Tuesday - Nation (United States)

⁴⁵ He went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling, ⁴⁶ and he said, “It is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!”, ⁴⁷ Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to kill him, ⁴⁸ but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.
Luke 19:45–48 (CSB)

We live in a nation that has a great many benefits and, at certain times through our short history, has been a tremendous benefit to other parts of the world. But no matter what side you may take, what political aisle you may resonate with, we all can point to ways in which our nation is broken.

This is nothing new. Even Jesus dealt with governing authorities, leaders, and political systems that were rife with greed and dishonesty. We see him very clearly acting out against this in Luke 19 when he flips tables and throws out “those who were selling.”

And in this same passage, we see that it was not bloodthirsty, violent men who were plotting to kill Jesus; it was the teachers of the Law and the leaders among the people. This is because Jesus threatened to upturn the perceived power they had over the people with real, actual power.

In the face of political unrest and growing restlessness around positions of power, we long for that power and peace Jesus offers—and often, his words and teachings go forgotten or, worse, become manipulated and misused during times of great political, economic, and cultural divides. Our hearts long for a nation led in power and meekness, truthfulness and love, wisdom and justice, for all that which is broken to be mended.

Reflection Questions:
1. To you, what breaks your heart about that which is broken in our nation? What do you wish would be put right?

Prayer:
Take a moment and talk to God about these things. As you pray, consider Psalm 67.