John 2:13-25 | What is the lesson for me today?

I am often captivated by Jesus' zealousness. There is a boldness in Jesus' righteous anger that I admire deeply. He was not afraid to call out sin. For those who should have known better, He was stern. For those who were beat up by sin, He was gentle but not evasive. He still spoke the truth and He spoke it in love. When He saw that the temple was being used for this purpose, He did not hold back and drove the wickedness out. The lesson that captivates me is that of zealousness.

Do I have that same zeal for the house of the Lord? From a pastoral standpoint, it makes me question what I may or may not allow in teachings. It makes me question what I encourage people to partake in or not partake in. How am I considering the ministry? How am I considering the people? It is honestly a point of struggle for me to be bold in one on one conversation when people are bringing up things I disagree with. It is not that I do not care, but I often struggle with how to disagree kindly in a way that communicates my heart of love. Jesus' heart was much more concerned with righteousness and reverence to the Father. This challenges me in my boldness.

I firmly believe that what I do or do not believe about the Lord will show up in my life. If I truly revere the Father and seek to honor His temple (who is His church), how should I preach and teach? How should I disciple? What should my time in solitude look like? How should my own life be lived? I want God to be glorified in everything I do. I also want God to be glorified in everything you do. I am captivated by the Lord and long to see Him be properly revered. It would appear that Jesus led the charge in that.

So what lesson am I taking away today? I need to be zealous for the Lord and His temple, just as Jesus was and is.

What lesson are you taking away for yourself today?