Den of Thieves – What are They Stealing? | Matthew 21:12-16 | 117

"The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!"

Mat 21:12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
Mat 21:13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
Mat 21:14 The blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them.
Mat 21:15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant.
Mat 21:16 They asked Jesus, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give You praise.’”

What is really being stolen at the Temple of the Lord?

I’ve been puzzling this passage over for quite a few days now, not sure which direction to go with it. I know that many people like to portray this scene as though Jesus were an angry raving-mad person who through violence forced the money changers out of the temple with whip in hand; but I know they are wrong to portray it that way.

Jesus emptied that temple with authority that shown from his countenance. They left because they were told to by the King of the Universe. Even the leading priest left, and I see that the end result was a scene of Jesus standing with a few of His disciples alone in the now empty temple. The silence must have been deafening. The sense of awesome power and authority…overwhelming.

Consider that time when you were a child who got caught doing something you knew you weren’t supposed to do. Your mother or father need only to give you a look and it made your heart want to turn tail and run. You knew you had done wrong because your mother’s eyes said it all. All these supposed great men, these leaders of religious services, and these money changers – felt that way. They felt it so intensely that they fled from His presence.

So, what was wrong with what they were doing in the temple. Was it the commerce? Was it the selling of items and the exchange of money that was the problem? We like to take it there but let’s consider that maybe this was a spiritual problem and those things were only the outward display of the problem.

Notice that Jesus commands them with few words, but those words are a quote from scripture, Isaiah 56:7. He doesn’t just tell them that it is wrong for them to buy and sell in the temple, He instead goes directly to the real problem which is that the temple is no longer a true house of prayer. The blessing that the temple should be to the people has been “stolen” and it is now a weight upon the shoulders of the poor.

Notice that they are in the section of the temple where the doves were being sold. This was the poor mans sacrifice; yet at this time sick, blind, crippled or diseased people were not let anywhere near the temple. Even a priest who had become defiled by disease or crippled by an accident was no longer allowed access to the temple. This was the true theft. Men had defiled the House of God by turning it into a place that kept out the very people God desired to lay His hands on. This was the real crime; the theft that God will not allow to continue.

His House will be cleansed. His people will be purified through the Holy Spirit. They will once again feel the deep need to repent and fall on their faces before their Holy God and they will rejoice once again as He lays His healing hands upon them. Amen.

Notice what the end result to this encounter with Jesus was…the sick, crippled and blind came into the temple that they had been denied access to for so long…and were finally healed by Him. They were the ones that did not flee from His Holy Authority; but instead, came to it without earned favor asking to be healed. And what did those healing encounters with Jesus produce? PRAISE and GLORY to the SON OF DAVID! PRAISE AND GLORY TO JESUS!

Dear Friend. Stop letting your sinful nature keep you from God’s House of Prayer. Allow Him to cleanse your temple; He will and, let us not forget, only He can. Repent of your sins and seek the mercy that He is so willing to give. You cannot hide from God. You cannot flee to a place that He does not know your heart. Why run? Don’t you know that you are sick and blind and diseased? Embrace His love and let it heal you.

Prayer:

Dear Lord of Heaven and Earth,

I praise You today for the healing love that You are so willing to give. I praise You for being the healer of my heart. Forgive my sins Lord. Cleanse my temple and lead me down Your path. I don’t want to be anything but useful to You. Help me to stop running and to start coming to You boldly.

Watch over my children. Keep them safe and forgive their sins Lord. Cover them with your robe of righteousness. Bring them through this valley of death that we may see them together in your Kingdom.

Thank you for providing our needs. I love You Lord. Amen.

Day 90 | Matthew 15:29-39 | Who Should be Glorified?

Scripture: Matthew 15:29-39 [NLT]

²⁹ Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. ³¹ So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

³² Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 

³³ Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”
³⁴ Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” 

And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

³⁵ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. ³⁷ So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. ³⁸ Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.^[a

Jesus cares for all of our needs

Jesus once again takes care of the needs of a multitude of people; needs both great and small. He heals them of all manner of sickness and crippling diseases and then feeds them with what is at hand. Miracles abound and miracles amaze, but I would draw your attention to one small clue. He does not do it to bring attention to Himself.

Notice in vs 31 that the people glorify “the God of Israel”. Jesus did not allow them to assume that He was the source of the power he was displaying or the miracles he was performing. He did not take any glory for Himself but instead directed their attention to the God of Israel; His Father in Heaven.

I ask myself the question; “If God were to give me power to heal, would I take the glory for myself?” I think the temptation would be great. People would want to “glorify” me as the source of a miracle; it is in their human nature, so there would have to be a diligent effort to make sure that they did not praise me or exult me in any way.

When you think about the so-called miracle healers of today, what do you see? Do you see humbleness of spirit, glorification of God and God alone? Simple love for others? I don’t. I see greed. Self exultation. Wealth accumulation. Self love. Take, for instance, Benny Hinn. Do you see humbleness? Do you see true love for others? Nope. In him I see only self love. He uses the right words, but sets himself up to receive the glory. He is a charleton, a blasphemer, and a lying devil. He is a false Christ and he should be shunned and ignored.

Turn to God. Turn to the Creator of the Universe; the source of true power and true love and true humbleness. The Creator of the Universe was willing to come down to this sinful planet, take off His robe, and wash our feet! He was willing to receive scorn, malice, mockery, and physical punishment to help us. He loves us unconditionally. Knowing all this, we would dare to give even a moment of our time to someone like Benny Hinn?! Turn away from men like this and start to follow the true God of the Bible. Learn of Him from His Word. Stop listening to these lying spirits and listen to “the God of Israel” who loves you so much.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

My prayer today is that you would open the eyes of those who are blinded by the pomp and circumstance of men who for themselves seek the glory that belongs to You. Help me to never seek glory for myself, but to always remember that You are the source of all power; the source of life itself. Give me a humble spirit. Help me to love others as You would.

Thank You for all that You provide in my life. Help me to never forget that You are the Great Provider. Be with my children and keep them safe. I love you Lord. Amen.