ECWA Daily Devotional for Spiritual Growth

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2022

TEXT: John 2:12-25

12. After this, He went to Capernaum, together with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.

13. The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14. In the temple complex He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and [He also found] the money changers’ sitting there.

15. After making a whip out of cords, He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables.

16. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

17. And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for Your house will consume Me.

18. So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign [of authority] will You show us for doing these things?”

19. Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.”

20. Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21. But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.

22. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.

23. While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing.

24. Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all

25. and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.

(Holmans CS Holy Bible)

TOPIC: IT IS EITHER A CHURCH OR A BUSINESS OUTFIT

From Cana of Galilee, Jesus, His disciples and His mother proceeded to Capernaum where they stayed for a few days.

From there, Jesus and His disciples went to Jerusalem to join in celebrating the Jewish Passover. Unfortunately, the temple was turned into a center of business, which was at its peak. Without wasting time, Jesus chased all of the ‘business owners’ out of the temple, overturned their tables and freed all the animals.

One might be tempted to accuse Jesus of being insensitive to the help these businesses were offering the worshippers who came from different parts of the world and needed to either change their currency into the acceptable temple currency or buy animals for the Passover sacrifices.

But see Jesus’ reason in His words: “Stop turning my Father’s house into a market” (v. 16). They were only concerned with the financial gains, not helping those in need. Today, we have many so-called churches that can better be described as ‘business or money-making centers’.

QUESTION: IS the church or church-group you are leading a business outfit or a place where Jesus is preached and taught?

PRAYER: Take time to pray for church leaders that they should avoid turning their worship centers into business outfits.