奉献是需要付上代价的
约翰福音二章13至25节
13 犹太人的逾越节近了，耶稣就上耶路撒冷去。
14 看见殿里有卖牛、羊、鸽子的，并有兑换银钱的人坐在那里，
15 耶稣就拿绳子做成鞭子，把牛羊都赶出殿去，倒出兑换银钱之人的银钱，推翻他们的桌子，
16 又对卖鸽子的说：「把这些东西拿去！不要将我父的殿当作买卖的地方。」
17 他的门徒就想起经上记着说：「我为你的殿心里焦急，如同火烧。」
18 因此犹太人问他说：「你既做这些事，还显甚么神迹给我们看呢？」
19 耶稣回答说：「你们拆毁这殿，我三日内要再建立起来。」
20 犹太人便说：「这殿是四十六年才造成的，你三日内就再建立起来吗？」
21 但耶稣这话是以他的身体为殿。
22 所以到他从死里复活以后，门徒就想起他说过这话，便信了圣经和耶稣所说的。
23 当耶稣在耶路撒冷过逾越节的时候，有许多人看见他所行的神迹，就信了他的名。
24 耶稣却不将自己交托他们；因为他知道万人，
25 也用不着谁见证人怎样，因他知道人心里所存的。
信息分享
然而，这种方便快捷的敬拜，却非神所喜悦的敬拜。人总是喜欢寻找一种简易轻松的宗教，既不打扰他们的日常生活，又不用改变他们的生活习惯。但大卫怎样说？「我不肯用白得之物作燔祭献给耶和华我的神。」
他们在哪里设置这些摊子？是在圣殿的外邦人院，也就是专为非犹太人进入圣殿敬拜而设的地方。设立这外院的目的，是为了邀请外人进来一起敬拜独一的真神；可是，犹太人却把它用作买卖的场地，外人根本无法用来敬拜。
我们会不会也变成这样？我们有否真心关怀失丧者--也就是教外的人？我们是否只想到自己，只为到神救了自己而感恩，却忘了其他未得救的人？我们若然是这样的话，岂不是跟耶稣时代的犹太人一样？
可悲的是，当基督一离开圣殿之后，买卖的人便立即回来。请读马太福音二十一章12至13节。基督在受死前的最后一个逾越节，曾经第二次洁净圣殿。对于他们这种死性不改的行为，我们又岂会感到奇怪？许多时候，基督洁净了我们的生命，可是，不消多久，我们的怀习惯又卷土重来，将神的教训抛诸脑后。
反思：
我对基督的敬拜--有没有要求我付上任何代价？
我对失丧者--究竟有没有真正关怀？
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?