Jesus, Heal Me! by Pastor Steve

Holy Week.

I believe most people don’t even think about Holy Week.

Holy Week is the Monday through Saturday between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday (the secular holiday is called Easter).

You leave Palm Sunday like any other Sunday and begin your week. Work. Sporting events. School. Yard Work. Sporting events. Grocery shopping. And, probably sporting events.

So much happens during Holy Week. These meditations are meant to remind you and hopefully help you think about the events that are the last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

Holy Monday is found in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 21:12-17 (NIV)

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” he replied, “have you ever read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

I don’t know how your Monday goes. This account seems like it went from one extreme to another. Jesus enters the temple area and finds money changers.

This is not something new. He has seen them there, before.

The money changers are necessary in the temple. They exchange foreign currency for temple currency and they provide – for a price – the appropriate sacrifice of lambs, bulls, calves, doves, etc.

That was their mission. Their work was holy work.

However, they turned their work into a way to take advantage of the people. They charged way too much in fees. They were not calculating the exchange rate correctly. They were charging interest. And many of the animals were not first born nor blemish free as the scripture demanded.

And then, usually, I stop reading. Many will teach that scripture out of verse 12 and stop. That would be okay except, verse 14 continues as though Jesus put the whip down after turning over the tables with the blind and the lame approaching him for healing and forgiveness and teaching.

What just happened? Jesus drives out the merchants. Those words don’t infer you are trying to politely ask guests at a part to leave. You are chasing them to the door. You are turning the tables over to get their attention. You make a whip to drive out the unclean people and animals.

My vision of this is it was a complete disaster. But that is not what is said. He only turned over the tables of the money changers. Those that are doing business illegally and taking advantage of those that can’t push back.

The blind and the lame and the children all come toward Jesus. Why? He was able to put an end to the illicit practices of the temple.

They blind and the lame and the children all come toward Jesus. Even in that moment. Why? They recognize this man as the Messiah, their Savior, standing in the temple courts and they seize the day.

And scripture says at the end of verse 14 (NIV), “. . . and he healed them.”

Jesus, full of righteous anger toward those using improper worship in the temple courts and knowing where this is going to lead in just a few days . . . Jesus still has time for what he came for. To heal the broken hearted, to restore sight to the blind, to make the lame walk, and to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth.

Holy Monday. That’s what today is called. Holy Monday.

Do you have places in your heart – your marketplace – that are acting outside obedience to Jesus the Christ and God the Father?

Words that you say that are gossip?

Phrases that are bullying or making fun?

Ideas that do not honor Father, but rather make Him cry for you?

Holy Monday.

Jesus wants to come into the marketplace of your heart and your soul and clear the temple.

There will be Pharisees in your life – and maybe you will be one of them, as well. “Stop talking like you are a Jesus person.” Or you hear that joke from your friend and laugh. There are so many ways I am a Pharisee rather than a disciple of Jesus the Christ.

Jesus, regardless of what is going on around me . . . anxiety, terrorism, bullying, bad decisions, hate . . . regardless of what is going on around me, Jesus will turn, reach out his hands, and heal you. Your only work is to say, “heal me, Jesus!”

I need Holy Monday and the cleansing of my temple before I can get to Good Friday.