John 2:12-25  This is still the beginning of our Lord's ministry.. Jesus was revealing Himself to the nation that belonged to Him.  A nation set apart for God, birthed by God,.. chosen for His purposes.  Jerusalem was God's city, the place where He chose to place His Name.. and the temple was the very heart of that city.. the heart of Israel.. the Father's House. 

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  He had been there before.. through all the years that He had grown up.. but this time was different.  He went to the temple and saw "those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there.. "   They were in the place reserved for the priestly work of offering sacrifices.. the place of prayer.. the place that should have been kept sacred and cleansed from all iniquity.  Yet, the Jewish leaders had allowed this corruption right into the heart of God's House. 

Jesus took a whip.. "and drove them all out of the temple".  His "zeal" for His Father's house consumed Him.  "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise"!   

The Jews questioned His authority to do this work of cleansing the temple.  The thing that they should have done! It should have been clear to them that this was what God commanded.  They were so far from God's heart that they didn't even honor the sanctity of the Temple. They didn't recognize their sinfulness and unfaithfulness to the God they claimed to serve.  Jesus was revealing their sins but they were blind and rebellious... even in the Temple that was supposed to be God's  Presence among them. 

We call our churches "God's house".   They are not like the Temple in Jerusalem.  There is not altar for burnt offerings.  There is not an Ark of the covenant.  But still, we believe it is a sacred place.. a place for prayer.. a place for the Word of God to be preached.  A place for worship.  Do we have a zeal for the Lord's house?  Have we allowed things in that should not be distracting from the true purpose of the church?  I'm afraid so... 

Holy Father.. You are the Righteous God that we worship and serve.. yet we are  often in need of correction and cleansing.  Show us.. reveal to us.. the heart of worship.. Your heart for Your church. Fill our hearts with what You will and work in us what pleases You we pray.. in Jesus' name. amen.