Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them,“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”And every day he was teaching in the temple area.The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purposebecause all the people were hanging on his words.
REFLECTION
"My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”
When I read « den of thieves » I automatically think ill of the vendors. I accuse them of stealing, cheating and taking advantage of people. Yet they were doing what others were doing. It would seem safe considering it was done with the blessings of the scribes, Pharisees, and the High Priests. Yet, was this Gods will?
Critical thinking for me is hard to do as it requires disciplining my thoughts, my assumptions and contemplating Gods will. Understanding and finding God's will may not be that easy. It takes prayer, reflection and at times spiritual guidance.
We don’t just say, “I give you my will” and voilà we know God's will. It takes work for me. In many situations, after thoughtful prayer the right decision is so obvious that I experience joy.
Other times, I don’t get too far in my thinking, so I continue doing what my state in life requires. Be it getting up early for work, fixing meals for family, going to church, caring for grandkids, etc. Most important is not to jump on a moving train not knowing its destination.
Scripture has divine wisdom that we can read carefully and meditate on. There can never be better guidance than the Word. Church teaching, human reason, formed conscience, and individual instincts play a role in deciding what God's Will is. If any one of these cause us to say "No", then it is not His will. Pray for counsel when in doubt and duress.
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