A game I like to play is finding out what Biblical event people would most want to witness. For example, I might ask you, “Would you rather see Jonah get swallowed by the fish or watch Moses part the Red Sea?” (I still don’t have my answer to that one, by the way.)
But one of the top “Bible Moments” I’d love to witness might surprise you — due to its rather terrifying nature. I’m talking about that little incident in Matthew 21:12-13 (or Mark 11:15-18) where Jesus enters Jerusalem and immediately starts throwing tables in the temple courts.
This story just blows my mind! We always see pictures of Jesus holding lambs, smiling toward the heavens, and laughing as he cradles little children in his lap. What we don’t see so often is the image of our Savior storming into the temple square like a boss and rage-vandalizing.
Man, I’d love to watch the terror on everyone’s faces as they realize that Jesus Christ means some serious business. If someone I knew to be so sweet and gentle blew up out of nowhere like that? I’d probably pee myself, quite frankly.
Why would I like to witness an event that would make me need incontinence underwear, you might ask? Well, I think what I just love about this is that we get to see Jesus’ passion explode in the most literal way. In that moment, he was so offended by what he saw in front of him that he couldn’t keep the internal dam from bursting. Then, when the rage subsided, he told them all what they did wrong and continued teaching because he ultimately loved them in spite of their wrongdoing.
And the big wigs were freaked-the-heck-out. Mark 11:18 says, “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”
Rather than pushing the crowds away, Jesus’ explosive passion drew them in. People were amazed. So amazed, in fact, that it made the leaders step back and say, “Dudes. We gotta get rid of this guy. He’s too powerful. He’s just gonna keep flipping tables and gaining followers if we don’t do something soon! I mean, this guy? He gets stuff done! We can’t have that.”
And this gets me thinking: why aren’t we flipping more tables and making the forces of evil freak out a bit more? Why aren’t we raging at the way the world is going because we’re so deeply offended at how God is being disrespected? Sure, we post our thoughts through threatening memes on Facebook. We take pride when that posts ticks someone off because we’re right and social justice has been served to those heathens. Get all that out of the way and you can go back to that Netflix marathon or Instagramming your food. You have made God dang proud today, good and faithful servant.
Shenanigans. I’m calling it.
That’s not real passion. That’s not real action. That’s hiding behind a computer screen and making people angry for no reason.
That’s not love. That’s not helping anyone understand. That’s taking the easy way out and showing your own ignorance of the Cross.
So, really examine yourself. What makes you want to toss a table in the name of the Lord!? Are you sure that thing burning inside you is really in line with God’s heart? Double check. Just to be sure before the volcano’s unleashed.
Then, my darling, go flip some flipping tables. Walk into the world like a boss, make a scene, then amaze the people with your love, your passion, your fiery, deep love for God.
Love is action — physical action.
And sometimes it requires knocking over a bit of furniture to get things done.
coffee with mommy 