This is our B moment. Our moment to be still…to be fed by the Word of God…to be grateful.
Scripture reference: James 4:17 (ESV)
Today, I am thinking about how we can occasionally move so far away from what really matters to God. When this happens, we have to challenge the status quo and take a stand for what really matters to Him.
This is what Jesus did when he saw that the temple had become a marketplace. It’s important to note that all stories about Jesus aren’t reflected in each gospel, but this story is told in all four gospels, hence its significance.
Let me set the scene. The Israelites were coming to Jerusalem from all over to celebrate Passover. In addition to the tithes that they paid when they arrived, which were a tenth of their earnings, there was also a temple tax that they had to pay for the upkeep of the temple.
Because the Israelites traveled from several different places, they arrived with multiple currencies. Therefore, there were also money changers on hand to exchange those currencies, and they often did so at a premium exchange rate.
Since it was Passover, people in the temple were also selling animals to be sacrificed. It was clear that the central objective of the operation was to get as much money out of the people as they could. This made it much more like a marketplace than a house of worship. In fact, the people at the temple had moved so far away from what mattered to God that Jesus had to chase them out.
In your community or your place of worship, do you need to challenge the status quo? As you think about that, remember these words: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17 (ESV)
Please share this reflection as others desire to be inspired.
So today, take a stand for what matters to God.
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