Luke 19:45-48 The Marketplace
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: November 3, 2018 Luke 19:45-48
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
(Understanding the Text) From other gospels, I know that this actually happened on a different day than the triumphal entry. On that day, Jesus went to the temple, looked around, and left to go stay in Bethany. The next morning He came in and cleared out the area where the Gentiles could be.
God’s house should be called a house of prayer. Most churches today would be seen as houses of formality and sitting. The formal structure of the service and the need to lock the doors means that no one just comes in and prays alone there, yet in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee, that is what each person did. The organized part of the service was the sacrificial system and priestly duties, but the prayer part was not formalized. The sacrificial system was part of prayer, I guess, so there was some formality, but the people could come at all hours and pray individually. I don’t think we should call churches God’s houses because they are not houses of prayer that encourage believers to approach God whenever they wish. Instead, the message is that we approach God in a certain way and only at certain times. The ceremonies make it seem as if there are barriers that we have to overcome in order to communicate with God. When does organization (the need to not have chaos and be predictable so believers can feel comfortable) cross the line to ceremony and tradition (the barriers that make the service boring, unnatural, and send a wrong message)?
(Revelation of God / Understanding the Text) We think of Jesus as meek and mild, which He was, but He was also forceful, powerful, and zealous. The people did not hang on to the words of a wimp. Why does it mention that the people were so attentive at this particular time. Weren’t they always attentive? I think the people’s expectations that Jesus was about to accomplish something great for the Jewish nation had reached a fever pitch, and they were coming so that they could be there when it happened. The chief priests knew that they could not go against the people’s enthusiasm or they would have a riot, which would bring down the wrath of the Romans on Jerusalem.
Jesus was still there displaying the Father to His official representatives, yet those men had already rejected God long before and chosen outward forms and meaningless ceremonies over a relationship with their God. The scriptures are full of love and emotion, yet the Pharisees, priests, and scribes had chosen mechanical obedience and rejected relationship. When they were confronted by the Savior demanding relationship, they plotted His death rather than opening themselves to Him.
The temple was crowded with people who had come to Jerusalem for Passover. I think there were probably more there that year as they expected that the Messiah would take action at this time. They came to perform the Passover ceremonies, but they had forgotten what the ceremonies meant. They mouthed the words, but the words had no meaning in their hearts. Jesus tried to open their hearts and minds to the significance of what was happening, but so few were able to hear. However, the stage was set for them to witness the true meaning of Passover and many of them would eventually understand and accept the glory that Jesus was about to bestow upon them.
(Application / Prayer) My application to myself is that I need to think about the significance of what I am doing in church rather than just go through the motions. I know that a lot of the motions are meaningless to me and ceremonial in nature and they seems like a waste of time, but I need to focus in on the meaningful activities. The singing is important. Prayers are important. The messages are important. The offering is important. As far as I can see, everything else is meaningless. My other message to myself is to accept relationship with God every day, and never think that form and outward behaviors are a relationship. I must seek You always. Too often, I allow tiredness or discouragement to get in the way of prayer and reading Your word. I ask that the Holy Spirit will always turn my eyes towards You.