DEATH TO IDOLS

A little context for Jesus’ cleansing: During Passover, Jews traveled to Jerusalem from all over the region. They needed to exchange their local currency for temple currency to purchase animals for sacrifice. Those in charge of the exchange often inflated prices for profit. Jesus was angered by this injustice. The temple, the House of God, was meant to be a place of prayer and worship, but it was being used for profit and exploiting those who came to worship. In God’s own house they had made an idol of money. 

Jesus wanted to restore His Father’s house to a place of true worship and prayer. Unfortunately, some of the crowds and His followers expected a revolution for the Israelites. Their expectations of the Messiah were different from Jesus’ intentions. He taught that His Kingdom is about prayer, a relationship with the Father, and cleansing ourselves to be the holy dwelling for the Lord.

Our expectations often cause grief and heartache when they are not met. We become discouraged, disappointed, and upset. Jesus’ followers and disciples experienced this at the end of the week. Spend time reflecting on recent unmet expectations. How can God comfort you in the grief of those unmet expectations? Ask Him to show you His blessings in your disappointment and to align your expectations with His plans.

Jesus proclaimed that “His house will be a house of prayer” (Mark 11:17). If you are a follower of Jesus—having accepted Him as your Lord and Savior and been baptized—the Holy Spirit dwells in you. You are His house. Therefore, ask Him to reveal the areas in your heart that need cleansing. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple of those who idolized money, we must cleanse our hearts of idols—anything we prioritize above God. This may be comfort, status, or even our own expectations. By putting these idols to death, we make room for true worship and prayer in the temple of our hearts.