Tuesday 29 March 2022

12 Jesus entered the temple courts 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. 13 “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.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

When I was a child there was a rote prayer that I prayed which said ‘gentle Jesus meek and mild, look on me a little child..’. This passage is NOT ‘gentle Jesus’. Here we have Sassy Jesus! This guy was flipping tables and calling the corrupt profiteers out for their disrespect and their exploitation. While as believers we are called to be peacekeepers and to extend Grace and Mercy, there is definitely a time and place to get our Sass on. We need to continue to stand up for what is right, to champion the downtrodden and disadvantaged. We need to be sure we are not party to oppressing or exploiting others. The example of Jesus shows our faith needs to be lived out with courage and boldness and just a bit of sass. We can serve God with our being subservient to the world. Significantly, this stuff that Jesus was dealing with was within the religious community, not the outside world. To me this is a warning to check that taking advantage of a situation or opportunity does not mean I am taking advantage of someone else. This raw, honest faith at work.

Prayer: Jesus I thank you for your Grace and Mercy in my life. I pray that you will convict me of injustice and help me to stand up for what is right. May my actions bring Glory to your Mighty Name. Amen

Written by Christine Knight