Mar 11:15  And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

F,B, Meyer Commentary 

“And whenever He enters the heart, He performs a similar work. He drives out bestial forms of sin, and mere traffic, so that the whole nature-spirit, soul, and body-may be surrendered to God. What our Lord said of the Temple should be true of each church of the living God. It should be His residence, where men of all nationalities should come to a unity, as they worship, confess sin, and intercede. Certainly God’s house must not be a place of merchandise and traffic.”

How many times have I read this account of Jesus casting out the merchandising that was happening in that place of worship? New awareness of my own shortcomings in my full commitment to faith, and trust in the Lord reveal a sad truth.  Maybe you can identify.  While no true money changers reside within my own “temple”,  the place where the Spirit of God dwells in a believer of Jesus, upon reflection there is revealed a heart full of temporal things, things that would be burned like “wood, hay and stubble”.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Things that might be innocent of themselves, turn my head, cause me to focus on insignificant things in this world.  Insignificant by comparison anyway.

 Horizontal focus, seeing only those things in this world from the perspective of the human existence only cause me to forget the overwhelming abundance of God’s goodness, grace and love.  Vertical focus, when I choose to direct my focus Heavenward, to Christ’s sacrifice for me, to God’s provisions in the many aspects He chooses to care for us, allows me to have that viewpoint that gives His Spirit full permission to work in me and through me for the express purpose for which I was created, to Honor and glorify the Lord, to point others to Him.

Spending undue amounts of time fretting about the things in this world that cause concern merely stirs up fear, insecurities, anger, rebellion, and eventually discontent and doubt in our Heavenly Father’s ability or desire to care for us.  Money changers in the temple.  Horizontal thoughts in my mind sowing seeds that will be burdensome to my heart if left to grow.  Jesus is my example and I think cleaning out the temple of my mind on a regular basis is a needful exercise.  Scripture says Jesus overturned the tables and cast the moneychangers out of the temple.  LIkewise the things that deter me from fully concentrating on God’s plan and purpose for me should be dumped from my heart and mind,  cast out and the door locked behind them.

I am grateful to a granddaughter who rehearsed her account of defending “righteous anger” though that term didn’t enter the conversation, in a debate with classmates.  Several days later my morning Scripture reading drew my attention to the Scriptural account which led me to take a closer look at the familiar passage, and let the lesson be for my own heart.  And I am again reminded,

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.