TOPIC: WRONG MOTIVES EXPOSED
TEXT: Mark 11:11-27
KEY VERSE: “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; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.” – (Mark 11:15,16)
Message:
Nowadays, it has become a common practice for many people to put business above the word of God in His house. Every religious event of the church presents an ample opportunity for them to make brisk business. Rather than plan to profit from God’s word from such programmes, the major preoccupation is how much to be made from commercial activities.
From the text, the money changers and merchants had created a religion based on their own materialistic desires. Without appealing to conscience, these money-changers worked in the temple area by giving unfair exchange rates to foreign travelers who had come to honour the feasts of Passover and Pentecost.
The merchants were selling at inflated prices the needed animals that were to be sacrificed. To them, what they were doing was religious, but in the words of Jesus, they had made the house of prayer “a den of thieves”.
When one creates a religion with impure motives, such religion will justify the adherents to do things that are contrary to the word of God. Many people engage in many good and noble ventures but with wrong motives.
The money changers and merchants at the temple had the mind that they were rendering essential services to those who came to worship; but they were ripping the people off with their exorbitant charges.
Making too much gain at people’s expense was exploitation that put the merchants in the class of thieves. We must consciously decide not to be swayed by the fads and fancies of this age in order not to lose sight of what God wants from us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: No man pleases God by doing what He hates.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 18-20
Thank you for your time in reading Today’s DCLM Daily Manna 22nd September 2021 Devotional | Wrong Motives Exposed. God bless you!
