“Get out!” 
The whip came down on a table and knocked it over. “Get this out of here!”
A merchant scrambled to gather his spilled coins, tripping over another in his rush to get away from the whip. Animals bleated, bayed, squealed, and spooked. Men shouted, tables crashed to the floor, money flew like confetti as con artists half-ran, half-crawled to get to the door.
Jesus stood in the middle of the floor, panting, whip in His hand, sweat beading on His forehead. His disciples cowered in shock, but a scripture floated through their minds. The Psalmist had written about this; now they’d seen it: zeal for God’s house (John 2:17).
Zeal is neither good nor bad. It depends on the reason for that zeal. We see zeal at every ball game, every concert, every political rally. We have no problem being zealous, but the objects of our zeal are not always worthy of it. Isn’t it odd that we think nothing of a group of men leaping, clapping, and shouting at a football game, but if they did that in church, we’d be shocked.
God created us for zeal, but Satan has misdirected it. God wants to see us zealous for His holiness, His reputation, His word, His people. But Satan convinces us to waste our passions on things that don’t matter and give God the leftovers. Jesus didn’t waste His zeal on stickball, dice, or races. Maybe He enjoyed them, but only His Father’s house deserved zeal.
Final Thought: What are you most zealous about? Does Jesus agree with you?
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