Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 2: 13-17

Kara Hackert, Director of Children & Family Ministries

Transcript

Kara Hackert  0:06  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's Tuesday, January 13 and I'm Kara Hackert. Today's reading is from John 2, verses 13 through 17, with a spotlight on Jesus and with the apostle John as our guide. We're going to read our story from the Children's Bible in 365 stories. I love the description, imagery and explanation of these words. Let's read Jesus in the temple.

Kara Hackert  0:42  

Jesus arrived at the temple. This court should have been a quiet place where people could come to pray and learn about the true God, but Jesus was horrified at the scene that met his eyes and ears. There was a deafening hub of noise, sheep bleated, cows lowed and birds twittered while traders shouted loudly. People with big packs threaded their way through the stalls, using the temple as a shortcut. Jesus knew that the traders selling animals as offerings for the pilgrims to give to God, were charging more than 20 times too much for them. The money changers were cheating people, too. Every Jew had to pay a temple tax at Passover time. But those who changed the Pilgrims coins into the temple shekel used for payment were making a fat profit. The priests themselves were behind much of the trading. Jesus was very angry that the poor should be cheated and that God's house should be turned into a dishonest market. He strode forward, made a whip out of cords, scattered the coins and started overturning the tables. Tables and stools were soon upside down, and coins rolled everywhere. Then Jesus shooed out the animals and turned away the traders with their baggage. The Pilgrims looked on in amazement how brave Jesus was to defy the most powerful people in the land. Jesus explained to them, "God said that this temple should be a place where everyone from every nation could come to pray and worship Him. It shall not be turned into a thieves den."

Kara Hackert   2:32 

 
Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your son to save us. Please help us to follow his leading and teaching. Help us also to stand up against injustice and take care of those who you have placed around us. Please open our eyes to see those who need our help and our hearts to love your children. Let us be your hands and feet in this world. Help us to learn more about you and who you want us to be. To you be all the glory. Amen.