Tag: Holy Monday Devotion

Cleansing Your Temple – A Holy Monday Devotion

Scripture – The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so He went over to see if He could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard Him say it. 

When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and He stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” (Mark 11:12-17)

Devotion – In the scripture above, we read about Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple. The fig tree, with its leaves blossoming but having no fruit, symbolizes a life filled with appearances but lacking substance. Likewise, Jesus finds the Temple bustling with commerce, distracting worshipers from its true purpose – prayer and worship of God. 

Holy Monday invites us to reflect on the areas of our own lives that may resemble the fig tree or the Temple. Are there aspects where we present a thriving appearance but are lacking genuine spiritual fruit? Are there distractions or clutter in our lives preventing us from focusing on God? 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Are there habits or behaviors in our lives that look fruitful from the outside but aren’t producing the spiritual fruit they should?
  2. What tables in my heart might Jesus want to overturn to help me refocus on Him?
  3. How can we create personal spaces or routines dedicated to uninterrupted time with God, focusing solely on prayer and reflection?

Prayer – Lord, as we reflect on Holy Monday, give us insight into our own lives. Help us identify areas that need cleansing and renewal, where we might be more focused on appearances than on genuine faith and spiritual growth. Teach us to remove distractions from our lives that keep us from connecting with You. Guide us in cultivating our lives so they bear true spiritual fruit, anchored in Your Word. May our hearts always be temples of prayer and devotion, always seeking Your will and Your presence. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. 

Followup Worship Activity – In your journal or on a piece of paper, write out a prayer of personal dedication to the Lord, expressing your willingness to purge the areas of your own life that need spiritual cleansing.

*This devotion was written for “The Week That Changed Everything,” a Holy Week Devotional for Celebration Church in New Orleans. The entire devotional is available for download at http://www.celebrationchurch.org/library

**Image Courtesy of Nellie Adamyan

by Categories: Church and Christian Life, Creativity, Devotion, Discipline, Holy Week and Easter, Uncategorized, WorshipTags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Holy Monday – Jesus Clears the Temple

Scripture – 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!” (Matthew 21:12-13) 

Devotional Thought: What is the first thing you do when you arrive at the church building for worship? It’s probably different from what Jesus did on Holy Monday. That day, Jesus became angry and immediately started overturning the tables of the merchants and driving them out of the temple. This almost seems out of character for Jesus because we think of Him as a peacemaker. However, God is serious about worship. Jesus, being God the Son, realized that the merchants and the moneychangers were making it difficult for people to enter into the temple and worship so He took the appropriate steps to cleanse the temple in order to restore it as a house of prayer and worship. 

In the world of Marvel comics, Bruce Banner transformed into the Incredible Hulk whenever he became angry. This is not what happened to Jesus. He didn’t suddenly transform into a destructive creature while He wasn’t aware of His actions. He was in His right mind and in that moment, it was appropriate for Him to display His righteous anger because of this disruption of worship. Righteous anger is being angry about what makes God the Father angry. Because we are sinful, this is often hard for us to understand because we typically fall into sinful anger which is completely prideful and does not glorify God.

Many of the Jewish leaders were already angry with Jesus. He was well aware that His cleansing of the temple would not improve His relationship with them. He knew that in just a few days, the religious leaders would come to arrest Him. He knew that before Him lay a tremendous amount of pain before His own death on a cross. Even so, He continued to honor and glorify His heavenly Father. When all is said and done, we should strive not to be like the merchants who were distracting people from worship, but like Jesus who knew the heart of God and had the courage to take action. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for showing us how important worship is to You when Jesus cleared the temple. Thank You that He didn’t back down even though it was so close to His crucifixion. Help me to never be a distraction or a hindrance to others when it is time to worship You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Followup Activity: In your journal or on a piece of paper, make a list of ways you might intentionally or accidentally distract others from worshiping the Lord. Then, next to your first list, make another list of ways you can encourage others when they are worshiping the Lord. Then, pray and ask the Lord to help you always assist others when they come to worship the Lord. If you are leading your family through this devotion, encourage them to do this activity as a family.

*Image courtesy of Marek Studinski

**This devotion is part of an 8-day Holy Week devotional titled RENEWED. It is available as a free download from Celebration Church in New Orleans at http://www.celebrationchurch.org/library.

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