Jesus was moved to passionate, active prayer when he saw what had been done in God’s temple. He had to physically remove what was corrupting the reverent space where the seeker and God were to meet. Jesus needed to restore order, calm and dignity to that which represented an intimate relationship with God. So, Jesus took action. In the Gospel story, that place of meeting was a building. Paul
suggests that Jesus has brought that place of intimate meeting with God even closer.
You and I are now God’s temple, because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Jesus physically, passionately and decisively cleared out all that seeks to corrupt and disrupt us by his death on the cross. He chased it all away. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus effectively said ENOUGH!
When we are
with Jesus in prayer, we can choose to surrender all the worldly injustice we carry. With Jesus’ love and support, we can reject all that seeks to divide and destroy. We can find the courage to stand with the poor and vulnerable, wherever we are and with whatever we have. As we do this, we will see the face of God in those we serve.
What if today you gave a friend the gift of a listening ear?
What
if you did one kind thing for a stranger anonymously?
What if you held the needs of one group of people before God in prayer?
