The Lord Jesus Christ perfectly showed what the Father is like through His life on earth as a human being.
He Himself said that everything He does, He does because the Father does it. Take His Word for it:
"So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." (John 5:19)
In this article, we will take a look at one of God's characteristics as evidenced by Jesus' own actions when He drove people out of the temple.
Driving the ungodly away
Matthew 21:12-17 gives us an account showing Jesus driving away some people from the temple:
"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,
"'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"
And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there."
Now why did He do that? What can we learn from this incident? Here are a few things to consider:
1) The temple (or the church) should be called a house of prayer
Jesus, arriving at the temple to find people doing business instead of praying inside it, was of course disappointed with it. And why is that?
It's because God's house should be a house of prayer (see Isaiah 56:7).
Some churches today become, among other things, places where God's Word is not taught right. In these churches, people are exalted "in the name of Jesus." Man's agenda is given center stage and the Gospel is watered down to become a prosperity or inspirational message.
This should not be! God's house should be places where He is sought after in prayer, worship, fasting, and the teaching of the Word.
2) He is focused on God, nothing else
In John 2:16-17 we read something that will help us understand why Jesus did this:
"And [Jesus] told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade." His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me.""
Jesus drove the moneychangers and pigeon-sellers out of the temple because He was very serious about God's house.
We need to realize that while God loves everyone, He doesn't want His church contaminated with wrong teachings, mindsets, and purposes.
God's house was, is, and will always be meant for His pleasure, not man's pleasure. Neither is God's house meant for fundraising or making people financially rich.
Jesus Himself said in Matthew 6:24,
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Money must never take God's place in our lives, especially in our churches.
3) The church should be showing His love to people, not milking them
I know this will sound offensive to some, but it has to be said:
We're commanded to go preach the Gospel to all creation and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Christ taught us. (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18)
Part of these is praying for the sick and reaching out to the poor:
"Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" (Luke 10:9)
"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them..." (Mark 14:7)
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9)
Every Christian should realize that the church must be a place where God can do as He pleases, not as we please. We submit to our Lord and do His will.
