May 8, 2023
Prioritizing What is Important
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.”
John 8:1-2 (NASB)
In the modern church we have all sorts of entertainment which wasn’t available thirty years ago. We have lighting of all sorts, comfortable seating, air conditioning for those who get too hot or cold, and several other amenities. Several years ago at my former church, I met with a salesman to order new chairs for our sanctuary. I knew the church was so small that we needed to use the sanctuary as a multipurpose area. The best way to do this was to purchase chairs instead of the old heavy oak pews. After meeting with the salesman, who wasn’t a Christian, he told me I was wise to invest in seating. He said it marked one of the top three reasons people stay in a church. I thought, “One of the top three reasons?” I also remember John MacArthur said in so many words, “If you take all the fancy lights, music, and comfortable chairs, people wouldn’t attend church anymore.” What a shame. What happened to the alure of the Bible? What happened to the desire to hear God’s Word?
In these short two verses, so much comes to mind. “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.” So many events have occurred in Jewish history at this location. All these events show God’s provision, deliverance, prayer, Jesus’ ascension, and an eventual place called the New Jerusalem. It is also home to different historic churches in the city. Churches are often built upon sites of such significant importance in this region.
“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” When, “Everyone went to his home” (7:53), Jesus went to the Mount of Olives that evening. The misery of the city was too much for Him. He needed time away from the crowds to draw His strength for the coming day. The next day Jesus began with time at the Mount. His day started with prayer, and time with God the Father. He then proceeded to the temple courtyard area where many came to hear Him. It was there He could share what the Father had in store. It’s a model for us today to begin our day as well.
When Jesus arrived in the temple, “all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.” Discipleship and teaching began. No flashy lights, no comfortable seating, and no air conditioning to make the time more enjoyable. It was Jesus speaking to His people. The chaos of the previous day was over. Today was a day of enthusiasm as He sat down to teach. When we look at the Mount of Olives, we see times of preparation. It is a “preparation ground” for things to come. It all starts with prayer though. The power of any Christian is powered by our prayer life. It allows us to connect with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Looking at the beginning of this devotion for today, we see a trend we need to address. When time is spent with the Father, it doesn’t need comforts and desires to be met. It is about time with God, not our desires. We need to keep this in perspective. When we arrive in church, our time should be worshipping our Creator, but the centerpiece is the Word of God. Otherwise we get caught up in the entertainment business and lose sight of what it most important, God’s Word!