THIS IS DISRUPTIVE

• Day 100
• Faith Files: The Courage of Jesus
• Scripture: Matthew 21:12-13

“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ””

As I studied for this particular devotional day. I asked myself, Had Jesus come now would I have actually believed and gone with Him? Or would I be one of the religious leaders plotting to kill Him? It is easy to read about these encounters in the Bible and think that you’d be different but consider the reality.

A Controversial Savoiur

At the time of Jesus’ coming, this people were under the Roman rule. They had believed for a king who’d come deliver them from that oppression yet they got didn’t fit their bill. First He was born a commoner, then He lived among them and as if that was not enough His ministry contradicted everything they believed. He was a moving controversy.

He would heal on sabbath days. Eat with sinners. Call out religious leaders, call Himself God, and teach even though He was not a religious leader. He will also refuse to stone adulterers, preach the opposite of what is taught, and say outrageous things like, eat my flesh and drink my blood. Eww

Shaking Tables

In our text today He not only shook tables, He flipped them. He destroyed people’s livelihoods and disrespected all the pastors while doing it. He was not the regular saviour. But everything He did was lawful, yet we know He was also a man.

Jesus’s assignment on earth required that He restored us all to God’s design and that design was outdated in His day. So to do what He we sent to, He needed to go against the tide. If you’ve ever swam on a beach you’ll know what it feels like go against the direction of the waves or current. It requires a lot of more power, strength, skill and perseverance. Tides are designed to carry everything along its path so the easiest thing would be to confirm.

But not Jesus

He knew that conformity was detrimental to salvation. He came into darkness with light and the only goal of light is to expel darkness. So He didn’t confirm. That takes courage. It takes courage to constantly be the weird one in the room. It takes courage to stick to purpose. It takes courage to not succumb to the pressures of society and bend to the norm. Jesus had courage.

Beloved, your assignment on earth may not be acceptable to everyone. It might in fact be a disruptive agenda. This world is set in its ways and you are light. You cannot shine without disrupting darkness. Even salt that makes things better still disrupts the natural taste of the meal. Because an improvement is also a disruptive work. And you will need courage.

Same Gospel

To answer my earlier question. Upon reflection yes I will follow Jesus. His message today is not any different from years ago and quite frankly the world hasn’t changed much. There are still religious leaders even today, tables in temples and hypocrites in the front row but I have decided to be light and like Jesus I will disrupt the agenda of darkness in the lives of mean because that is what she has called me to do.

Pray

Ask your Father to fill your heart with boldness that you might do His bidding in a world that is not willing to accept you. Thank shim for the privilege to carry out His agenda on this earth at this time.

Shalom