奉獻是需要付上代價的
約翰福音二章13至25節
13 猶太人的逾越節近了，耶穌就上耶路撒冷去。
14 看見殿裡有賣牛、羊、鴿子的，並有兌換銀錢的人坐在那裡，
15 耶穌就拿繩子做成鞭子，把牛羊都趕出殿去，倒出兌換銀錢之人的銀錢，推翻他們的桌子，
16 又對賣鴿子的說：「把這些東西拿去！不要將我父的殿當作買賣的地方。」
17 他的門徒就想起經上記著說：「我為你的殿心裡焦急，如同火燒。」
18 因此猶太人問他說：「你既做這些事，還顯甚麼神蹟給我們看呢？」
19 耶穌回答說：「你們拆毀這殿，我三日內要再建立起來。」
20 猶太人便說：「這殿是四十六年才造成的，你三日內就再建立起來嗎？」
21 但耶穌這話是以他的身體為殿。
22 所以到他從死裡復活以後，門徒就想起他說過這話，便信了聖經和耶穌所說的。
23 當耶穌在耶路撒冷過逾越節的時候，有許多人看見他所行的神蹟，就信了他的名。
24 耶穌卻不將自己交託他們；因為他知道萬人，
25 也用不著誰見證人怎樣，因他知道人心裡所存的。
信息分享
然而，這種方便快捷的敬拜，卻非神所喜悅的敬拜。人總是喜歡尋找一種簡易輕鬆的宗教，既不打擾他們的日常生活，又不用改變他們的生活習慣。但大衛怎樣說？「我不肯用白得之物作燔祭獻給耶和華我的神。」
他們在哪裡設置這些攤子？是在聖殿的外邦人院，也就是專為非猶太人進入聖殿敬拜而設的地方。設立這外院的目的，是為了邀請外人進來一起敬拜獨一的真神；可是，猶太人卻把它用作買賣的場地，外人根本無法用來敬拜。
我們會不會也變成這樣？我們有否真心關懷失喪者--也就是教外的人？我們是否只想到自己，只為到神救了自己而感恩，卻忘了其他未得救的人？我們若然是這樣的話，豈不是跟耶穌時代的猶太人一樣？
可悲的是，當基督一離開聖殿之後，買賣的人便立即回來。請讀馬太福音二十一章12至13節。基督在受死前的最後一個逾越節，曾經第二次潔淨聖殿。對於他們這種死性不改的行為，我們又豈會感到奇怪？許多時候，基督潔淨了我們的生命，可是，不消多久，我們的懷習慣又捲土重來，將神的教訓拋諸腦後。
反思：
我對基督的敬拜--有沒有要求我付上任何代價？
我對失喪者--究竟有沒有真正關懷？
Sacrifice - Not Convenience
John 2:13-25
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
Message
But does God want the kind of worship that doesn't cost us very much in time or effort? Man is always looking for an easy religion that won't disturb or change his life too much. But what did David say? 'Shall I offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing?'
Where was this market held? In the court of the Gentiles, those who were not Jews. That courtyard had been built as an invitation to the outsider to come and worship the true God. Instead the Jews has taken it over as a sale yard and left no room for anyone else.
Do we act like that at times? How much do we really care for the lost - the outsider? Do we think only of ourselves, thanking God that we have been saved, not thinking of anyone else? If so are we better than the Jews in Christ's day?
Sad to say, as soon as Christ's back was turned, the stalls must have been put up again. Read Matthew 21:12-13. At the last Passover time before he died, Christ had to clean out the Temple once more. We know how that can happen don't we? Christ has sometimes cleaned up a life, but that person has allowed the old habits to return and that man or woman has slipped away from the things of God.
Think About This:
My worship of Christ - does it cost me anything?
My concern for the lost - is it real?