| | Luke 19:46, Keeping the Temple Clean!Today, after much delay, the series on Luke 19:45-48 continues. This series has invited Christians to examine the “temple” of the Holy Spirit and vigorously cast out anything unclean from the “temple.” The next part of this series will deal with something very serious. Typically, one may “clean out the temple” and then relapse into sin and again clutter the “temple” with things displeasing to the Lord. However, Luke 19:47-48 and other passages contain some valuable information on striving to keep the temple clean. What does the passage say and how can it possibly help with this concerning issue?
The record of Christ driving the buyers and sellers from the temple is found in Luke 19:45-46. The narration is continued in Verses 46-47:
And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. (NKJV, emphasis mine)
First off, it is to be noted that Christ is teaching daily at the temple after its cleansing. Christ is often found teaching in the heart of one who has recently cleaned the “temple” of the Holy Spirit. Christ can really teach to any Christian once any worldly item of lust is gone from the heart. However, the following sentence is very important and states that, “the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him…” This is typical to what happens in the heart of a man after cleaning the “temple” of God. Satan, the adversary, attempts to destroy the joy, teaching, and harmony that Christ brings to the heart. As a result, Satan attempts to destroy and weaken the relationship with Christ. In other words, the adversary attempts to clutter the temple and move the unhealthy things back into the heart. 1 Peter 5:8 says:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (NKJV, emphasis mine)
Satan is one who prowls around looking to devour the cleanliness of a “temple” of the Holy Spirit. The comparison can be made of Satan seeking to devour and the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people in Luke 19. In both cases, the two are attempting to destroy the teaching and cleanliness of Christ. How, then, does one prevent the adversary from once again cluttering the “temples” of the Holy Spirit?
The two above presented texts out of 1 Peter and Luke hold the answer to the question. Luke 19:48 ends by stating that the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people are “unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.” The chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people are unable to “destroy Him” because the people are listening to Christ’s teaching. One can then draw a conclusion. One way to prevent the devil from “destroying” the cleanliness of the “temple” of the Holy Spirit is to be attentive to the Word of the Lord. Hebrews 4:12 gives a clear summary of the power of the Word of the Lord, by stating:
For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)
This passage demonstrates the power of the Word of the Lord and Luke 19:46 demonstrates that the Word of the Lord has great impact upon those attempting to stop Christ.
In addition, 1 Peter 5:8 provides insight on preventing the adversary from cluttering the “temple” of the Lord. The passage states, “be vigilant.” Christians must be vigilant. Christians must always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks about the hope that is inside all Christians. Watching for the attacks from the adversary and being vigilant will allow one to keep the temple from becoming cluttered and dirty.
It is time for all Christians to begin to be attentive to the Word of God and be vigilant against attacks from Satan. When Christians are attentive and vigilant, the adversary is not able to come in and destroy the cleanliness of the “temple” of the Holy Spirit. Today let all Christians pray for attentiveness, vigilance, and help from the Holy Spirit so that the “temple” may stay clean. |
