Monthly Archives: February 2026

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHOSE IMAGE? – 52

Bible Study,

“Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭20‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Would they never learn? How many times had the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus, only to be outwitted and caught in their own foolishness!

A case in point! Jesus was smart! He often responded to a trick question with a question. Why? Questions trigger thought…and thought produces answers. Answers reveal the heart! It’s as simple as that!

In this situation, since the religious leaders knew Jesus’ strategy and, perhaps, to save their own faces, they sent ”spies”, others who were detailed to do their dirty work, to try to trap Jesus. These “go-betweens” nonchalantly pretended to be innocent bystanders, just joining in the conversation…but Jesus wasn’t fooled. He could read His opponents like a book. He recognised the source of their flattering words which tried to cover up their trick question. He saw the barb and shot back with a question of His own. 

“Answer my question and then I’ll  answer yours.”

Since the question was about money but loaded with resentment because of Roman oppression, the issue was, “To whom did the money belong?” To call for a coin was the best way to illustrate the answer. “Show me the money!” Jesus demanded. 

The Roman coin spoke for itself. The image on it was the face of the Caesar. This money belonged to Caesar. Every time these schemers used money, whether they liked it or not, they were borrowing it from and representing Caesar. 

The second part of Jesus’ reply spoke volumes! Taxes belong to Caesar and to the Roman government. To withhold taxes was an offence. God’s Word makes that clear! As citizens of an earthly domain, we are collectively responsible to provide the finances to run the country. That’s the citizen’s business. The government’s business is to use it to provide the services that keep the country functional. 

“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

However, we humans carry the very image of God. He is holy, righteous, and true. As His image bearers, we are to fashion our lives after what He requires. This includes ownership. We are His by right of creation. Therefore, it is His right to govern our lives according to His will and to require from us the responsible use of what He has given us…our bodies, our resources, our time and talents…all are His to use for His glory. 

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ reply caught His opponents off guard! His answer was not what they expected. Never mess with Jesus! Their trap backfired and turned out to be an indictment against them. That settled it. They were learning that, no matter how much they schemed snd plotted, they could  never outwit Jesus. They knew that they were guilty. However much they pretended that they were obedient to God’s covenant, they could not silence their accusing consciences…Instead of trapping Jesus, they played right into His hands. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…MY HOUSE – 51b

Bible Study, ,

“It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is both another perspective and spiritual significance to these words of Jesus. He was, at that moment, dealing with the misuse of God’s house in Jerusalem…but there is another “house” of greater importance than the physical temple which no longer exists in the holy city today. 

“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Moses was the builder of God’s visible “house”, the tabernacle in the wilderness, as a servant under orders. However, Jesus, God’s Son, is the head of God’s house, His household, His permanent dwelling place. 

The Old Testament types and pictures have been fulfilled and replaced by Jesus and His church as God’s household. Jesus is the true head of His “house”, His family of brothers and sisters of which God is Father. 

“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This “house” of God’s redeemed people is also His temple, and the throne room from which He rules over His family. 

ln Scripture, every believer is His temple…

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and, together, the church is His temple, His dwelling place. 

“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Therefore, just as the temple in Jerusalem was God’s dwelling place among His people and set apart for worship and prayer, so we, who are a part of His church, are also set apart to be His spiritual temple for worship and prayer. God is seeking true worshippers…

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and partners in prayer…

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ NIV

…with unwavering devotion…

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…because we are, alone and together, God’s “house of prayer”. 

The implications are as real for us today as they were when Jesus threw the merchants out of the temple in Jerusalem. We have no right to turn God’s temple, our bodies, into a “den of thieves”. Anything that pollutes our “house of prayer” is illegitimate and an intrusion into what God has set apart for His exclusive use. 

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On the contrary, Paul argues for God’s exclusive possession of our earthly temples for Him to occupy and for us to do His will. Just as Jesus offered His body as a sacrifice for us, so we must give our bodies to Him…preserved holy through the cleansing and renewing of our minds, so that we will know, approve, and fulfil His will…

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Since we are, individually and corporately, God’s “house”, the place where He lives by His Spirit, we are to keep the house clean and free from the pollution of worldly desires and practices. As Paul wrote…

 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”…

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬a NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…MY HOUSE – 51a

Bible Study, ,

“When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭45‬-‭46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sobering words! Jesus knew the Word! Had He not, in the history of His people, indicted them for the very same actions of which they were now oh, so guilty.

God’s word was clear! Despite the Jew’s prejudice against Gentiles, there was a place in the temple where non-Jews could worship the God of Israel.  

“And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭56‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s intention was to unite Jew and Gentile into one new nation in Christ, to worship together as one people…but the Jews would have none of that. To show their contempt, they hi-jacked the only place in the temple reserved for Gentiles and turned into a market where they carried out their practices of greed and extortion. 

“ ‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

History repeats itself! The indictment was clear. God’s people were still the same at heart as they were centuries before He came to them.

John’s record adds colour to the scene, also connecting this event to other signs of Messiah’s work. 

