Holy Week – Day 2

Each blog this week will have two parts: 1. What happened? 2. What does it mean to us?
1. What happened on Monday (Holy Week Day 2)?
Jesus was indignant about merchants filling the temple areas with animals and money changers. He fashioned a small whip and drove out the animals, demanding that the merchants cease making the “house of prayer” into “a den of thieves.” When Greeks came seeking Jesus, he recognized their request as a sign of his universal offer of salvation, saying that when he is “lifted up” (on the cross) he will draw everyone to himself. The words and deeds could not be ignored by the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who considered Jesus a threat to their wealth, prestige and power.
2. What does it mean to us?
Just as the merchants and money changers came to the house of prayer for the wrong reasons, so we today can come to church with hearts far removed from real worship. Our minds can be cluttered with the cares of this world to such a degree that we are barely aware of our being distracted from praise and prayer. As we walk through the doors of God’s house, we should ask ourselves, “Why am I here?” If we cannot answer, “I am here to worship God,” then we are being dishonest with God and ourselves. Our desire should be identical to that of the Greeks who came to the disciples and said, “Sirs, we would see Jesus.”
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Click here to read an account of the day’s events (Last year’s blog about Day 2 of Holy Week).
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You may review last year’s blogs on Holy Week by clicking on “April 2011” in the “Archive” column in the right column of the index page. The blogs began on April 17, 2011 and concluded on April 24, 2011. The blogs give more details about each day during Holy Week.