Wrong deed and wrong motives

I wonder what Jesus was thinking on this day when he entered into the temple area and he overthrow the seats and the tables of the money changers and those that sell doves. You know this morning you wake up in Bethany, he made his way to Bethphage, he crossed over the mountain of Olives with the Kidron Valley into the city of Jerusalem. What was going through his heart and his mind in that given moment that caused him to do something like this? I believe it was the wrong actions and the wrong deeds that he saw was taking place around the temple area all because of the wrong motives from the hearts of those people. In the Old Testament there is a law that required the people to travel all the way to Israel three times a year during the times of the festival and if you would travel from Galilee to Jerusalem you would walk between six and ten days depending on the group of people that is with you and how fast or how quickly you can walk and if you would carry a little lamb with you for an offering or even a turtle dove you sometimes you would just leave them at home because to travel with those amount of days by the time you get to the temple there might be a spot on that little offering that you wanted to give to God and so the priest was very strong about this for you just to leave this at home you can buy something like this at the temple and then they would add extra money to that as a commission and also if you want to give a special offering into the temple you have to pay also the exchange rate into a special temple coin so to go to the temple three times here becomes a money making thing it's very expensive just like today when you go on vacation you pay more for the gas you pay more for the food you pay for the accommodation it's almost like double the price sometimes it's a time to make money when it's the high season to go away for the weekend or for the your annual vacation year when you go on your annual vacation time it's the same here so when Jesus entered into the temple area that make him so angry and I believe there's a number of reasons for that and the first one is about the purity aspect in the temple that's why he cleansed the temple Jesus was concerned about the purity of the temple and the people he speaks about the unholiness that was there in that moment it was all about the compromise that took place in the temple the impurities there was a lot of things happening around the temple and also in the hearts of the people of those who work inside the temple area there was a great concern for Jesus the purity of the temple the second was about the prayer that was supposed to take place in the temple instead of interceding and having a place where we can meet and spend some time with our father just like in the tabernacle in the wilderness in the old testament times and and built by Moses and later on also by by King Solomon this place was supposed to be a place of prayer a place of interceding a place of just meeting and encountering our father in prayer but instead of that they find the selling of doves the changing of money and things like that it took place but then it brings a great concern to his heart it's supposed to be a place of power a place where people that has a need that can come just like the bible speaks about he said that that those that came the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them it's supposed to be a place of healing a place of salvation just like the church today supposed supposed to be a time where people come to worship together on sunday morning is to be touched and encountered by God to be set free from those problems and to give them peace and healing for what they need and Jesus was concerned about that because instead of finding power you find self-interest in the lives of so many people and then he speaks about it's supposed to be a place of praise of worship it's a place to come and just worship the father and worship the Lord Jesus instead of they find this cold theology been managed by the Pharisees and the Sadducees religion in other words and sometimes when you think about a local church today this is supposed to be a place of purity that there can be prayers and and worship and there can be a place of of power and and the healing and the touching of people and just a place where people can come together to worship but sometimes it becomes just like a religious activity it's so formal it's so cold it's all about going for the motions of a program and events that we put together instead of having a time where we can just sit and connect with the one that has invited us and called us to be here and because Jesus was doing something like this the moment you start to read from verse 15 onwards in Matthew chapter 21 you find that it leads to a time of persecution in his heart but now the question is for you and I what about you and what about me Paul write in one Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 and also in chapter 6 verse 19 that did we not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we don't belong to ourselves anymore but we belong to him in other words when Jesus has come to live within your heart in my heart he has changed your heart in your life and mine but what would he find in your heart in your life in your home in your ministry in your church if you would show up today just like in the times of Jerusalem in Matthew chapter 21 would he find that we are busy with the wrong things wrong actions or deeds because of our motives that is wrong it's much more about self-interest he would find greed inside or would he find a love for him in this day so on Palm Sunday when Jesus entered into Jerusalem he was concerned about what people were doing in that moment because their motives somehow has drifted and become wrong and caught up with self-interest and even making money as well now the question for you and for I is if Jesus would show up in your heart today what would he find would he find the impurities the unholiness the compromises the self-interest would he find the motives that is wrong that has led us to do things wrong because we have compromised or would he find the heart that is closely knitted and connected to him and his purpose and his his will for your life and for mine and so Jesus is still concerned today about the purity of the local church he's concerned about the place of prayer as a place of meeting with him and with his father he's concerned about the power of the gospel not impacting the lives of people worldwide as it is supposed to be he is concerned about the worship of people because their heart is not connected with him it has become much more cold and formal being managed by people instead of just a place where we can sit and just enjoy him and be with him forever and forever so the question for you today on this day if Jesus would enter your heart if he would enter your home if you would enter your place of worship what would you think about and what would he see and what would he do about this will he do the same as in Jerusalem or will he be happy and pleased when they look at your life and mine may God bless you