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Says Google AI…

“In John 2:13–22, Jesus cleanses the Temple during his first Passover visit to Jerusalem, early in his ministry. He drives out money-changers and animal sellers with a cord-whip, overturning tables to stop the commercialization of his Father’s house, declaring, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade”…

…”Unlike the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) which place this event at the end of Jesus’ ministry, John places it at the beginning, signalling that his ministry is centered on bringing true worship and replacing the old Temple system.”

Whenever Jesus did this, the chronology is not the important thing but its meaning and purpose is. In the first three gospels,(called “synoptic”…seen together), Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey symbolised His claim to  the throne in Israel. This was not a bid to unseat Rome but an affirmation of His right to rule over His people as their heavenly king.  

Did Jesus’ people understand His gesture? Apparently not! Rather, their leaders were incensed at His audacity and demanded to know the source of His authority. No one had the right to take matters into his own hands without proper authority! Everything Jesus said and did offended them, particularly because He claimed God as His Father and attributed His authority to God.    

“They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Was this action of cleansing the temple a direct accusation against the religious leaders? Did the priests give permission for the merchants to ply their trade in the temple? Did they get a cut of the profits? Not only that but were they in cahoots with the merchants and their scheme? Jesus saw through their greed and called them and their collaborators “robbers”. What they were doing wasn’t just trading…it was robbery…very cleverly done! How?

Worshippers would bring their sacrificial animals and birds to the priest for inspection. The animal had to be unblemished for the sacrifice. The priests did the inspecting, declared the animal “unfit” for sacrifice… and the worshipper was forced to buy an unblemished animal from the merchant, which happened to be previous worshipper’s “unfit” animal… an efficient way of making money! 

In God’s way of governing, He demands absolute transparency in all things. There is no place for coverups…for greed of any kind, underhanded dealings with anothers, ill-will in any disguise. He calls life in His kingdom “walking in the light”. 

Jesus came to expose darkness by bringing light and being the light. His desire is for His people to have fellowship with Himself and one another, untainted with impurities of motive or action. This is the way of His kingdom.    

Jesus’ action in the temple did two things…exposed the darkness, and brought in the light. He put the Jewish offenders in their place and restored to the Gentiles their rightful place in the Temple. His action was not impetuous rage…it was righteous indignation at the audacity of His own people to make their own rules.   

Jesus was always about the kingdom, promoting its standards and being the salt to preserve it from decay. He tells us what to do and models the prescription. 

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus expects us, His people to model the lives of righteousness and truth. As bearers of His image, we are the preservatives who keep ungodly society from putrefaction and…we shine the light of Jesus in the darkness of a sinful world.  

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…WHICH WAY? – 50

Bible Study, ,

“After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem…“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.”…Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them…They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road…As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭28‬, ‭30‬, ‭32‬, ‭35‬-‭36‬, ‭41‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…Not the way a Jewish king arrived to claim his throne. The donkey, yes! The crowds! Yes! 

“The scripture describing a Jewish king riding a donkey is Zechariah 9:9, which prophesies a “just and having salvation” King arriving “lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”. This signifies a humble, peaceful king rather than a warrior on a horse. It is famously fulfilled by Jesus in Matthew 21:5.” 

“Solomon rode a donkey for his coronation (1 Kings 1:33), and various Old Testament leaders used donkeys (Judges 5:10; 10:4; 12:14).” ( Google AI)

“Jesus’ riding a donkey on his triumphant entry to Jerusalem is a model of humility and selflessness. Donkeys are symbols of humbleness, and by choosing one instead of a horse, Jesus showed his humility. This fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy about the coming of a righteous king on a donkey. “

(Source: Google –  “Why did Jesus choose to ride on a donkey if he is the Messiah the King?”)

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ action was a perfect fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy. However, unlike an earthly king who would claim his right to an earthly and political throne, Jesus did not move towards Pilate’s residence to challenge and unseat the Roman governor as the people anticipated that their Messiah would do. Instead, He headed for the temple. Why?

Throughout His public ministry, Jesus had one focus…the kingdom of God. He painstakingly taught, through parables and illustrations and, by demonstrating the nature of God’s  rule through signs and miracles, what God’s government on earth looks like. 

Jesus also claimed to be the king, the supreme authority over God’s kingdom. Through His submission and obedience to the Father in His earthly role as the Son of Man…that is, both a human being and God’s Messiah, and after His resurrection…He was given all authority in heaven and on earth.  

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus headed for the temple, the seat of the Father’s spiritual authority over the nation of Israel.  His throne was, symbolically, the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place in the temple. From there, He ruled in judgment and mercy. 

En route to take the throne, Jesus paused for moment to overlook the city from a viewpoint on the Mount of Olives. In His imagination, He could already see  the mayhem of God’s judgment falling on Jerusalem. He could hear the clatter of chariot wheels and horses’ hooves, the clamour of soldiers’ shouts, the wails of wounded and dying Jews. He could smell the blood and see the bodies of men, women, and children randomly scattered on the streets of the city like autumn leaves…ruin and destruction everywhere. 

