Luke 19:47-48

New International Version

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

For Meditation

Can you imagine the scene in the temple when Jesus chased out the hawkers and money changers? The chaos that broke is amusing to envision – the escaping doves, the bleating sheep, the sellers with their flowing robes and turbans, struggling to secure their monies while they rushed to escape the whip of the Master (Luke 19:45-48). Interesting! But do not miss the wonder of how one man could invoke such terror on those officially certified traders? 

There is something about the Carpenter from Nazareth that made people freeze before Him. Jesus had this captivating presence—a charisma that awed the crowd everywhere he went. On this day, the traders tasted His righteous anger unleashed by his divine authority.

“My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.“ 

The Pharisees and other spiritual leaders could not command that authority. They also froze before Him. They hated it, yet they could not touch Him, though they plotted to kill Him. 

With the temple cleansed of that defilement, Jesus taught daily in its courts. His words were nourishing, and His teaching was authoritative. The people drunk from the brook of refreshing waters, and they hung on every word He uttered (48). They had not received such spiritual instruction for the longest time. Their hunger and thirst for the pure word of God were being satisfied at last. How could the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders attempt to arrest Jesus before them? 

So, how hungry are you for the pure word of God? Do you sit at the Master’s feet to feed on His word daily? How hung up are you on what He says? 

May you have nothing to do with the compromised word floating around these days and the false teachers who pollute the minds of the ignorant and may your devotion to sound doctrine protect you and your family from the deceiver in the matchless name of Jesus, amen!