I am not a fan of Diet Coke. To me, it tastes watered-down. It tastes like only a portion of what it is supposed to taste like…regular, delicious Coke. In short, to me, Diet Coke tastes fake. I want the real thing, not a version of Coke trying to mimic the taste of regular Coke. Why settle for a fake version of the real thing? My dislike of Diet Coke is trivial, but it serves as a reminder to us to live genuinely. You see, God is not impressed by our grand gestures if they are not genuine. He is looking for people who are genuine, fully devoted followers.
Jesus expressed that He is not impressed by grand, empty gestures in Mark 11. As He and His disciples arrived in Jerusalem, where Jesus would ultimately die on a cross and rise from the dead, Jesus went to the temple. He noticed that people were buying and selling animals for sacrifices at the temple. He was displeased by what He saw. He was upset because many of those selling the animals for sacrifices and those who were there as money changers were hiking up prices or exchange rates for profit. In a place created to worship God, people were exploiting people for their benefit. They looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were not genuinely living for God. As a result of this, Jesus was angry. He saw their greed and selfishness and “began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices” (verse 15). He also “knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves” (verse 15). “He stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace” (verse 16). He said to them, “My temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (verse 17). Jesus made it clear that His temple would not be a place where people would take advantage of others. These people looked like they were fully devoted to God, but God did not truly have their hearts.
Still today, Jesus is not impressed by our gestures. He is not interested in our outward actions if He does not have our hearts. May we come to Him as fully devoted followers, wholly committed. He wants your full devotion. He wants your heart.
Write out Mark 11:17 three times. As you reflect on the words of this Scripture, let this verse be a reminder to you that God is not interested in grand gestures that are not genuine. He is more interested in our hearts, and He desires our hearts to be genuine. Commit to walking with Him and being His fully devoted follower.
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.
20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