…and Jesus wept…wept for His people, His beloved nation, the ones He had led through a howling wilderness to their own land, the ones He had come in person to rescue from their self-inflicted destruction. He wept for the “fallen leaves” lying motionless in the streets…God’s unfulfilled purposes, wasted opportunities…now only useless “trash” to be dumped in Gehenna, the city’s garbage dump. He wept for what could have been. 

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

If only…but now…! What a terrible indictment against the people, now singing, dancing, and celebrating their ”king”, who would, in the next few days, turn on Him, yell for His death, and watch Him bleed, skewered with nails, like a piece of meat, to a Roman torture stake…for them!

…but it had to be!

In the heart of Jesus, there is both sorrow and joy, sorrow for wasted lives consigned to the trash, and joy for those who turned away from their self-inflicted foolishness, to set self aside forever, and to embrace and follow Him as Lord. The opportunity is still there as long as the earth remains. 

Which way? Not Pilate’s palace to claim an earthly throne. The temple where He reigns as king over heart and life.  

The choice is yours…

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…SIN INTRUDES – 49

Bible Study, ,

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was but, because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Another story we learned in Sunday School…with a jewel hidden in its detail. 

There is a massive truth hidden in this story which few of us recognise because we have been conditioned to believe that good-for-nothing sinners are what we are. As a youth in a Christian youth group, I would sing, “I am ASSBG, a sinner saved by grace.”

Jesus interpreted the situation from a different perspective. He viewed humans as people created in the image of God who have moved away, through the intrusion of sin, from God’s blueprint. Man’s original state was perfection. Like a little child, clean and dressed in party clothes, who wanders away and plays in the mud, so mankind, created perfect and fit for fellowship with God, has wandered from God’s path and become polluted and lost to God’s purposes in the wilderness of sin. 

The story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, illustrates this truth. He was a Jew, a member of God’s covenant people. He was a descendant of Abraham, but a lost one because he had been led astray from God’s way by his love of money. He had sold himself to the Roman government to collect taxes but also, by extortion, to enrich himself.  He was a sinner in the eyes of his ”judges”, the people who dismissed him as “lost”! 

Curiosity led Zacchaeus to climb a tree for a better view of Jesus as He happened to be visiting Jericho. Zack was a short man. So keen was he to set eyes on this man who was causing such a stir in Israel that he suffered the indignity of shinning up a tree, something he hadn’t done since he was a boy, just to catch a glimpse of this celebrity. 

Imagine Zack’s surprise when Jesus stopped right below him, looked up into the tree, and called to him. Imagine the shock of his neighbours when Jesus, the holy man, chose to interact with Zack, the chief tax collector!

“Zacchaeus, I know you are there! Come down from your tree. I have an appointment with you today!” 

“What! Who, me? How do you know my name? How did you know I was in the tree?” 

Zacchaeus was gobsmacked! Did Jesus walk all the way from Jerusalem to Jericho just to visit him…and to heal Bartimaeus on the way! Yes, He did! Why would Jesus do that? He did that because Zacchaeus was a lost son of Abraham, and precious to God….not just a sinner, although that he appeared ti be by his behaviour. 

Can you see this jewel in the story? Jesus was always careful to stick to the original. God made Zacchaeus in His image to fulfil His purpose. Sin had intruded to derail him but Jesus intervened to set him back on course. 

Jesus’ perspective is very different from the way we view ourselves and others. We see ourselves as defective, messed up, of no value to God. Jesus sees us as precious and significant but lost to His purposes as long as we are in the wilderness of self- centred indulgence. 

For example, the Pharisees asked Jesus a loaded question…perhaps to trap Him.   

“Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus reply wasn’t what they expected…

 “Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Pharisees viewed the situation from the perspective of, and as a solution to, messed-up people. Jesus, in response, took them back to God’s original plan. “Let’s see what God intended from the beginning.”

Jesus said not a word to Zacchaeus about his greed or his sinful lifestyle. Jesus’ encounter with the tax collector was enough to make him aware of his lostness to God’s purpose. Zack’s conscience was working overtime. He immediately decided to return (repent) from “lostness”, back to his true self…a son of Abraham. 

This is the way God works. He does not beat us over the head with our sin, our guilt, our shame, our unworthiness. He holds before us the truth of who we are…His sons and daughters, created in His image to be His family and partners in the management of His earth. 

What a difference this would make to our self-image, our behaviour, and the way we view other people! Not Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector but Zacchaeus, the son of Abraham. 

Everything God calls us to, including the things we do to grow our understanding of God and our confidence in Him, for example, prayer and the Word…come back to who we really are…God’s children created in His image.  This is the true meaning of repentance. 

What if, instead of viewing ourselves and others as worthless sinners, only redeemed because God felt sorry for us and didn’t want to send us to hell, we see ourselves as God’s treasure, created to be like Him, to reflect Him and to rule with Him in His kingdom? 

What difference would this make to the way we live? 

To be continued…