“It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves'” (Luke 19:46).
“Jesus reached His destination in Jerusalem: the temple. The temple represented God’s presence in Israel; it was supposed to be a house of prayer (2 Chronicles 6:18–21; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11). Jesus entered the city with humility, but He entered the temple with all authority. He proclaimed it was supposed to be a house of prayer, but “[they had] made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17). He referred to the priests and elders who had set up a marketplace within the walls of the temple. They would sell animals for sacrifice there to those who either brought money to purchase them or for those whose offerings they did not approve. They had made it a common practice to disapprove of the sacrifices the people brought, finding anything wrong with them, then offering to sell them a replacement at a highly marked-up price. They were abusing the authority God had entrusted to them. Jesus drove them out and turned over their tables as His first act after being proclaimed the Messiah (Matthew 21:12; Mark 12:15; Luke 19:45).
“The next thing Jesus did was stay in the temple. This is very interesting, since He had just caused a violent ruckus. What is more interesting is after His outburst against the money-changers, the blind and the lame came to Him, and He healed them (Matthew 21:14). What a beautiful picture of our Savior. He came into the place where all people were supposed to be able to meet with His presence and removed the greatest obstacles that stood between them and God. He then turned to meet with the very same people and heal them of their infirmities. His desire is to reconcile and heal. He is the same today. He wants to reconcile each person to a relationship with God and heal them.
“. . . This was the beginning of a very hard week for Peter. Everything he had been expecting was going to be turned upside-down in every possible way. He was going to be challenged to his breaking point, and this was just the beginning. These moments would begin the work of opening Peter’s mind to allow the Lord to lead even his expectations in the kingdom.” (This is an excerpt from my Bible study book Peter: A Life Transformed.)
Are you going through a hard season this Palm Sunday? I encourage you to look at Peter’s story. He not only lost the vision he had of his Savior, he failed Him in the most miserable way. He was broken and disillusioned, yet Jesus had promised to pray for him and said he would be back and he was. He was made better than ever and prepared to follow Jesus as he stepped into his new role in the kingdom – leader of the church.
I hope you will take courage and comfort in Peter’s story today. His circumstances were dire and even when it seemed he had completely failed the Lord, the Lord may a way back and a way better. Only our good Father is able to redeem and restore in such a way.
Whatever troubles you find yourself going through right now, I encourage you to take faith for the future. God will make all things new. He does have a plan for you. Continue to fall on Him, rely on Him, and seek Him.
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8).