TOPIC:“When the Observing Christ Observes His Church”
“He entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple, where He observed
everything around” (Mark 11:11, Berkeley).
The Word of God has much to say about the seeking and searching eyes of God. They pierce deep into our souls and penetrate deep into the heart of His church. We read these words in the Bible: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Again: “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (II Chronicles 16:9). Or these words: “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous” (Psalms 34:15).
Here in the text we find Jesus Himself, the Son of God, with a discerning and discriminating eye observing everything that was happening in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The same risen Christ today actively and attentively observes what is taking place within those churches that bear His name and claim to teach His Word. We behold this so vividly in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 where the inspecting Lord observes, knows and judges all that is taking place within His church. He puts His finger upon those activities worthy of His praise and those actions deserving of His criticism. In each of the seven churches He declares, “I know thy works.” He knows. He sees. He cares.
As we come to the verses surrounding our text we find our Lord is making His way majestically up to Jerusalem. It is about one week from Easter Sunday. Once Jesus reached Jerusalem He immediately entered the Temple complex where His searching and scanning eyes observed everything that was happening. Nothing escaped His roaming eyes. The New Living Translation renders our text this way: “He looked around carefully at everything.” Jesus wanted to observe if the Temple premises were being used as His Father intended. Today He only investigates, tomorrow He returns to the Temple to indict. He charged them with the offense of desecrating the most sacred of places - His holy Temple.
Now what our Lord saw was not what He wanted to see as He carefully observed everything that was going on within the Temple. And that raises the question: What does the observing Christ want to observe within His church? Let us together seek out . . .