via TJC
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said,“Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Matthew 11: 15-17
In Jesus time it had become common practice to buy your sacrificial animal once you reached Jerusalem. This was an accepted cultural practice but Jesus recognized that the important sacrifice his Father told the Jews to perform was being overshadowed by human things. Jews were being extorted and taken advantage of through high prices because they needed the animals to complete the cleansing ritual. He became full of righteous anger and drove out the people who disrespected the temple and brought the focus of the temple back to prayer and worship of God.
In Exodus, the Bible states our God is a jealous God. Do you ever stop to think what that means? God, the creator of the universe is jealous of the distractions and temporal issues that remove our gaze from Him. In this passage from Matthew, Jesus is furious that the worship of his Father is being placed behind an unjust paywall, which is distracting from the reason for the entire journey, the Jewish relationship with God through the sacrificial prayer. Just as with Gods Temple, our temple, body, soul and mind require cleansing and refocusing to continue to grow in our relationship with God. We cannot allow our earthly distractions to overshadow the faith that we have in Gods grace and in his Love of us as his children.
Daily Battle Order
Take time to pray today about what Jesus would drive out of your life that overshadows and hinders your relationship with God. Then ask for Gods help and support to live a few days with that thing driven off. God wants to have a full and meaningful relationship with you, not to be second to our distractions.
It would absolutely be my concern for what other men think of me... I hate my habit of comparing myself to others. LORD, remove this from my life! Let me focus on YOU! Hosanna!