20th Day of Lent

Matthew 21: 12-14 (New International Version)
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

Matthew’s account of Jesus “cleansing” the temple gives us some deeper insight. All the exchange of pagan foreign currency for temple currency and all the selling of sacrifices amounted to “robbery”. Prices were being deliberated marked up and exchange rates were taking advantage of foreign pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus “cleanses” the temple in order to make way for the “unclean”. The blind and lame and all manner of human imperfections were not allowed into the temple according to the religious law. But Jesus is turning over more than just tables. He is turning over the whole way we see God and revolutionizing how we understand he way God sees us!

What are the “unclean” or broken areas of your life? Can you imagine Jesus being equally passionate (turning over tables) to make a way for you to connect to God? Consider for a moment that perhaps your brokenness is what makes Jesus so passionate. Not passion to condemn but passion to love, accept and heal.