March 27-Sisters

Happy Wednesday. My sister and I spent yesterday doing a little business and quite a bit of shopping. I love spending time with her. We never seem to get enough sister-time and this Thursday is her birthday—a reminder of how quickly time slips through our fingers. 


One of the things she needed to get yesterday was a cover and a protector for her new phone. It seems that she is allergic to the cobalt and the nickel in her phone and she developed an awful rash on her ear and the side of her face from it. (I told her to get an iPhone but she wouldn’t listen!) We went to a place in the mall so the guy would put the protector on and he charged her $30 for both. She was not happy—I think she wanted to turn over that little kiosk. She was sure he had marked his prices up a ridiculous amount. 


After Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on the donkey, he went to the temple. He was so upset over the high prices being charged to the people—about 25% over the value—that He did turn over the tables. They had made the temple a place to make money rather than a place of worship—a place that by virtue of the high cost kept people away from God. 


“Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant.” Matthew‬ ‭21:12-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Jesus wasn’t mad because they were selling sacrifices in the temple, but they were making huge profits off of the people who were trying to come into the temple to worship and often couldn’t afford to purchase a sacrifice for their atonement. Jesus walked in, caused a fury, and in the middle of it all took time to teach and to compassionately heal the sick and the lame. Jesus always sees the value in us and he is always gentle with us, but he is also always straightforward with us. We are valuable not because of what we do but because of who created us.


Lord Jesus thank you for making our salvation free for the asking. You are the champion and we worship you our God. Please give us the determination to stand for right and to follow closely in your footsteps. We pray for your protection against the enemy who seeks to keep us from our worship and to do us harm physically, mentally, and spiritually. Wrap us in your arms Lord and we will give you all the praise. Amen and amen.


Love you dear one,

Pam. 

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