Read Mark 11:15-18
Am I a Disgrace To God And His People?
As Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple court and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as Jesus taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a House of Prayer for all nations,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” Jesus was quoting the passage from Isaiah 56:3-8.
Upon seeing this, the chief priests and the teachers of the law began looking for a way to kill Jesus because they feared him because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
The temple was to be for all to come, enter, pray, and be taught. However, the temple was set up with an inner and outer court. The inner court is where the Jews sat and the outer court is where the Gentiles sat. As people were coming to Jerusalem to make sacrifices, they were able to buy animals for their sacrifices. But because the Jews felt the Gentiles were insignificant, they use the outer court of God’s house to sell animals to be sacrificed. Prople could buy doves or pigeons which were sold in God’s Temple. All this took place in the Lord’s House. To make matters worse, people who were selling were cheating those who made purchases. It was a disgrace to God but also a disgrace to God’s people.
Separating people based upon their nationality is not how God functions. We are all created by God and in the image of God. We all deserve to be loved and respected. Once we start to look down on another group of people, we are a disgrace. We have become evil in our thoughts.
Look at our universities. Some offer graduations based upon the color of one’s skin. If you want to have an all black or all white ceremony then they offer it. I don’t get it! It is a disgrace to God’s creation. He doesn’t look at the color of our skin but at our hearts. Segregating groups of people, or isolating certain groups of people is a disgrace.
I think we all are guilty to some respect of being a disgrace to God and others. We go to church, we see somebody who we disagree with how they make decisions, and we judge them in our hearts. Or we go over in a corner and gossip about somebody who we see in church. Some people look down upon the poor and won’t associate with those at a lower financial status. We isolate the annoying ones, the unpopular ones, or the ones not so smart in our eyes. In our hearts, we segregate others from ourselves.
I hate to say it, but there are those few evangelists who enter a church, and stage healings for money. Yes, it is a disgrace to God. But what about us when we refuse to tithe because we’re saving our money up for something selfish. Isn’t that a disgrace to God. He’s asking for our first fruits and we keep it for ourselves.
God help me not to segregate groups of people, but to love all equally as your creation. Help me Lord not to segregate you from my heart but to give you all of my heart in service, to impact lives for your kingdom and not mine!
