Monday 4.6.20

everyone. Good morning.

It's Monday, April 6.

It's the second day of holy Week.

My name is Hanzo Hamamura with McKay low, which means

presence in Hawaiian, where people who believe in being present

with one another and present in our community and what

we're trying to deal with these online devotionals is basically

continue. Thio be present with one another, albeit in a

virtual sense on DSO.

These times are meant to basically help us reflect on

some scripture on and still find ways to be present

with one another and the community, even amidst self isolation.

Dew Cove in 19.

And so what we're gonna do today is we're gonna

look at the second day in Holding Week and Scripture.

So yesterday was the beginning of Holy week.

We talked about the triumphal entry where Jesus rode into

Jerusalem on a donkey.

And so today we're gonna go into the rednecks Chronological

day in Scripture as recorded again in Mark, Chapter 11.

It's a familiar story if you've been in church for

a while or if you've been following Jesus for while

you're familiar with his work, this is gonna be a

familiar story to use.

So rock Chapter 11 will pick it up in verse

15. Then they the disciples came to Jerusalem, and he,

Jesus and the Disciples entered the temple and began to

drive out those who were buying and selling in the

temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and

the seats of those who are selling doves.

And he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through

the temple.

So before I read the rest of that, I just

when I read Scripture, I like to visualize it and

kind of just make a little movie in my head.

That's just how my mind works, and maybe it is

for you as well.

But it's helpful to understand what the temple was like

during this time during the days of Jesus, and especially

during Passover time or festival time.

And so the temple was arranged kind of hierarchical were

the outermost chords.

If you were a gentile, if you were not a

Jewish person, you could only be in the outermost area

on then.

If you were Jewish person, someone from the people of

Israel, you go into the next court.

If you were a Jewish man, you go to the

next court.

So on and so forth.

Uh, and then there, this time during Passover week, there

would be merchants and basically kiosks where you can show

up and you can buy an animal for a sin,

offering to sacrifice that animal for your sins.

There is also says, that there would be merchandise.

Their witness.

I just I think about things like there's like, Maybe

cloaks and hoodies are like rugs and sandals and stuff

that you can buy that you know, have, like the

picture of the temple and scarred.

You know, something like that.

And there's basically just this marketplace feel to it now.

That's not a completely unfamiliar image to us, like if

you can imagine going to a concert are going to

say a big basketball game.

You know, the big arena.

You have to pay an admission price to get in

like you can.

You can.

You can walk around outside the building, but you can't

go in the sea.

Pain admission.

You have to prove that you pay that admission, but

before you get into the inner arena, there would be

no market stuff right.

There's food, refreshments, drinks, libations and you know merchandise where

you can get hoodies and jackets and hats and going

the drunk sunglasses and stuff like that.

So it's not an unfamiliar picture to us.

And this is what's happening Jesus day.

And for the disciples, this kind of just how it

is, You know, I don't know that there's no indication

that they think something's wrong with it.

This is probably just how it's been since they were

kids, and so it's kind of business as usual.

And then they see Jesus kind of beast mode erupt

into anger.

Flip tables kick people out.

Uh, open bird cages take money all over the floor.

Other gospel writers talk about how he would get ropes

and make it into a whip with people out cool

stuff right like this.

The crazy, dangerous side of Jesus.

And it wasn't until later that they would remember.

Oh, it was written in the old Covenant scriptures that

the Christ on the side would be filled with zeal

for the House of the Lord.

And so with that in mind, his actions start to

make a little bit more in the sense.

What does it mean to have a zeal or a

passion for the House of the Lord.

And so Jesus, the Scripture continues with this where he

wouldn't allow people to carry merchandise through the temple.

And then he began to teach them and say to

them, Is it not written?

My house shall be called a house of prayer for

all the nations.

But you have made it or robbers den.

And so what Jesus is doing here is calling out

hypocrisy on the part of religious leaders of the day

by saying that this is a place that's a holy,

puts its supposed to be a place of prayer not

just for your people, but for all nations.

And what's happening here is it is clearly not a

picture of that.

