Month: April 2020

Holy Week – Day 2

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Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Luke 21:1-3 ESV

On this, His final day of public ministry, Jesus takes time to praise the offering of a widow. Among the crowds at the temple that day, she was probably considered the least important by most people. In fact few would have even noticed as she quietly slipped her two coins into the charity box. However everyone noticed the rich men as they carried in their gifts with great fanfare.  At the sound of their silver and gold coins clanking into the offering box people were oohing and aahing about how much they gave. But Jesus wasn’t impressed with money. He didn’t care about a big performance or false religiosity. He just waited quietly to see if anyone had come to give with all their heart.

Then just before Jesus went to prepare for His last meal with His disciples He gave us a simple insight about one widow. She had come with a pure heart and she had given all.

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Holy Week – Day 1

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And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 ESV

Some of us get the idea that Jesus of Nazareth went through His ministry smiling, blessing children and sitting with newly washed lambs. But on Monday of Holy Week; this same Jesus who had forgiven the woman caught in adultery and who ate with sinners became angry when He went to the temple to pray. Instead of meekly entering He instead shouted as he drove the buyers and sellers away saying indignantly, “Is it not written My House shall be called a house of prayer?”

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Now the case could be made that Jesus was upset because of the physical location where these vendors were set up. But more importantly;  when Jesus used the word “House” he also meant household or family. In other words the place where God’s family meets should be exclusively for brothers and sisters who come together to pray. Of course it is easy for us 2,000 years later to be critical, but are we any better today?  Are we truly, first and foremost a family of prayer?

Or do we sometimes maneuver our way into desirable positions in order to take unfair advantage of others? Are we putting ourselves right back at the money changer’s tables? Our special events are great and fellowship while we are having coffee matters; but can we say that prayer is the main thing that happens at church (Online or otherwise)?  Secondly notice also that Jesus went on to say that His family was supposed to be for all nations. Are all nations showing up at our place of worship?  Jesus wants to clean His house of anything that keeps us apart. Then when everyone brings their own inheritance into God’s family  together we become the House of God and His family indeed!

Your King is Coming

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This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” Matthew 21:4-5 ESV

When we think of Palm Sunday we see it as the triumphant end of a week in which He had raised Lazarus from the dead and healed a blind man on the way to Jerusalem. But for the first century Jew it was the beginning of a festival week. Try to imagine the week before Christmas. People are doing extra baking, decorating the house and

inviting friends and family over for the big day. And right into the middle of the excited crowds, Jesus rode into the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem.

The scripture tells us that But Jesus wasn’t just coming to town for the Passover. He was coming to fulfill the prophecy that God would send them their king through that gate riding on a donkey. He was not simply an amazing miracle worker, a powerful prophet or a triumphant king: He was their king!

Though the religious elite were angry when children shouted Hosanna, the common people were sensing something their leaders missed. Jesus was coming to be king riding a donkey and they didn’t need to be afraid.