Passion Week: Monday

Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves! ”

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonders that he did and the children shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David! ” they were indignant and said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying? ”

Jesus replied, “Yes, have you never read:
You have prepared praise
from the mouths of infants and nursing babies? ”

Then he left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
(Matthew 21:12-17)

It is interesting to me the role the children play in this story. They have not stopped having the parade that started on Sunday. They are still gathering around Jesus. They are still singing the song they may have learned from their elders in the street! They are still being the children of God!  When the Temple leaders complain about the children (who are claiming that Jesus is the Messiah!), Jesus once again comes to their defense and lifts the scripture text from Psalm 8:2:

Think of two or three neighbor children you can extend love to. Start praying for them and an opportunity to share Jesus with them as well as thinking of a way you can practically love them right now.