Matthew 21:12-17
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers!” The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonders he performed and heard the children calling out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant. They said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus told them, “Have you never read, From the lips of little children and nursing babies you have prepared praise?” He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
Dear Lord Jesus,
You demonstrated your love and respect for your Father’s house by not allowing it to be used as a marketplace to sell forgiveness but as a hospital to heal sin’s disease. That Monday of Holy Week, so people would know you were the great physician, you also healed those who were physically blind and lame. They recognized their limitations and came to you for help. May we, too, revere and respect the places you have given us to worship that we recognize them as spiritual healing sanctuaries—places of worship where you restore the blind and the lame through your word and sacraments. They are places where we can come and sing praises to you.
On the other hand, the chief priests and experts had their vision and witnessed what you were doing; yet they could not see what was in front of them because of their unbelief. Lord, please heal us from our spiritual lameness and blindness. Keep us from becoming like those spiritual leaders; may we always see you, our Savior. The one who went to the cross later that week for all our sins. We pray with those children, “Hosanna—please save us—Son of David.”
Lord, it is only through you we have life. So please send us your Holy Spirit that we too will believe and know all our sins have been forgiven and be with us to share this good news of salvation with others. So, we can bring our friends who are blind and lame to you; and you can also heal them. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Hear what the little children sang that day: please save us. Jesus heard their cries and answered them by dying on a cross for the world’s sins—even all your sins. It is through Jesus’ death we have forgiveness and eternal life.