Zeal for God’s House

“Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17

In the 2nd chapter of John, we see an uncharacteristic side of Jesus. When He went to the Temple during the annual Passover celebration, He was dismayed to see money changers, and merchants selling in the outer court. This was the area where the Gentiles were supposed to pray and meditate in peace. Instead it was a hubbub of cattle, sheep and doves, and the noise and movement made it impossible to pray. 

What did Jesus do? He made a whip from some ropes and chased the merchants out of the area. He turned over the tables of the money changers, scattering their coins. He told them, “Get these things and animals out of here! Don’t turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!!!” 

The leaders demanded, “What right have You to do this?” These same leaders should have been the ones to make sure the Temple and Temple grounds were kept holy so people would have a place to pray and worship God.

Today we have Church leaders who are not taking care of Our Father’s house. They have not turned it into a marketplace, but into something worse. I am sure Jesus would like to turn a whip on many of the horrid things happening in the Catholic Church today. We’ve heard of Bishops and Cardinals protecting child molesting clergy. Now we have a Dean of the Roman Catholic Church, Monsignor John Devine, who is speaking against pro-life advocates from his pulpits in St. Mary’s and St. Anthony’s Churches in the Isle of Man! The Catholic laity are fighting against the Abortion Reform Bill which will allow abortion within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Msgr. Devine undermines their work, pronouncing, “People who have abortions are not murderers.” 

Father, there is so much upheaval and deception in the world today. May You not punish us in Your righteous anger, but protect us from the work of our enemy who seeks to destroy the Church, our country, our families. Let Your glory destroy the darkness in this world. May we constantly turn to You that You may live in us and we may radiate the presence of Christ to the world around us.