And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all the crowd was astonished at His teaching.
When someone points out something wrong that you did or even questions you, what is your response? Typically, we respond with defensiveness. We don’t like to be told we are wrong, so we figure out excuses or points to prove that we are right. When Jesus addressed this corruption in the temple, He was very clear in calling out this was wrong and not how God intended the temple to be. Instead of allowing it to be a moment of conviction that brought them back to God the people responded in shame and pride, plotting to kill Jesus.
When we are called out, if we are not careful, we become defensive before even considering if the claims brought before us have a measure of truth. Like the money changers, we resist conviction instead of using it as an opportunity for confession and forgiveness. Because of Jesus, we do not have to hide our sin or defend it to make ourselves feel better. He knows every wicked thing we have done and still loves us to the point that He died for us on the cross. Our sin does not surprise Him or change His love for us. We only hurt ourselves when we live defensively and fail to open ourselves up to His forgiveness and heart change. God is ready to heal, restore, and redeem what is broken in us as we open ourselves up to Him and the truth.
- How likely are you to respond defensively when challenged?
- How can you seek to let your guard down regarding the areas where God is revealing a need for change?
- Pray and confess your sin to God and ask for His forgiveness.
