Jesus and The Tables: Elephants in the Room

Mark 11. 12 - 26

They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately on entering the Temple Jesus started throwing out everyone who had set up shop there, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of the bankers and the stalls of the pigeon merchants. He didn’t let anyone even carry a basket through the Temple. And then he taught them, quoting this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer for the nations; You’ve turned it into a hangout for thieves.

The Message

Jesus was angry. The house of prayer for all people was being used as a marketplace, and people were being taken advantage of. The practice had become so commonplace that no-one even noticed it. People were used to being taken advantage of. That's what happens when you get accustomed to an elephant in the room.

Reading this passage today challenges me to pay attention to the elephants in my rooms. What are the behaviors, practices, thoughts, words that are common practice in my life which block my view of the Kingdom of God? What have I neglected, forgotten and ignored that keep me from living in peace and as a beloved child of God?

I have a list going and will add to it today. I am praying that I can run off those elephants and see more clearly and live into more fully God's call to abundant life.