When We Gather...Let God Do the Work!

Matthew 21:14-17 New International Version (NIV)

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 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,” they were indignant.

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’[a]?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. Thursday, August 27 - Matthew 21:14-17“Stop being a child and grow up.” “Stop acting like a child.” “His behavior is so childish.” While we might say that children are “precious little angels” every parent (and grandparent) knows that children are incredibly temperamental, loud, obnoxious, and destructive. They make life hard for us adults. They get in the way, slow us down, and cause problems. While they can have times of incredible creativity, they are extremely unproductive and must be forced to do the simplest and smallest of tasks. This is why the religious leaders were so indignant with Jesus. They were bent out of shape that Jesus would allow a bunch of children to run around the Temple of God being loud and obnoxious! They knew that serious business took place in the Temple. This meant that it was no place for children! Yet, that is exactly who God wants in His house singing His praises! Gathering together at church is like a family reunion at the lake or on Thanksgiving. It is filled with noise and laughter, food and fun, and children playing and being “unproductive.” Because when we gather at church God is at work, not us!