Hey, wait! I thought He was supposed to be meek!

A chaotic scene, coins crashing on the floor, and people scrambling to pick them up.

Jesus entered Jerusalem meek and lowly, as prophesied, but what He saw just outside the temple sickened Him. Godly people who came to worship, pray, and give offerings were being cheated out of their money at the entrance to His Father’s House of Prayer. The high priest and the ruling council were scamming sincere believers. They required temple money for offerings, so Jews from other countries had to get their foreign money changed for a “fee.”

Should God have been happy with this den of thieves? Maybe Jesus should have just said, “Come on, guys, be nice!”

This scene is often cited by those who want to discredit Jesus for “losing His temper.” Tch, tch, Jesus, chill out! Actually, it is a picture of divine restraint. He could have vaporized all the money changers and their coins by calling fire down from heaven. But He didn’t. He restrained Himself.

It’s hard to see an omnipotent God as meek, but He is. He is not a bombastic, boisterous show-off. He uses His unlimited power wisely and discretely. His meekness is evident in His dealings with children, whom He hold in His arms and blesses. He is merciful and mighty, fearsome but safe, consuming fire but soothing wind…to believers. But religious fakes and corrupt powerbrokers beware! Your day of judgment is scheduled!

Nothing is impossible for God… or even hard

“You say I’m going to have a baby next year? Bwahahahahahahahahahahah!”

“Why did Sarah laugh?” God asked, with an implied tone of surprise (Genesis 18:11‑12). He had just said the 90-year-old barren woman would have a baby within one year. His statement seemed so absurdly unthinkable that it provoked laughter…with a hint of scoffing.  Faced with a more plausible situation, Sarah might have boldly agreed that with God nothing  is impossible.

But when God got specific and promised far beyond her wildest dream, Sarah laughed.  The Lord and Sarah were light years apart in their view of the “possible.”  Thinking rationally, she moved away from faith to an extreme of expressed disbelief. God spoke His promise, knew He could perform it, and eventually did.  The Lord’s reaction to Sarah’s laughter gives us a glimpse of the divine Mind.  He views a problem, knows the solution, makes a promise, and performs it. He looks at us and asks, “Why did you doubt, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 14:31).

Words such as “difficult” and “impossible” are not in God’s vocabulary.  “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).