February 18 | Mark 11:17
“And He was teaching and saying to them, “Has it not been written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”” (Mark 11:17)
Usual when I get angry, it’s not righteous anger. We make a lot of mistakes when we get angry. It’s hard for us to see Jesus with righteous anger. We project our own inability to have righteous anger onto Jesus.
But when Jesus walked into the temple on Monday morning, all He saw was moneychangers taking advantage of worshipers with the Temple tax. Honest worshipers came to offer proper sacrifices to the Lord, but they were being robbed.
It wasn’t that business was happening in the Temple. It’s that it was frauding worshipers in God’s presence. He wouldn’t stand for this. His righteous anger swelled up and His divinity showed. Jesus made sure the worshipers were not taken advantage of.
Jesus has no problem going head-to-head with the powers that be. We must approach Him in His house with honesty and seek Him. Today, we can allow distractions to keep us from praying and seeking God.
Action Step: Don’t let distractions keep you from serving and worshiping God. Remove all distractions before you approach His throne. Deal with anything before it distracts you from your devotions and time with God.
Jesus, teach me to pray. Help me eliminate distractions as I enter Your presence. I don’t want anything taking away from our time together. I came to worship You in Your splendor. Focus mind and heart on You.
