Judas and
his brothers said, “Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to
purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.” So the whole army assembled, and went
up to Mount Zion. (1 Maccabees 4:36-37)
We
praise your glorious name, O mighty God. (1
Chronicles 29:13)
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive
out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of
thieves.” And every day he was teaching
in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the
people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way
to accomplish their purpose. (Luke
19:45-48)
Piety
Lord, help
me to keep Your house pure, and to continually rededicate it to Your glory.
Study
Who or what
do you think of when you hear the word “enemy”?
Maybe it’s
that person at work or in a volunteer organization who continually undercuts
you or back-stabs you. We probably all daydream of those people being out of our lives once and for all, and how perfect things would be. But we know that’s not
likely, really, and so we try to figure out ways to limit contact with them or
the damage they can do to us. We can’t control them, only our reaction to them.
Or maybe the
word “enemy” makes you think of the devil, and your own weaknesses. Perhaps the
enemy is an acerbic tongue or narcissism or an addiction or obsession. We
battle them on a daily or even minute-by-minute basis. Sometimes our better
selves lose; sometimes, we win. Sometimes, we despair of ever conquering this
enemy. And perhaps, in this life, we never will. But in those moments when we
drive out the thieves of our dignity, we find grace. May we, like the Maccabees brothers, rededicate our personal sanctuaries each time we crush the enemy,
growing stronger in faith and confidence in the Lord.
Action
Thanksgiving
is next week. What can you do to avoid disharmony this week with the person you
find most difficult to love?
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