THE KING’S BUSINESS
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saith unto you, do it,” “ And they bare it.” They did just what they were told and left the consequences with Jesus. They faced the probability o f being laughed at. They made no remonstrances, they asked no questions, they did not hesitate. That indeed was the “obedience o f faith.” Oh, that we had more Christians like this today. Just when the water became wine we are not told, but when it touched the gov ernor’s lips it was the best o f wine. The governor o f the feast was doubtless a man o f experience in such matters, but he had never tasted such wine as that before. Don’t you wish you might have a taste o f it? Well, Jesus is giving out water to be made wine still (John 7 :37-39; cf. Acts 2 :13; Eph. 5:18). This wine that Jesus gives exhil arates but never intoxicates. The one who really tastes it will have no more taste for this world’s poor wine. .W hen Jesus per formed this miracle His disciples beheld His glory, “glory as o f the only begotten o f the Father” (John 1:14), and they “ believed on Him.” Doubtless "many only saw the. wine, but. the disciples saw His glory. Those who only saw the wine went away with full stomachs but with empty hearts. Friday, April 14 . John 2 : 12 - 17 . Jesus was an obedient son o f the law and went up to the Passover according to the commandment (Deut. 16:16; Luke 2:41). He found in the temple, men sell ing oxen, sheep, and doves, and also changers o f money. A ' similar state o f affairs can be found in many o f our Chris tian churches today. All these things that they were selling had something to do with the temple service, but it-was being carried on for private gain and Jesus was greatly displeased. The defense often made today o f buying and selling in the house o f God is that all this has to do with the support or worship. Yes, but that does not make it right in God’s sight, as is plainly taught by the incident recorded here. Jesus put it all out o f the temple in no gentle man ner. I f He were today to come to our
'places o f worship with our fairs and festi vals and auctioning off o f pews and much else, doubtless He would drive those doing these things out o f His house and would be no more gentle with us than He was with these ancient defilers o f the house o f God. It was not tho force nor the muscu lar energy that Jesus displayed that drove these dealers out, it was the majesty o f His presence and' the consciousness on their part that they had no business there. Gen tleness and thoughtful consideration for even the birds were mingled with His severity; for He did not drive out those who sold the doves, but simply bade Jhem carry them out. He gives a reason for His action, viz., that God’s house should not be made a house o f merchandise. How many that profess to be followers o f Jesus have forgotten these words o f the Master. In the use o f the words, “My Father’s house,” He shows His right to act as He did. It was His Father's house, and it' was His business to cleanse it. The cleans ing o f the templé proved only temporary. All these things-were brought back again (Luke 19:45, 46). All religious reforms among men are temporary. Every new gen eration must have its own reformation, and every new year must have its own revival. At a later date the disciples in recalling this incident saw in it a fulfilling o f the Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah (v. 17; Ps. 69:9). It was zeal for His Father’s house that constrained Jesus to His present aet. Is it zeal for God’s house or is it zeal for our own ideas that constrains some o f us to attacks'upon the modern defilement o f the house o f God? Saturday, April 15 . John 2 : 18 - 25 . Both the disciples and the Jews recog nized in Jesus’ assumption o f authority and in His words “My Father’s house” a claim to be the Messiah. Thè Jews at once demanded a sign to back up' this claim. Jesus gave them a sign, a sign which they did not understand at the time, the sign o f His resurrection (v. 19 ; cf. Matt. 12:38-
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