Day 2: The Cleansing of the Temple
Take a Break
Old Testament
Psalm 8:2 | Isaiah 56:7 | Jeremiah 7:11
New Testament (pick one)
Matthew 21:12-22; 12:6 | Mark 11:15-19; 13:1-2 | Luke 19:45-48 | John 2:13-17; 4:23-26 | 1 Corinthians 3:16
Make It Personal
It’s hard for us to really understand the role of the temple in ancient Judaism. Nothing in our context comes close to having the same significance. For the Jewish people, the temple was the center of their religious, political, and social world. More importantly, it was the place where people could go to meet with God, where heaven and earth collided. Many in Jesus’ day were hoping that when the Messiah came he would reform the temple system, which had become corrupt. But to everyone’s shock, the Messiah didn’t have reform on his mind, but rather judgement and destruction. According to Jesus, the time for temples was coming to an end. God was about to do something brand new.
For the first time in any of our lives, the body of Christ won’t gather corporately for worship on Easter because we face a worldwide pandemic that has forced us to love our neighbors by remaining in our homes. Though certainly not how any of us would choose to celebrate this season, it gives us a chance to see, with fresh eyes, how amazing it is that we don’t have to go to a sacred place to meet with God. Through Jesus, He has come to each of us. Talk about good news!
Today, we invite you to spend a few moments in self-examination. If we are the temple of God, then it doesn’t hurt to have a temple cleansing of our own every now and again. How is your heart? Are you ready to meet with God today?
Make It Stick
“The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.”
-Brother Lawrence
Believe it or not, the challenge today is to embrace the mundane. Do some chores, cut the grass, work in the garden, build a puzzle, read a book, or cook a meal. The point is to recognize that we can go through all of life’s activities with an awareness of God’s presence by whispering prayers, quietly praising Him, or simply keeping our hearts open to enjoying Him.
For Families:
Encourage your kids to draw a self-portrait and write down one way that they would like to be more like Jesus.
For Students:
“What are some areas in your life that don’t look like Jesus?” “Why is that?” “How can you make changes to help you look more like Him?” “What can I do to help?” These are powerful questions we can ask each other as we pursue Jesus. We are encouraging students to call or facetime a friend and talk about how they can help each other look more like Jesus. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a good conversation partner with your student as well.