Devotional Reading for the Day: John 2: 13-22. Text: “You have made my Father’s house a marketplace!” (v.16)

I wasn’t always a minister. When I first graduated from university I sold life insurance for a major company. Shortly after beginning this career my agency manager encouraged me to join a particular church. He didn’t do this he was concerned about my spirituality.  His concern was simply business. “You need to join First Presbyterian Church because of the connections you will make.”

In John’s gospel Jesus walked into the Temple and saw that it was more about profits than the prophets, more about mammon than about God, more about market shares than spiritual maturity.

We need to be cautious in our worship. We need to heed Jesus’ words; “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24); “What does it profit an individual to gain and whole world and lose their soul.” (Matthew 16:26).

In the third temptation of Jesus, he was offered all of the riches and fame of the world, if only he would “worship” the Tempter. Jesus replied, “Worship the Lord your God; only him shall you serve.” In this season of Lent we do well to consider what it is in life that we are truly worshiping.

Lord, imprint the wisdom of Jesus upon my heart. Give me the strength to be faithful to your calling. Allow me to walk in your footsteps. Correct me when I wander away from the work of your Kingdom. Amen.