Jesus and the Money Changers

On Monday, after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus went to the temple.  When he got there, he began driving out the money changers and animals with a whip. They were THIEVES. As Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and money went flying, he declared,  “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

I’ll be honest, this story always confused me. Hang with me a minute…when you understand that WE are now the temple of God it begins to make more sense. Think of the temple in three parts—outer court, holy place, and holy of holies. Our outer court is our body. Our holy place is our soul—our mind, will, and emotions. Our holy of holies is our spirit. If we’ve received Christ as our savior, our spirit is sealed by the Spirit of God. Satan then doesn’t have access to our spirit. But…he and his demons can attack our bodies and our souls—our mind, will, and emotions. 

We are the temple—and are to be houses of prayer. Satan hates that! So he steals, kills, and destroys. Do you think Jesus gets angry when Satan steals from us? YES! He created us for praise, for fellowship, for delight. He is enraged when Satan tries to distort God’s purpose for us!!

Like Jesus, I’ve been so angry lately!!  Lives are being shattered and destroyed by the enemy! Satan steals our purpose. He kills hope. He destroys our perception of God or His will for us. He lies! He tells us God has abandoned us—that He can’t use us. He makes us think we’re all alone or that we’re the only ones who’ve messed up so bad that God won’t forgive us. He wants us to quit worshipping. So maybe fibromyalgia or cancer will keep us from worshipping. He wants to destroy fellowship between us and God so he consumes our time and emotions with marital problems, prodigal children, or money problems. He hates God’s delight so he has us focusing on everyone else’s problems—consumed with them. 

What’s the solution? Pray—you are a house of prayer! Pour out your heart to God. Reconnect with Him. Restore fellowship with Him. Read the Word. Listen to what He wants to say to you—He delights in you! Delight in HIM! Bring yourself (body, soul, and spirit) back to God’s purpose for your life. He knows who you are and what He has planned for you. He wants to delight you. Come back. Jesus will throw out those thieving money changers—just stand back!!

Trauma

Have you experienced trauma lately? It could be evacuating from a fire or losing everything in a fire. It could be the loss of health or the loss of a loved one. It could be losing a job. Trauma usually involves a loss of some kind. 

My sister reminded me of these verses this week:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

REST is interpreted as “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover or collect his strength.”  When is the last time you did that? Our bodies respond to trauma in negative ways. When we’re yoked to Jesus, He stops for rest. Have you kept going when He stopped? Do you have vacation or sick days accumulated because you won’t stop? What about after a traumatic event? Have you permitted yourself to cease from labor? I recognize in the stress of the moment, you may not have time to rest yet…but when that moment is over, do you allow for rest? If you don’t, you may be going from one trauma to another without recovery. God knows you need rest!!  Stay yoked to Him. He stops. He rests. Learn from Him. 

Anapauō: “Cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover or collect his strength.”