“My Father owns this house, and I’m on the deed.”
The Father referred to here is God Almighty, the speaker that I have taken the liberty to paraphrase is God the Son, and the house that He was speaking of was the Jewish Temple, built by Herod and often referred to as “Herod’s Temple.”
On two separate occasions, the LORD Jesus Christ “cleaned house” and He did so with force, saying “Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (KJV Mark 11:17). And unto them that sold doves “Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:16). Yes, worshippers coming from afar would need to be able to purchase such items as necessary for their mode of worship, but these transactions should not have been allowed to turn the Temple into some sort of bazaar where sellers were hawking their goods and yelling their prices, stripping the Father’s House of its sanctity.
I have heard some speak of Jesus as if he were a revolutionary, and thereby claiming kinship with Him on that basis. It’s hard to think of anything more ludicrous! While thugs and miscreants are trashing, thrashing, taking, and burning virtually everything in sight on our great nation’s streets, and claiming some sort of moral license to do so, Jesus did nothing of the kind. He cleansed the Temple! He stole nothing, he destroyed nothing, and he injured nobody. Plus, it was His House! He simply cleaned it up and threw out the perpetrators! No doubt there were dedicated Jews who were pleased and relieved that He did so. Of course many of the leaders were not happy because they resented His authority. For them, it was all about power. Jesus was actually standing up for righteousness when the supposed leaders would not. Jesus defended His own property from those who were abusing it and who had no right to do so.
If anybody was a “law and order” man, it was the LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus never condoned sin, and His words were, “Go and sin no more.” Could our leaders have the simple guts to say to these rioters and anti-American criminals, “Go and sin no more.”? Could they say “This is sin, this is abuse, this is stealing, this is wrong and we will not allow it.” It’s also stupid, unreasonable, and completely irrational. It has nothing to do with the death of George Floyd.
Why in the world would our leaders allow and even apologize to those who are decimating our cities? Who will pay for this carnage, who will replace the burnt out stores, and does anybody care about the Mom and Pop businesses that represent a life of scrimping and hard work but are now summarily being destroyed with seeming impunity? When the businesses go, so do the jobs go. Do these doing the destruction need a job, or are they independently wealthy? Or are they already receiving a government check? This is all crazy! God’s Word is hosting a question and answer period, but He’s not accepting questions from the floor, He’s asking the question: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.” (Isaiah 63:1-4).
This is a Jesus that these do not know and have absolutely no kinship with. We pray that they would know Jesus, that they would be born into the family of God with resultant kinship as sons of God. This would be fantastic for them, and would change our nation in miraculous ways, stopping this ignorant violence and sin. It would help if our leaders would start by saying something about it, and then continue by doing it.
We have the behavior we tolerate, and we’re tolerating way too much. I’d like to hear our leaders apologize to America for that!!
After all, all these houses belong to Jesus!
Love and Prayers to all,
Pastor
Comments