Jn. 2:15 – And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple…
Jesus was different than many people imagine. Just think about this one event, Jesus cleaned out the temple with a whip. Shocking! This event happened at the very beginning of Jesus ministry, the Religious leaders didn’t forget. How could they? There were only two possible conclusions that you could come to, Jesus was wrong or He was right. If He was right, there needed to be enormous change starting from the top down in the nation of Israel. The priests were not about to let that happen. There was too much influence and money at stake, spirituality had nothing to do with it as far as the Pharisees were concerned. They liked their power and their perks, a religious fanatic was not about to get in their way. Here is how Albert Barnes describes this event.
“The zeal of thine house means extraordinary concern for the temple of God; intense solicitude that the worship there should be pure, and such as God would approve. Hath eaten me up. Hath absorbed me, or engaged my entire attention and affection; hath surpassed all other feelings, so that it may be said to be the one great absorbing affection and desire of the mind. Here is an example set for ministers and for all Christians. In Jesus this was the great commanding sentiment of his life. In us it should be also. In this manifestation of zeal he began and ended his ministry. In this we should begin and end our lives. We learn, also, that ministers of religion should aim to purify the church of God….The preaching of every minister should be such that wicked men will feel that they must either become Christians or leave the house of God, or spend their lives there in the consciousness of guilt and the fear of hell.”
Zeal for God’s house, that becomes the passion of every born again Christian. They love the place God has chosen to dwell, He has chosen to dwell in His house. Jesus was announcing a change in the worship of God. The Lord would no longer live in a temple made by hands, He would live in the body of Christ, the New Testament “temple” and dwelling place of God.
Having a zeal for God’s house starts with us; we have to cleanse our own life, our own temple that God can be glorified.
4 thoughts on “ZEAL FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD”
What a job pastors are asked to do, not only are they learning how to bridle or bury their own flesh, but they are often thrust into the ugliness of our ungodly acts, and all to often are criticized by less than repentant church attenders. I do not want to be a part of a member board run church, as some are set up, but a God called and anointed pastor and staff who are never satisfied with their pursuit into the depth’s of God.
I second that , Sean !.. Many thanks to you our Shepard/Pastor Frank and to the
staff our Father has blessed us with.
AMEN!
“Having a zeal for God’s house starts with us; we have to cleanse our own life, our own temple that God can be glorified.”
Spot on!