A Clear Path to God
In one of the most dramatic moments in Matthew 21, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus flips tables, scatters money, and sets animals free in the Temple courts. His anger wasn’t impulsive—it was righteous. He saw people being robbed in two devastating ways.
First, merchants sold animals for sacrifice at outrageous prices, exploiting travelers with inflated exchange rates. It was blatant financial robbery.
But the deeper theft was spiritual. Those who couldn’t afford the inflated costs were excluded from worship, left without the opportunity to pray and connect with God. The merchants and the religious leaders who enabled them had filled the Temple with obstacles, barring access to God’s presence for the poor and vulnerable.
Jesus’ response was decisive: “Enough.” He cleared the Temple to remove every man-made barrier between people and God.
This act wasn’t just for that moment; it’s a truth for us today. Through Jesus, every obstacle between us and God has been torn down. The price has been paid, the path cleared, and the invitation extended.
No matter who you are or what you’ve done, there’s nothing blocking your way to God. In Jesus, a great clearing has been made. Let’s step into his house of prayer with gratitude, knowing his doors are wide open for us all.
Sacrificial Love
Jesus, all powerful and completely perfect, chose to give up His life for us. He willingly went to the cross to be crucified, the most painful death imaginable, because He loved us so much.
And He invites us to do the same.
1 John 3:16 tells us, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."
How can we demonstrate this kind of sacrificial love in our own lives? How can we give our time, attention, or resources to help someone in need? Are we intentional to listen and be present for others, even when it's not easy or comfortable? Are we willing, if it comes down to it, to give up our lives for the sake of God and others?
This kind of love is challenging. It asks us to look beyond our own needs and to see the needs of others. It calls us to be selfless. The good news is, Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything for someone else that He wasn’t willing to do for us first. He knows ...
“And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cæsar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's, and unto God the things which be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.”
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