One of the texts in the gospels which has intrigued me now for some seven years is the record of Jesus cleansing the temple during the passion week (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47). I think it is so fascinating to me because it is a picture of Jesus that shocks my "religious self". In other words, many in the church have sadly grown accustomed to a mild, weak, effeminate, and soft Jesus--when in reality, He is the Lord of glory... zealous for His house (John 2:17). Jesus has expectations regarding His house; and somehow, people are surprised at this. We shouldn't be. Jesus is walking in the midst of His churches and He is evaluating their spiritual condition (Revelation 1:13 & Chapters 2-3)... and that's what I believe He was doing some 2,000 years ago when He cleansed the temple.
We are His house by-the-way (Hebrews 3:6). Thus, Jesus isn't just trying to communicate about what should happen in a sacred place (i.e. the temple in Jerusalem), but rather He is speaking to what qualities He is looking for in His people (i.e. His house). So... what is He looking for? Well, I would be lying if I said that this one text (Matthew 21:12-17) reveals them all; however, I will say that I believe the four qualities referred to in this text are crucial. Here they are (in order as they are seen/found in the passage of Scripture): 1) Purity (vs. 12-13), Prayer (vs. 13), Power (vs. 14), and Praise (vs. 15-16).
It seems to me that Jesus wants His people to be marked by purity, prayer, (supernatural) power, and praise (i.e. not just singing to God... but a deep commitment to glorifying His name in all their life). So... the question before the house (no pun intended) is this: Is your life marked by those four qualities? If not, why not?
I'll talk more about these qualities in future blogs-- but for now, I really do want you to examine your life under the loving guidance of the Lord (Psalm 139:23-24). Rate yourself. On a scale from 1-10, give yourself a score under each of the four qualities. Are you regularly giving into temptation and playing with sin? Maybe you're at a 2 or 3 on the PURITY scale. Are you a red-hot prayer warrior? Maybe you're an 8 or 9 on the PRAYER scale. Do you ignore the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Or do you diligently seek to be filled with the Spirit each day? What about praise... do you spend time each day giving God the honor and glory He deserves for all His marvelous works? Grade yourself. Be honest... and let the Lord guide you as you examine your own life. You can't address what you don't acknowledge. The Lord knows the truth about you--so you're not going to shock Him. But it's important that you know where you stand in these matters. After all, in the end, God is looking at the condition of His house, and if need be, judgment will begin with His own (1 Peter 4:17). Rather than wait for His discipline, let's delight His heart by examining ourselves, correcting what's wrong, and celebrating what's right in our lives (1 Corinthians 11:31).
Let's restore God's house to it's original condition... what do you say?
