Rambo Jesus?
Matt 21:12
"And Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves."
Yesterday morning I was praying that God would take out the idols of my heart. What made it odd is that I actually meant it. We all pray for something we don't really want at times, thinking somehow God is pleased with such a tepid request. We think God says, "Well, it is better than nothing. I can work with this."In fact, it would be better not to pray about something unless we are serious about it. Although God has time, I am sure He does not have the patience for such trifles. Yes or no, and maybe is a no.
Better to say, in a way, that I like my sin and really don't want to part with it. And, then ask God to give us the power to renounce it. At least we are being honest. I tell my students at school that until they can be honest, there is nothing I can do for them of any great help.
Idols are satanic counterfeits of God. Taking the place of God, they promise something like satisfaction and contentment. They create a sinful itch and then scratch it. All that happens is that we need to keep coming back for more and more. Sin never satisfies. All promise, no deliver. Pleasure into pain.
As I was in prayer, I saw Christ coming into the Temple. All looked fine that day in the Temple I'm sure. Busy as Wal-Mart, the cash registers were ringing, the merchants were meeting payroll and turning a profit, and the various sacrifices of doves probably was as efficient as a Perdue Chicken line where they chop the birds into parts. Chop and cash, it was probably something the Temple regulars were used to...another day in the office. "Can't wait to bowl after work and have a few beers. Yawn." But where was God in all of this?
Well, God showed up and he was none too happy. There is a time when Christ consoles, there is a time when He kicks-ass and this was a butt-whuppin'. He was not exactly meek and mild. The wus Jesus "Jewus?" never impressed me. Somehow good intentioned but essentially a doormat. His humility coupled with His power is what is noteworthy. All humility and no power makes Jesus a wimp.
Then God kind of moved the scene of Jesus in the Temple to me. Since we are now God's Temple, how many times to we actually want Christ to come in with his cords and start overturning the complacency tables of our lives, and watch our little pet birdy sins go screeching away like a scalded cat on a stove? Not often.
We don't want an extreme Jesus. We want a Jesus that lets us hold onto our idols like collectibles...and these idols are many and it is hardly wise or safe to collect them all. This Jesus pretty much scares me...who knows what He is going to do when He is doing his Father's business...and not the world's.
And, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
"And Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves."
Yesterday morning I was praying that God would take out the idols of my heart. What made it odd is that I actually meant it. We all pray for something we don't really want at times, thinking somehow God is pleased with such a tepid request. We think God says, "Well, it is better than nothing. I can work with this."In fact, it would be better not to pray about something unless we are serious about it. Although God has time, I am sure He does not have the patience for such trifles. Yes or no, and maybe is a no.
Better to say, in a way, that I like my sin and really don't want to part with it. And, then ask God to give us the power to renounce it. At least we are being honest. I tell my students at school that until they can be honest, there is nothing I can do for them of any great help.
Idols are satanic counterfeits of God. Taking the place of God, they promise something like satisfaction and contentment. They create a sinful itch and then scratch it. All that happens is that we need to keep coming back for more and more. Sin never satisfies. All promise, no deliver. Pleasure into pain.
As I was in prayer, I saw Christ coming into the Temple. All looked fine that day in the Temple I'm sure. Busy as Wal-Mart, the cash registers were ringing, the merchants were meeting payroll and turning a profit, and the various sacrifices of doves probably was as efficient as a Perdue Chicken line where they chop the birds into parts. Chop and cash, it was probably something the Temple regulars were used to...another day in the office. "Can't wait to bowl after work and have a few beers. Yawn." But where was God in all of this?
Well, God showed up and he was none too happy. There is a time when Christ consoles, there is a time when He kicks-ass and this was a butt-whuppin'. He was not exactly meek and mild. The wus Jesus "Jewus?" never impressed me. Somehow good intentioned but essentially a doormat. His humility coupled with His power is what is noteworthy. All humility and no power makes Jesus a wimp.
Then God kind of moved the scene of Jesus in the Temple to me. Since we are now God's Temple, how many times to we actually want Christ to come in with his cords and start overturning the complacency tables of our lives, and watch our little pet birdy sins go screeching away like a scalded cat on a stove? Not often.
We don't want an extreme Jesus. We want a Jesus that lets us hold onto our idols like collectibles...and these idols are many and it is hardly wise or safe to collect them all. This Jesus pretty much scares me...who knows what He is going to do when He is doing his Father's business...and not the world's.
And, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
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