He came to serve, not to be served.
At this time of year, people get cabin fever after being cooped up all winter long. All they can think about is getting some sun on their face, and some fresh air. This year the timing of Easter is unusual, it falls on April Fool’s Day. More people will observe playing practical jokes on each other than will go spend some quality time at church. They just don’t want to be bothered, with all that religious stuff. And we wonder why we have school shootings?
We discussed yesterday, that many observe this as Holy Week, consisting the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, to the resurrection on Sunday morning, with some events taking place in-between. One of these events was the casting out of the moneychangers, the people using the temple as a short cut, and the people who sold sacrificial animals to the people making their Passover pilgrimage.
He accused them of being a den of thieves, and was not pleased that they defiled His temple. After the moneychangers and others were cast out, the temple was cleaned and sanctified so it could be used again the way it was intended. Jesus even taught there every morning.
I have to laugh when I see a parallel between today’s political climate, and the political climate back then. Jesus had to stand trial, even though He did nothing wrong. How many times have they called the president to account for his actions since he has been in office? Jesus got rid of the moneychangers, and those taking advantage of the pilgrims who came for the Passover celebration. Our president got rid of all the contracts, and treaties that took advantage of this country. He met every morning with the heads of the church and tried to teach them something, our president meets every morning with the people who help run the government.
Am I comparing Jesus to our president? NO! But I think it ironic that the Scribes and the chief priest were afraid of Jesus because He presented Himself as a common man, who came to serve others not to be served.
The people loved Him, because he taught love, so the scribes and chief priest planned how they might destroy Him, because they were afraid of His popularity. Does that sound familiar to you? There is a huge difference, in that our president can’t promise you eternal life in heaven, and Jesus can and did! For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I would challenge you to take a few minutes and look around yourself, and see all the blessings in your life. Even if you choose not to go to church and worship as some others will, bow your head and thank God for all those blessings. You can make this and every week a Holy Week, by having a relationship with the Lord.
As parents we need to be careful to teach our children the meaning of some of the Easter traditions and put them in a proper perspective. The most common is the Easter egg, which is to symbolize new life that was ensured when Jesus came out of the tomb. Put some meaning back into the holiday that is a celebration of the new life that can be had through Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
We as authors have put many different spins upon this holiday. I think it is obvious that the farther away from the true meaning we get, the worse the country gets. Let’s all try to rein it in and portray the true meaning.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Matthew 21:12-13
And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
Mark 11:15-18