J.A. Matteson
We may spend time with Jesus on the mount in prayer, behold His glory, enjoy His sweet fellowship throughout the day, and can still miss the orientation of His heart. "...His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him" (Matt. 24:1). How easily we become entangled in the apparent significance of religious trappings rather than the spiritual truth they are intended to represent. Great time, energy, material resources and money are dedicated to them, when God would have us dedicate the focus of our lives on cleaning the inside our our cup, rather than being impressed with its external beauty (Matt. 23:25). Jesus was dead to external religious pretense, and so must His disciples be. By contrast Jesus was well pleased with the inner spiritual beauty of a ransomed soul, those often rejected by the religious (Lk. 7:39). If we are to be of service to Jesus Christ we must get close to Him until His perception of worldly things becomes ours. To love and rejoice at the inner beauty of a soul bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit is much preferred over the external appearance of the temple the Spirit resides within. The Jerusalem temple was an architectural wonder, but one filled with spiritual lawlessness. Jesus was unimpressed, He focused on the spiritual condition of its use, His disciples were preoccupied with the physical. Externally the Pharisees appeared beautiful in their religious attire, inwardly they were filled with wickedness. We must continually strive to perceive the spiritual reality of a setting as Jesus did; "you will know them by their fruit" (Matt. 7:16). If our house of worship is transforming souls who are increasingly bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit, Jesus is well pleased. If our house of worship is filled with lawlessness Jesus is not only unimpressed, but His judgement will in time visit that congregation (Rev. 2:20). Only with the light of Christ will we correctly discern His heart in our situation and be able to respond in a manner pleasing to Him (Matt. 16:3).
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