The Monday after Palm Sunday

the gospel of Mark tells us that after Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany for the night. The next day they returned to Jerusalem and here is the account of what happened.
Mark 11:15-19
Jesus Clears the Temple
15 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, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17 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.”
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.

The challenge for us at the start of what is known as Holy Week is to look at ourselves and see if there is anything in us that is preventing the Holy Spirit from working in us and through us.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says 19 Don’t you realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.

Just as Jesus had to clear all the ungodly things from the temple courtyard, we need to examine ourselves and see what things we need to clear out of our lives.
a practical challenge could be to do some cleaning in our home today as we begin to prepare and get ready to celebrate Easter Sunday.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for loving us more than life itself.

God, life is hard and uncertain. So much pain, hurt, and heartache seems to surround us. And yet, knowing this, You still willingly gave up your life and became God with us and God who rescues us.

Thank you.

Because of Your sacrifice, we can spend eternity with You. There is no pain You cannot conquer, no hurt You cannot heal, and no life You cannot transform. Your death and resurrection proved that nothing is impossible for You, and that we are more than conquerors because of You.

Today and every day, help us to fix our hearts and our minds on You. And as we do, please give us more of Your joy, hope, and peace. We love You, and we want to worship You.

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