"Then they came to
Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were
selling and those who were buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of
the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and He would not allow
anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, 'Is it
not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?'
But you have made it a den of robbers.' And when the chief priests and the
scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill Him; for they were afraid
of Him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by His teaching" (Mark
11:15-18).
Fear fueled the wrath
of the religious leaders and fanned their jealousy and pride into flame. You
threatened their power, their control, and their doctrine. You were turning
their religious kingdom upside-down. You insisted on a return to the Truth and
Spirit of the Word of God-a God whose heart was not focused on religious leaders
building their own religious kingdom through control, but rather focused on the
salvation of the souls of the nations through prayer. No wonder they were
looking for a way to kill You.
But You didn't back
down and You didn't tone it down. You confronted their compromise and assaulted
their pride. You poured out Your compassion for the people, even as You erupted
in anger over the actions of their leaders. Through it all, You continued to
teach and proclaim the Kingdom of God, teaching by precept and by example. And
all who saw You and heard You were spellbound, for You taught as One with
authority (v. 1:27).
There's a cost for
courage to stand for what is right, to persist in the truth regardless of the
consequences. And only by the grace of God can we be moved with great love and
compassion for people, while at the same time being moved with righteous anger
toward that which dishonors God. But that's the Spirit of Christ. And You died
in Your flesh as the Son of Man that we might have Your "Spirit of Christ"
abiding in us (Romans 8:9). Lord, let me be spellbound by Your example and
Spirit-filled in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy
Hays
Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny
in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah
MinistriesHealing from the Inside Out
