URC Daily Devotion Wednesday 14 May 2025

St John 2: 13 – 25

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

Reflection

Passover is an 8-day festival and is celebrated in spring.  This year Passover began on the 12th of April and ended on the 20th of April.  It has been an important festival for the Jews since they fled from Egypt.  It should have been a time to offer a sacrifice, to pray and to give thanks for escaping slavery in Egypt but corrupt and greedy merchants and money changers had seen a way to make money by selling sacrificial animals at inflated prices. 

Jesus took action.  He got angry and threw these people out of the temple.  People reacted; His disciples remembered the words from Psalm 69.  The Jews asked Jesus for a sign that He was doing the right thing.  Jesus replied and many did not understand the reply as they took what He said literally.  John also writes that many believed in Jesus.

How do we react to events in the world?  Are we passive and accepting like the people who were willing to pay the inflated prices in the temple or do we stand up against corruption and evilness?  If we look at the world that God created we see it slowly being destroyed by climate chaos which has been caused by human activity, often linked to greedy companies exploiting fossil fuels.  We see people starving because this climate chaos has caused floods or droughts.  We see the news about wars and we know that many countries have huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons that they could easily complete the destruction of the world.

We need to stand up against such damage just as Jesus stood up against the money changers.  We can do this by supporting Christian organisations that aim to help make the world a better and safer place.  Such organisations include Christian Aid, A Rocha, Eco Congregation Scotland and Christian CND.
 
Prayer

Loving God, We thank you that Jesus stood up against corruption,
We thank you that he died and rose again after three days
We thank you that He is with us today.
Help us to work to protect your world and all people
Amen