The story of Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple always seemed a curious story to me. "He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts." Like much of the Bible, we can look at this story as something outside of ourselves. We might say: "the temple no longer exists and this story shows Jesus passion for it." But what if the temple still exists? What if the temple is our hearts? What if Jesus passion is for hearts to be solely His, dedicated to Him? What if we are the ones who clutter the temple with stuff that keep us from loving Him?
As I look at my own heart (and life), I am struck with how easy it is to fill both with tables and doves and all sort of stuff (merchandise). I am also aware that I am incapable of doing anything about it. Then Jesus shows up. No longer is the story curious, it makes me gasp. Jesus won't let me settle. He points out the clutter, the ways I have chosen, sometimes slowly, for the appearance of religiosity, without the power of a living, vibrant relationship with Him. I don't want to spend my time selling doves and being preoccupied with activity that does nothing more than bring clutter into my life. I often find Jesus waiting to be invited to enter into those places in my heart that are filled with so much clutter there is not much room for anything else. Jesus won't just takes His place among all that stuff. He'll clean it out. His passion for me is too great to let me continue to be distracted, to fill more and more of my heart with that which keeps me from seeing and loving God. I pray for the grace to allow Jesus to do whatever needs to be cleansed in the temple that is my heart.
As I look at my own heart (and life), I am struck with how easy it is to fill both with tables and doves and all sort of stuff (merchandise). I am also aware that I am incapable of doing anything about it. Then Jesus shows up. No longer is the story curious, it makes me gasp. Jesus won't let me settle. He points out the clutter, the ways I have chosen, sometimes slowly, for the appearance of religiosity, without the power of a living, vibrant relationship with Him. I don't want to spend my time selling doves and being preoccupied with activity that does nothing more than bring clutter into my life. I often find Jesus waiting to be invited to enter into those places in my heart that are filled with so much clutter there is not much room for anything else. Jesus won't just takes His place among all that stuff. He'll clean it out. His passion for me is too great to let me continue to be distracted, to fill more and more of my heart with that which keeps me from seeing and loving God. I pray for the grace to allow Jesus to do whatever needs to be cleansed in the temple that is my heart.
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