Consuming Zeal: A Holy Monday Meditation

Nick Minerva • Apr 11, 2022

As we continue to consider the week leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, I want to turn to Mark 11. On the day following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus curses the fig tree and cleanses the temple. We see this recorded for us in Mark 11:12-19


The next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. He was teaching them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”

The chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was astonished by his teaching. Whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.


Bethany was a little less than 2 miles (John 11:18) from Jerusalem and it would seem that after his triumphant entry, Jesus returned there to stay the night. On the hike back into Jerusalem he spots a fig tree that looks healthy from a distance until he gets closer, finds no fruit, then curses the tree. (This is not a good pattern to follow when Starbucks doesn’t have your favorite breakfast sandwich.) Today this seems random but Jesus will use it as a teaching moment tomorrow.


Upon arriving at Jerusalem Jesus enters the temple and proceeds to throw out people buying and selling and overturns the tables of the moneychangers. It’s an intense moment. They were turning the court of Gentiles into a den of thieves. The court of Gentiles was the outermost court and was the only place in the temple non-Jews or ritually unclean Jews could enter the temple for worship. Money was exchanged here so that coins with idolatrous images wouldn’t be used and create a standard weight and value. The temple had basically become its own bank. And Festivals like this one were a prime time for business. However, instead of offering a fair exchange for those making their pilgrimage to the temple, these moneychangers were extorting people. The business had become more important than worship. (https://lucris.lub.lu.se/ws/portalfiles/portal/57820558/Court_of_the_Gentiles_m_fr.pdf)


So Jesus drives them out and forbids anyone carrying goods to be sold to enter. And in doing so he speaks for God thus claiming authority over the temple. As he does this he quotes two Old Testament passages. Check them out. 


Isaiah 56:7

I will bring them to my holy mountain and let them rejoice in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”


This chapter in Isaiah is a vision of the great worship to come in the end times. And what was taking place in the temple was horribly out of sync with what Jesus had come to begin. And as Jesus calls this out he also quotes Jeremiah. 


Jeremiah 7:11

Has this house, which bears my name, become a den of robbers in your view? Yes, I too have seen it. This is the LORD’s declaration.


In Jeremiah 7 God is rebuking the nation of Israel for their false trust in the outward rituals of the temple while they were oppressing foreigners, the fatherless, and widows; shedding innocent blood and worshipping pagan gods. It was no mere coincidence Jesus quoted from these two passages. They were hindering the very vision that Jesus was beginning to institute. They were doing the very thing their ancestors did hundreds of years before. They left no room for the Gentiles or society’s outcasts to be a part of worship. They were making a profit off of people seeking atonement. As pastor Jonathan Parnell said: “The worship of God’s people was so out of line with God’s purposes that zeal consumed God’s Messiah. It had to stop.” (Your Sorrow Will Turn To Joy: Morning & Evening Meditations For Holy Week. Desiring God, 2016.) Of course, this made the chief priests and scribes furious. Jesus was hitting their bottom line. He was claiming the authority of the temple for him and his Father. Yesterday he rode into the city while allowing people to proclaim him as their king. And now this!? They had enough. They wanted him eliminated and began to make plans to have him killed. But even their wicked schemes set the stage to fulfill eternity’s plan. Our salvation.

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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