Jesus was a calm man. He was a person in total control of His human emotions. He did not allow Himself to get upset at the behaviors of people as well as by their words.
There came a day, however, when Jesus lost His cool. In fact, Jesus was furious, and He was not bashful about letting His assessment fall on deaf ears. He wanted people to know that they were wrong, and He wanted them to hear Him.
That day came when Jesus walked in the temple of God in Jerusalem and all of the representatives of Wall Street were conducting their system of worldly commerce on the temple floor. Jesus quickly responded, turned over tables, and chased them out of the building, saying to them: My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. (Matthew 21: 13)
Jesus was not angry because of their sins, nor because they mistreated Him. He was angry because they had no respect for His Father's house.
Does this story look familiar? Have many churches today have turned the house of God into systems of worldly commerce? Do we not have bake sales, rummage sales, and yard sales in exchange for money? Do we not offer videos, DVDs, DVRs, t-shirts and baseball caps in exchange for money? Do we not sell tickets for musical concerts inside church buildings?
Jesus said, My house shall be called a house of prayer.
Have people forgotten the words of Jesus, in whom is our faith?
Have people forgotten that God is holy?
Have people forgotten that the Holy Bible is holy?
Have people forgotten that our behavior in the house of prayer is important to God?
Should people stand and stomp the floor in God's house of prayer?
Did you ever think that the way we treat others matters to God?
That the way we conduct our behavior in church matters to God?
That the way we dress in the presence of God matters to God?
If it doesn't matter to people the things that matter to God, then perhaps God doesn't matter; and that many churches have become like the temple in Jerusalem, a den of thieves---a showcase of ourselves, instead of Christ, and robbing Christ of His glory.
And did you ever think that the way we treat Jesus matters to God?
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12: 13)
There came a day, however, when Jesus lost His cool. In fact, Jesus was furious, and He was not bashful about letting His assessment fall on deaf ears. He wanted people to know that they were wrong, and He wanted them to hear Him.
That day came when Jesus walked in the temple of God in Jerusalem and all of the representatives of Wall Street were conducting their system of worldly commerce on the temple floor. Jesus quickly responded, turned over tables, and chased them out of the building, saying to them: My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. (Matthew 21: 13)
Jesus was not angry because of their sins, nor because they mistreated Him. He was angry because they had no respect for His Father's house.
Does this story look familiar? Have many churches today have turned the house of God into systems of worldly commerce? Do we not have bake sales, rummage sales, and yard sales in exchange for money? Do we not offer videos, DVDs, DVRs, t-shirts and baseball caps in exchange for money? Do we not sell tickets for musical concerts inside church buildings?
Jesus said, My house shall be called a house of prayer.
Have people forgotten the words of Jesus, in whom is our faith?
Have people forgotten that God is holy?
Have people forgotten that the Holy Bible is holy?
Have people forgotten that our behavior in the house of prayer is important to God?
Should people stand and stomp the floor in God's house of prayer?
Did you ever think that the way we treat others matters to God?
That the way we conduct our behavior in church matters to God?
That the way we dress in the presence of God matters to God?
If it doesn't matter to people the things that matter to God, then perhaps God doesn't matter; and that many churches have become like the temple in Jerusalem, a den of thieves---a showcase of ourselves, instead of Christ, and robbing Christ of His glory.
And did you ever think that the way we treat Jesus matters to God?
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12: 13)
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