This week, Joel focused in on the “cleansing of the Temple” in Luke 19. Jesus moves from weeping at the city gates into the Temple courts. While we often view the "cleansing of the Temple" as an act of rage, Luke reframes it as an act flowing out of deep grief. Jesus wasn't just moving furniture; He was interrupting a pattern where utility had displaced the presence of God. The religious systems of the day had colonized the Court of the Gentiles—the only space where outsiders could encounter God—with insider commerce and religious transactions.

Joel suggested that what we do with sacred space reveals who or what we actually worship. Our bodies, our time, our relationships, and our homes were designed for holy encounter, yet we often repurpose them for mere utility or "to-do" lists. Jesus clears the space not to punish us, but to restore us. He is reclaiming the vineyard from tenants who have forgotten that they are stewards, not owners.

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