After the triumphant entry of Jesus, one of the next scenes is Jesus cleansing the temple by chasing out the money changers. The contrast between the two events is fascinating when you think about it. Earlier, it appears that people are worshiping Jesus, now He is confronting those who are hindering worship from taking place. In fact, the leaders were said to be "indignant" because of the worship given to Jesus.
About the temple cleansing Darrell Bock notes on page 320 of Jesus According to Scriptures:
It is a picture of encroaching commerce as a sign of a heart moving away from worship that Jesus challenges here. In other words, the tables of the money changers represented a worship that was efficient in providing access but did not come with the requisite preparation of the heart. This is what made the temple the home of robbers.I reflected on that idea and the symbolism behind Jesus' action and it is humbling. It is so easy for Christians to think about trying to make things convenient, but God is not interested in that. "Heart" work is hard work. It takes the right attitude, investment of time and energy, and submission to God to be performed.
Rather than trying to "squeeze in" worship around our schedules, maybe we need to approach it differently. Spend time during the week in preparation for worship on Sunday by worshiping daily. Take time on Sunday to pray and prepare your heart for corporate worship. We need to throwout the merchants of convenience that rob us of a relationship with the Holy Spirit and spend time in fellowship with Him. This fellowship with Him will bring about the transformation in our lives, which leads to worship that is authentic and passionate.
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