A Forgotten Mission
Scripture Reading — Mark 11:15-19
"Is it not written: ?My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?" Mark 11:17
Yesterday we saw that one reason Jesus became angry and cleared out the temple was that this house of prayer had been turned into a thruway and a marketplace.
Another thing that made Jesus upset was that this place of worship was supposed to be "for all nations," but it was not serving the nations well at all. The section that had become a marketplace was known as the court of Gentiles, the only place in the temple where people of non-Jewish descent were permitted to come and worship God. But with all the busyness of a major marketplace, how could anyone worship there? The temple authorities who allowed this traffick were showing little concern for Gentile believers who came to Jerusalem to worship God.
Jesus grieved the fact that these people whom the Father loved couldn't worship here free of distractions. For Jesus, the temple symbolized the Father's passion to connect with the nations of the world. But that wasn't happening. That mission had been forgotten.
Now that Jesus has died for us and risen from the dead, we who are Christians have become the temple of God, with the Holy Spirit living in us (1 Cor. 3:16). So let's remember that we are now made holy and that God calls us to connect with the nations--for Jesus' sake.
Lord, rekindle in my heart a love for those who do not know you. I pray for friends, family, and neighbors who need to know the Savior who gave his life for them. Amen.
About the author — Kevin DeRaaf
Kevin DeRaaf is the director of Resonate Global Mission, the Christian Reformed mission agency working in more than 40 countries around the world. With a focus on encouraging others to join in God’s mission where they are, Kevin believes that God’s purpose for the local church is to shine as a community of love and grace, showing in tangible ways that Jesus is the hope of the world. He and his wife, Jacquie, have three children and four grandchildren and live in Burlington, Ontario.
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