Today's Reading: Mark 11: 12-26
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Mark 11: 12-26
Bible Study
Mark gives another 'sandwich' form in this passage. The outer part concerns the fig tree (vv. 12-14, 20-26), the inner part concerns the Temple (vv. 15- 19). Each story helps us understand the other.
N. T. Wright says, "Many people have thought that Jesus was simply protesting against commercialization. On this view, he only intended to clean up the Temple - to stop all this non-religious activity, and leave it as a place for pure prayer and worship. But Mark makes it clear, by the placing of the Temple incident within the two halves of the fig tree story, that he sees Jesus' actions as, again, a dramatic acted parable of judgment. This was Jesus' way of announcing God's condemnation of the Temple itself and all that it had become in the national life of Israel...Even at the very moment where Jesus is denouncing the system that had so deeply corrupted God's intention for Israel, his final word is the stern command to forgive. Perhaps only those who have learnt what that means will be in a position to act with Jesus' authority against the injustice and wickedness of our own day."
Why do you go to church? Do you go to church just like those people who wanted to make money, making connections for your own business and personal agenda? Do you go to church to "get" something in the worship, small group, prayer meeting and ministries? Do you go to church to pray, to experience the presence of God, to worship God with His people so that you can be fruitful?
What is your motive to go to church?
Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: What is your motive to go to church?
Today Jesus asks us a very important question. From Mark's 'sandwich' form leads us to think in a deeper way the motive of our going to church. To Jesus, it is very simple: To pray so that we can be fruitful!
That's why Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered signifying that the Temple would be destroyed soon because it is not fruitful. Every Sunday I pray and hope to see people enjoy worshiping God, experiencing transformation and bring new people to Jesus. Are you one of those I pray and hope?
How is your personal relationship with Jesus especially during Sunday worship? What is your motive to go to church? How fruitful are you?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to have a spiritual check-up of our motive to go to church so that we can be faithful and fruitful. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Chinese praise song - 我要向山舉目(詩篇121篇) I Will Lift Up My Eyes to The Hills
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