My

wife has been a school bus driver for more than ten years. She loves

what she does, and she is great at it. Her passion for bus driving,

taking care of students, and transporting kids is amazing. If

anything gets in the way of her doing what she is trained for and

loves to do, she will fight it. What makes her a great bus driver is

her passion for what she does.

Jesus

was passionate about do­ing his Father’s work. He longed to

cultivate the faith of the people around him. If any­thing stood

in the way of forming faith, he was passionate about getting rid of

those obstacles. That’s what is behind today’s verses. Money

changers and merchants had set up their booths and tables in the

temple courts, where people from the nations were supposed to be able

to come and worship God. Those vendors didn’t belong there, and it

was time for them to go.

Jesus

is just as passionate about forming faith in us. In all of our lives

there are things that stand in the way of our spiritual growth. Maybe

we hold a grudge. Maybe there’s a deep-seated sin we need to

confess. Maybe the busyness of daily life or an addiction keeps

distracting us. Whatever it is, Jesus is passionate about helping us

get rid of it so that our faith can grow. He wants to clear out

whatever holds us back from him.

Will

you let Jesus clear out the things that hold you back?