1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: In the month of April. 9 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 2: We are hosting the Everyday Prayers for Gentleness book Club 10 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: on the podcast to celebrate our newest release, We're So 11 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: Glad You're here today. The author of our new book 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 2: and mom of three, Christy Thomas, will lead our devotion 13 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: in prayer to challenge us and encourage us on our 14 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: journey to grow in gentleness. To learn more about Christy, 15 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 2: our new book, and the Million Praying Mom's ministry, visit 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find a link in our 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 2: show notes. After a brief word from our sponsors, will 18 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: pray together for our children. 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 3: John two fifteen to sixteen records this incident. After making 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of 21 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 3: out the money changers coins and overturned the tables. He 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 3: told those who were selling doves, get these things out 24 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 3: of here, stop turning my father's house into a marketplace. 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 3: My toddler sat in the soft sand and giggled, grasping 26 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 3: a yellow shovel with his chubby fingers. Laughs and shouts 27 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 3: from other children wafted toward us on the warm summer breeze. 28 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 3: Suddenly a new sound cut through the joyful ones. A 29 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 3: yapping dog leaped over the low beam around the sandbox 30 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: and came straight for my son. The dog danced and 31 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 3: barked around my little boy while he raised his hands 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 3: and screamed in terror. I scooped him up, incensed that 33 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 3: someone had let their dog run up to a small child. 34 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 3: The owner ambled up, laughing at her dog's antics, while 35 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 3: my child bowled. I quivered with anger. I am not 36 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 3: a confrontational person, but this had to be dealt with. 37 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 3: This is not an off leash, park, I said firmly. 38 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 3: The woman stopped chuckling and grabbed her dog, clearly irritated 39 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 3: with me. Didn't I find her dog's antics hilarious, Not 40 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 3: when they terrified my small son In this instant. Protecting 41 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: the vulnerable required me to be forceful, just like Jesus 42 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 3: was when he walked into the temple during Passover. He 43 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 3: had traveled far for the holy day, and like many others, 44 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 3: he could have purchased an animal offering right there. What 45 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 3: a great system. Right money changers helped Jews swap their 46 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 3: foreign coins for the right currency, and then people could 47 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 3: purchase an ox a, sheep or doves for their offerings 48 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 3: right away. Those who were wealthy could afford cheap or oxen, 49 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 3: and the poor would purchase doves. But as you can imagine, 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 3: every businessman wanted to make a profit, and who would 51 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 3: be hurt the most by this system of changing money 52 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 3: and last minute purchases the poor and those who traveled 53 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 3: from Afar. This dramatic scene is recorded slightly diff friendly 54 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 3: in each gospel, and altogether they shed light on jesus 55 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 3: motivations in this moment. Luke's gospel gives the most basic telling, 56 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 3: simply saying Jesus began to throw out those who were selling, 57 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 3: telling his listeners they've turned a house of prayer into 58 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: a den of thieves. That's from Luke nineteen. In Matthew 59 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 3: and Mark, we get a little more detailed, because Jesus 60 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 3: specifically overturns the tables of the money changers and the 61 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 3: seats of those selling doves, targeting those who take advantage 62 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 3: of foreigners and the poor. That's from Matthew twenty one 63 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 3: and Mark eleven. John writes that Jesus walked into the 64 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: temple courts, saw what was happening, and fashioned a whip 65 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 3: out of cords, before proceeding to drive out the sheep 66 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: in the oxen along with their owners, pour out the 67 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 3: money changers coins, and overturn the tables. Then he turned 68 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 3: his attention toward those who sold doves and said, get 69 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 3: these things out of here. Jesus was rightly furious that 70 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 3: the place of worship had been turned into a place 71 00:03:55,320 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 3: of greed and exploitation. You're probably wondering why this passage 72 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: has been included in a book on gentleness, But you see, 73 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 3: Jesus was still holding back his power. He made a 74 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 3: whip to drive out the animals, as was common practice, 75 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 3: but despite copious Renaissance art that implies he used it 76 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 3: on women and children, the Jesus we meet in the 77 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 3: Gospels would not have used it on people. He used 78 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 3: just enough power to protect the vulnerable, no more and 79 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 3: no less than needed. He could have ordered angels to 80 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 3: scour the temple claim of exploiters, but Jesus didn't betray 81 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 3: his own gentle and lowly heart in a moment of 82 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 3: impulse or emotional deregulation. He likely took time to prayerfully 83 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 3: prepare while he wove that whip, then forcefully argued for 84 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 3: justice while still keeping his immense power in check. The 85 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 3: good shepherd protected his sheep. Being gentle doesn't mean we 86 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 3: sit highly will injustice happens around us. Rather, when we're 87 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 3: moved to action by the problems in this world, we 88 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 3: can take our cue from Jesus. Like Jesus, we can 89 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,239 Speaker 3: choose to defend the inn interests of those who can't 90 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 3: defend themselves instead of our own interests, and we can 91 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 3: choose to uphold God's righteousness instead of our own reputations. 92 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 3: We can take time to prepare prayerfully, ensuring that we 93 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 3: have the heart of God in this situation, then forcefully 94 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 3: argue for justice while using just enough power to make 95 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 3: the point. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, 96 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 3: we can find ways to respond that are loving and 97 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 3: selfless while still truth telling, firm and effective. It's a 98 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: fine line to walk, and one we honestly tend to 99 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 3: fall off. But we can continue to choose to turn 100 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 3: back to our gentle and firm Christ for help. Let's 101 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 3: pray together, Jesus, forgive me for the times I thought 102 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 3: gentleness meant inaction, as well as for the times I 103 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 3: bulldozed my way through justice issues without being tempered by 104 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 3: your gentleness. Break my heart for the issues that break 105 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 3: your heart, and help me to stand up for the 106 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 3: vulnerable with the firm passion that you displayed on earth 107 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 3: in Jesus name. 108 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: As part of our book called this Month, we are 109 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: making all of the wonderful perks of our paid Patreon 110 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 2: numbers available at the free tier. That's right, The daily 111 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: devotionals in written form, bonus materials, special previews, and more 112 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 2: free to you this month only. See the link in 113 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 2: our show notes are on our website to get connected. 114 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 115 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 116 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor upon you and give 117 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 2: you peace.