There are two readings for today.
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 11
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Does God get worked up about anything?
Here we see Jesus enraged about how the religious leaders were turning God’s meeting place for seekers into a money-making scam.
In Psalm 11 David speaks about God’s passion against the wicked.
The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. [Psalm 11:5]
Many people have a hard time thinking of God as getting angry, since in their mind God is love.
Many people think of Jesus as over-reacting, or of God’s judgment in the bible as unfair.
How can God “hate with a passion”, it’s just not right.
First of all I think we misunderstand love if we think it cannot get angry.
I read a story in the news of a father who found a hired worker on his farm raping his 12 year old daughter… he was so enraged be beat the man to death.
Was it love for his daughter, or hatred of his daughter’s rapist, that consumed him?
In this story, the man was acquitted of murder charges.
Whatever we think of this, it is not hard to see how love for one’s child can lead to anger at those who hurt their child.
Magnify this by the millions, as God watches cruel human abusers mistreat His much-loved children.
And is God over-reacting?
David says that “the Lord is righteous, he loves justice” [Psalm 11:7].
I tend to think that it is more likely that we are under-reacting, that we have grown so accustomed to evil and greed that we minimize or justify it.
Jesus was not over-reacting, He was rightly angry.
The religious leaders were creating barriers to people finding welcome and mercy in the temple; instead they were being taken advantage of.
I affirm both that God is love and that God is fair.
He gives plenty of opportunity for mercy, but the day is coming when He will bring justice.
Those who refuse to change, who refuse God’s appeals and warnings, will be judged.
God loves us with a holy zeal, a passionate father concerned for all of his children.
That same passionate love becomes a passionate anger and justice for those who cruelly or violently mistreat those that He loves.
Mercy will give way to justice, for those who refuse His mercy.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to be as concerned for Your needy, oppressed, mistreated children as you are. Fill me with a zeal for Your mercy!