CALCULATED & PATIENT. By Pastor Fernando

Scripture:
So Jesus came to Jerusalem and came into the temple. He look around carefully at everything, and then He left because it was late in the afternoon. Mark 11:11

Observation:
Jesus arrives to Jerusalem in the midst of the praises of the people. They wave branches at Him and give Him the royal welcome. As He comes to the city, he comes into the temple. While there, He simply observes carefully at everything. He observes the moneychangers, the merchants of animals, the people worshipping, and the priests fulfilling their duty. He does not say or do anything that day because it was too late already. He patiently waits for the next morning. He has time to think exactly what He is going to do. He rehearses in his heart and He knows as soon as He arrives to the temple what he is going to do.

Application:
Many times I’ve seen the passage where Jesus clears the temple as the Lord reacting impulsively. But He observed carefully at everything and had time to think and calculate what He was about to do. How many times I react according to my impulses and say or do things that would regret later? I do that all the time! I need to learn from Jesus on this regard. I need to take time to observe carefully around me and then calculate very well what I need to do. when I look into my life, what do I see? In which ways I’m compromising my devotion to Christ? What am I doing about it? Do I neglect correction? Do I withhold discipline? Or do I make the necessary adjustments, as radical as they need to be, to put things in order?

The same principle we must apply when we respond to the call to be stewards of the Lord’s house. We need to take time to observe carefully at everything and then think and calculate carefully how to bring order, how to re-calibrate people’s hearts, how to go back to heart, how to prune, how to increase, how to excel, and how to make our church a place where God’s presence is welcomed and entertained.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me the importance of being patient and to calculate well when we need to bring order in our lives and ministry. Please remind me of the importance to have the right sense of timing. The right thing can become the wrong thing if done in the wrong time. Please teach me how to be patient and how to bring order the right way. Let me put aside my emotions and impulses. Let me be more calculated and patient, just like you. Amen.