And so Jesus is actually quoting a two separate, um,

Old Testament prophecies one from Jeremiah, one from Isaiah Jeremiah,

Chapter seven.

Jesus Jeremiah makes that reference to the temple being a

den of thieves.

And then Isaiah, Chapter 56.

If you're looking for additional reading off of today's devotional,

are highly recommend this chapter.

It's 1st 7 specifically that Jesus references.

But the whole chapter is just this beautiful, prophetic picture

of the day when literally all people from all nations

will come to the dwelling place of the Lord and

find his joy.

Find his provisioned, find his blessing Because all of those

things are for all nations, for all people.

His presence is for all nations and for all people.

And this is something that is carried throughout the Old

Testament or even from the beginning.

In the garden with Adam and Eve, God commands them

to fill the earth and to rule it as his

image bears.

So to fill the world with the presence of God.

And then people like Noah, people like Abraham.

When God would make covenant's with them, it would.

It was always clear that it was for the benefit

of all nations of the people of Israel.

When they came out of Egypt on God made covenant

with them through Moses.

It was especially in the books that maybe people don't

like to read like the medicus numbers Deuteronomy, countless passages

where the Lord is saying to them that you know

I will be with you.

But it's for the benefit.

The blessing of all nations where all nations will come

to you on be blessed because of my presence in

your midst.

And so Jesus is calling everybody back to that If

you follow just the chronology of that after the death

of the resurrection of Jesus, the New Testament apostles would

right then that the dwelling place of God with House

of the Lord is no longer at the temple.

It's not a central physical location, but it is now

the people of God.

It's the church.

It's the followers of Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit.

That's you, and that's me.

And so, if we feel, just follow this this path

of thinking where the dwelling place of the Lord as

a house of prayer for all nations, and how does

that translate to us today?

So for me, my reflection question for each of us

to just think about today is that for the reading,

Isaiah 56.

But also this.

How can your house, which is now a time of

self isolation, become a place of prayer for all nations?

Okay, so how can your house, uh, in covert 19

self isolation times become a place of prayer for all

nations? That means you personally, as a dwelling place of

the Lord also your house in your house.

How can it become a place of prayer for all

nations? So just some ideas to get you thinking as

you meditated.

Reflect on this if you want to just spend some

time praying for the entire world because the entire world

all nations are affected of bike over 19.

Justus, we are right now.

And so offering prayers for for them on behalf of

the people of God is something that you can do.

Um, if you know people who live in other countries

or who are visiting other countries right now on unable

to return home, just offering prayers for them on maybe

even getting on the phone with them and praying for

them directly so they can hear it.

It's not a bad idea.

But also I think the deeper point of reflection is

that if I Hans, um, to be a place of

prayer and worship as an example to all nations and

even in times of self isolation, I am not going

to be just consumed with my personal of bubble.

And I'm I'm gonna literally be someone who is conscious

of and thank you of people around me.

because I has a dwelling place of God and for

the benefit of all people, everybody around me.

And how can I figure how to do that?

Even in times when you know we're not allowed within

six feet of each other?

How can I do that?

So I think just reflecting on this and asking the

Lord will be well worth your time today.

Okay, So before I close, I just wanna remind everyone

is your market little owner.

You have gotten this sent to your email from Marisa.

It's the delivering hope on Easter Packet.

I highly suggest you take a look at it.

It's 14 pages of pdf glory, and it is filled

with Tom.

I mean, there's so much work that's gone into it.

It's just beautiful to the hole.

But it has so many resource is videos on just

questions, things that are meant for you to reflect on,

but also the things that you can share with other

people as well during time of Easter.

You know, when most churches make it a big time

to invite other people to church service.

We're still as people who wanna be president community.

We're thinking of different ways to do that.

And so this packet is again 14 pages filled with

ideas and resource is for how you can deliver, hold

and be a person of hope to all nations to

people in our community, even though we are still in

times of self isolation.

Okay, so that's it for today.

Thank you so much for joining us.

And don't forget to be on the lookout tomorrow for

day three of the online devotions.

Monday 4.6.20

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