The 2nd Cleansing...Matthew 21:12-17...Singing or Silent?

 

Working on a grant for our re-roof project, I came across this old picture of the church.  I am figuring it was taken in the late 90's or early 2000's.  I think that is a Dodge van on the drive up.  More trees are present then now and the sign has also changed.  There is also no chain link fence attached to the old building.  What a beautiful reminder of the church's impact on this community over the years.  

As we hike with Jesus over His last week prior to the cross, we have Jesus hiking into the temple to cleanse it a 2nd time.  The first was 3 years prior at another Passover celebration in Jerusalem.  Now He is back with His disciples and He see more of the same.  What was once addressed is to be addressed again.  The scriptures that Jesus quotes from Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Psalms show us the hypocrisy of the people in regards to the centrality of the worship of God in places designated for His people to gather.

Jesus clearly identifies what is wrong and what needs to be removed and churches over time have made much about not selling or taking advantage of others in our church buildings but at the same time allowing other things to stay that should be cleansed or driven out.  We have ignored gossip, pride, lingering sin, comfort over commission, prejudice, lukewarmness and the list goes on.  These hinder the children singing of their Jesus and also from us seeing the hand of God at work in a marvelous way.  Are we as serious about cleansing these out of the gathering of the saints as much as Jesus cleansing the sins happening in the temple of His time?

Another thing that Mark records is that Jesus stopped those just passing through the temple, taking a short cut through the Court of the Gentiles.  They were not using the temple as a place to worship God but rather to serve themselves by using the most direct route to satisfy their own needs.  The church has been used by many over the years in this way.  Some have used the church as a means to their end instead of worshipping God in spirit and in truth.  They pass through this place to satisfy a present need and then they are gone until another need arises.  We can rob God of the genuine worship due Him.  We become that "den of robbers" instead of being a gathering of worshippers.

Are the children singing or silent?  Are we seeing God's wonderful works or the selfish works of man?  These are good signposts if we are following what the Scriptures say about what happens in the gathering of ourselves in designated houses of worship.  These signs are more important and more sure than our man made manufactured signposts of success like how many people are here or how much is in the bank or how good the building looks.  May our children be singing because we are singing and may we see God's hands at work in people's lives because we are available to be used of Him in that way.

Adam