Holy Week: A Journey With MatthewIsampula

Monday | The Cleansing of The Temple

We continue to follow Matthew along the journey of Holy Week in the leadup to Easter Sunday, discovering what he learnt and recognising our response as a follower of Jesus.

Matthew is convicted by the circumstances

In Matthew 21 we read about Jesus creating a huge scene in the Temple, knocking over tables and chairs, sending dove feathers flying. Jesus adds to His rising conflict with the religious leaders, accusing them of exploiting the poor for their own selfish gain. Matthew, along with Mark and Luke, records Jesus’ words in this outburst of passion for the purity of the House of God, quoting Isaiah and Jeremiah in declaring “‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

As always, Jesus is dealing with an immediate situation, but also making a broader statement about the Kingdom of God, pre-empting Paul’s declaration that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19).

A follower’s response: Purity

As followers of Jesus, we are called to a life of holiness and purity. This means turning away from the beliefs, thoughts, and actions that our world champions and embracing those of God’s Kingdom. This may take some honest reflection on our part through prayer – what are the things of this world that I am holding on to, rather than completely surrendering to Christ?

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated,“Staying in the old situation and following Christ mutually exclude each other. At first, that was quite visibly the case. The tax collector had to leave his booth and Peter his nets to follow Jesus”.*

Prayer:

Lord God, as I take this moment to honestly reflect, I pray as David did: “create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me”. Help me to see the areas of my life that I need to turn from or surrender to you. I thank you for your forgiveness, mercy, and grace over my life.

* Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Harper Collins, 2005. P.54