MY HOUSE WILL BE

Passage: Matthew 21:12-22

Key verse: 13

NIV

Jesus at the Temple(A)

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying(B) and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers(C) and the benches of those selling doves.(D) 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a](E) but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”(F)

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.(G) 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,”(H) they were indignant.(I)

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[c]?”(J)

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany,(K) where he spent the night.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree(L)

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.(M)

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt,(N) not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for(O) in prayer.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
  2. Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11
  3. Matthew 21:16 Psalm 8:2 (see Septuagint)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 (A)And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (B)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (C)pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, (D)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but (E)you make it a den of robbers.”

14 (F)And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 (G)But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, (H)“Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; (I)have you never read,

(J)“‘Out of the mouth of (K)infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”

17 And (L)leaving them, he (M)went out of the city to (N)Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 (O)In the morning, as he was returning to the city, (P)he became hungry. 19 (Q)And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, (R)“Truly, I say to you, (S)if you have faith and (T)do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, (U)‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (V)whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, (W)if you have faith.”

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 21:12 Some manuscripts add of God
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

In the temple courts, Jesus saw people buy and sell bleating animals and exchange money. The place of prayer and worship became like a busy shopping mall. No one was focused on God. Indignant, Jesus drove them out and overturned their tables and benches. The temple should be a house of prayer. It should be a place where people could meet God through prayer and receive his forgiveness, spiritual healing, and direction. But they made it a den of robbers by cluttering up their hearts with busyness and sin. When the temple was cleared and restored through Jesus, the blind and lame came to the temple and received God’s healing mercy. Children praised the Lord. We believers are now God’s temple in Jesus (Eph 2:21-22). God’s temple is also a community of believers where people receive God’s healing mercy, praise God, and serve his life-giving work together. To maintain God’s house as it should be, we need to keep cleansing our hearts that can be easily corrupted by earthly activities.

Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree which withered immediately to teach the power of faith to his disciples. If we have faith without doubt and pray to God, he will move even a mountain-like problem for us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, cleanse my heart to be your house so that you may dwell in me and I may bear fruit by faith and prayer.

One Word: God’s house is in us