What Would Jesus Do?

“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 Church today. We’ve read about how some Catholic clergy protected child molesters in the church. How about some respected religious leaders participating in a nationwide struggle in the US to make abortion more accessible? Many religious groups and faith leaders support abortion access and are actively working to protect the right to safe, legal abortions. Which side would Jesus be on in this genocide of innocent babies? 

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.