Hanging on His Words

All the people were hanging on his words. 

It’s striking that the religious authorities don’t immediately attack Jesus after he overturns the tables in the Temple.   After all, Jesus had just caused a major disruption in the house of the Lord.   So what stops them?   Surprisingly, it is the people they regard as powerless.

Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees—the religious elites among the Jews—remain aloof and judgmental.   But ordinary, everyday people, many of whom are poor, recognize God’s presence and come flocking to Jesus.   They don’t seem to mind Jesus’ display of passion. In fact, they are all the more attracted to him because of it.   These are the people who make the chief priests pause.

After Jesus cleanses the Temple courtyard, there is plenty of room for the commoners to gather around Jesus and hang on his every word.   He has turned a would-be marketplace back into a “house of prayer”.   And by doing so, he shows us what our houses of worship should look like.

Of course the worship space in which we gather matters.   It should be worthy of the Lord!   We should try to make our churches and chapels as beautiful as possible, just as the people did.   Judas Maccabeus’ followers cleansed the Temple they had recaptured from their enemies and joyfully rededicated it to God’s service.   King David blessed God because the people had brought their finest offerings for the Temple that his son Solomon would build.

Yet far more important than the building in which we worship God are the hearts we bring as we gather.   It’s not wrong to make our churches beautiful, but we should always remember this: joyful worship that pleases God is possible even if the church looks like a ruin or a storefront.   Paintings and statues may make a difference, but the atmosphere is most powerfully charged when the people bring offerings of joyful, grateful, and loving praise. And we can all do that.

Let’s contribute to the atmosphere in church.   Let’s gather around Jesus and hang on his every word.

word among us