Reflecting on John 2:13-25“Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:17)
For ancient Israel, the temple was where God lived among them.
But they were more focused on the building’s holiness, not on their need to be holy.
They were cruel, unjust, violent, making the temple a “den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7:2-11).
The temple was supposed to be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17).
Jesus was passionate (zealous) about people – all people – not about the temple.
I was raised to think of the church as ‘the house of the Lord’.
We were warned about how we behaved in the building and how we treated it.
Jesus is NOT concerned about the building, but about how we treat people.
And not just church people… all people, all nations, especially the vulnerable!
“Do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow or shed innocent blood.” (Jeremiah 7:6)
Jesus was God’s temple (presence) among us, devoted to loving people for God.
We are God’s temple (presence) on earth, devoted to loving people for God.
We are not called to go to church, but to be the church: a people devoted to Jesus-like love.
I used to be passionate about building the church; now I am committed to building people.
I’m not ready to turn tables yet, but I want to be consumed by zeal for loving all God’s children!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, may Your zeal ignite my own heart for all people, especially the vulnerable. Save us from the circus of churchianity, and fill us with a zeal for loving and blessing all God's children!
Remember the little folded hand steeple poem? This is the church. This is the steeple. Open the doors. Here are all the people. His people to be instruments of His peace. We need to love oneanother as members of His body, encouraging each other, being instruments of His peace. We need one another for we are members of His body. I/you need to be like Christ to all.