Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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Zealous for the Father's House
"Zeal for your house will consume me" (John 2:17 quoting Psalm 69:9).
It was almost time for the Jewish passover. Jesus made his way to Jerusalem and entered the temple. In the temple courts, he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves for sacrifices, and he found other men sitting at tables exchanging money. Zealous for his Father's house, he made a whip out of cords and drove out the sheep and cattle and overturned the tables of the money-changers and scattered their money. "Get these out of here!" he said to the dove-sellers, "How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:16). "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' (Isaiah 56:7) but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' (Jeremiah 7:11)" (Matthew 21:13; also Luke 19:46). Mark's gospel reads similarly but includes more of Isaiah when he says, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17).
Most of us are probably familiar with this story of Jesus clearing the temple. It is an interesting story, however, because it presents a side of Jesus that we don't often see or consider. Was he angry? Absolutely. Why so angry over a little commerce in the temple courts? Because of what his Father's house was supposed to be. A house of prayer for all nations. And, all of these goings-on in the temple meant that the purpose of the house could not be fulfilled. Like his forefather David, a man after God's own heart, zeal for his father's house consumed Jesus. And he took whatever action was necessary to turn it back to its intended purpose.
Do you know where I am going with this? The temple that Jesus cleared in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD and has not been rebuilt. It doesn't actually need to be for as Stephen said, "the Most High does not live in houses made by men" (Acts 7:48).
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" (Isaiah 66:1-2).
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). This is the house that God is building — the only house that he wants to build —
"As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Since we are now the temple of God and God's Spirit lives in us and there is no other temple; and since God's house — which is you and me — is to be a house of prayer; and since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), which means that zeal for his Father's house — which is you and me, remember — still consumes him; what does he find when he comes to the you or me temple today? Does it fulfill all that God intended? Is it a house characterized by prayer? Or is it noisy and filled with activity that leads away from God and his desire for his house? Can he come and join us in prayer or does he need to fashion and whip and clear the house?
1 Peter 4:17 says, "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God." Did you know that God's judgment always begins here. With you and me. Not because God wants to destroy us. No, rather, he wants to purify us. So, let's examine our temples. What's really going on inside? Jesus is zealous for his Father's house. Let's join him in his zeal. Get rid of all that hinders or distracts and be a house where prayers go up to God and God is pleased to dwell. That the Almighty God and Creator of everything that is has chosen to reside in you and me is nothing short of amazing! What kind of house have we built for him?
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