And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; (16) And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. (17) And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. (18) And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine."
I hope this week to have my heart and mind set upon the events that led to the
crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. We will go back to the
Psalms next week.
"And they come to Jerusalem." This is the day after Jesus entered
Jerusalem with great fanfare. By that, I mean people lined the streets laying
their garments and palm branches before Him. They cried out, "Hosanna;
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." They thought Jesus was
coming to sit as a king who would overthrow the Roman government. But there was
a reason much more important than that for Jesus to be in Jerusalem. He came to
"bruise the head of the serpent."
Where did He go to begin that process? "Jesus went into the temple."
He went to the very heart of the matter. I pray the Lord will allow me to write
the words that are in my heart just now. Paul tells us that we are the
"the temple of the Holy Ghost." There are times when we allow our
temples to become cluttered with things that are contrary to the true matter of
worship. There are times when our temples need cleansing and things that are
allowed to nest inside need to be removed. For the temple in Jerusalem, the
people who were trying to profit off others were driven out. For us, things
such as greed, jealousy, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and things even
larger than that need to be removed. We may try to remove it ourselves, but all
too often we are unsuccessful and they reappear. Our prayer life becomes lax
and those things rob us of the joy which only our Lord can give. A battle
begins to rage within us that only can be defeated by our precious Lord and
Saviour. For me, I want this week to become a very personal matter rather than
an event that took place 2000 years ago. I pray our hearts and minds will be
taken back to the place where the heel of Jesus was bruised, but Satan's head
was bruised. May my prayers become more fervent as I meditate upon the
work of my Lord.
Alas! And did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?
Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Chorus
At the cross, at the cross Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!