Still Stirring things Up

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Scripture

And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
(John 2:14 NASB)
And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
(John 2:15 NASB)
and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”
(John 2:16 NASB)
His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”
(John 2:17 NASB)

Observation

Jesus came to the temple and He stirred things up. He looked at how things were being done and He was greatly disturbed. The people had found a way to make money by commercializing God's work. Jesus was literally angry with what He saw and this is the one time we see Him respond in such a manner. The temple was His Father's house and it had been turned into something that His Father would never have wanted. Jesus was ready to stir things up because He couldn't stand to see what had happened to the house of God.

Application

We are faced with the concern today that we need to stir things up in regard to passing on the faith to the next generation. However, that is not the only concern where things need to be stirred up. What we are reading is that the next generation is not necessarily "un" spiritual -- but rather, they are rejecting the "religion" of the previous generation. That is when we have to ask ourselves, "why?" Does the stirring up need to begin at home?Is there something about the way that we have practiced our faith that has become repulsive to the younger generations? Is there an incongruity between the religion we purport to believe and the way in which we live?

Jesus stirred things up at the temple because they just weren't right. Maybe we need to stir things up at church because they're just not right! Maybe we need to stop and look at ourselves and wonder why the next generation isn't interested in our faith.

I want to stir things up! I want to be able to pass on a healthy faith to the next generation but they've got to be able to look at me and see that it's real. Being the church, or a person of faith has nothing to do with commercialism or "selling" anything. It has to do with stepping into the stream of the power of the Holy Spirit and living a genuine Spirit-filled life day in and day out. It must be a life in which God gets the glory.

It's time to stir things up. Let's start by stirring ourselves up.

Prayer

Lord, may I look at my own life and desires and please, stir me up and help get rid of the things that are inconsistent. Amen.

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