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In this chapter we begin Holy Week with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and then He goes to the Temple and clears out the money changers. It must have been something to see. But what does this incident tell us? He is driving out the corruption from Temple. Now each of us is the Temple of God, I think it would be safe to assume that Jesus wants to clear the corruption from our lives. At least that's what I'm hearing today. What about you?
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.
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Eek. I think Jesus wants us to clear the corruption, but also the hypocrisy and the lies. It is so easy to point to other people and say, "Well, at least I'm not as bad as them." But, in doing that, I am in denial of my own sins.
Matthew 21
ReplyDeleteBethphage ~*~ house of unripe figs
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1-3 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
18-19 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves.
I like both of these references; 1) Jesus sees the donkey and colt being where He tells the two disciples they will find them upon their arrival. Also seeing the release of them. I love how Jesus sees and tells! 2) Bethphage ~*~ so named because of the abundance of figs. The tree that Jesus goes to has not produced after its kind. When He comes to us, are we grounded and reproducing what He gives us?