“Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’
John 2:17 (NKJV)
The temple was filled with the scent of incense, but also the noise of merchants, animals, and clinking coins. It sounded more like a marketplace than a house of prayer. Then Jesus walked in, ordinary in appearance but burning with holy purpose. He overturned tables and drove out the traders with righteous anger, declaring, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” At that moment, His disciples remembered Psalm 69:9: “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
Zeal is more than passion. It is an intense, consuming fire that fuels action, even when it costs everything. Jesus didn’t just feel offended by the misuse of the temple, He was moved by the burden of divine honour. He understood that the temple was not just a structure, but a meeting place between God and His people, a space designed for reverence, prayer, and communion with the divine. (Isaiah 56:7)
Today, under the new covenant, the temple of God is not made with hands; it is the believer. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) You are now the dwelling place of God, which means zeal must now burn within you, not just for buildings or meetings, but for purity in our lives and in the Church.
But what happens when we become distracted, compromised, or lukewarm? Zeal dies, and devotion fades. We are not to be lagging in diligence but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11) We must be intentional about staying on fire; the flame must be tended deliberately because the enemy desires to pollute our temple with worldly pleasures, pride, or sin.
Jesus warned that in the last days, lawlessness would increase, and the love of many would grow cold. (Matthew 24:12) Zeal, therefore, is not an option; it is the cure for coldness. It’s the holy fire that keeps the altar burning. (Leviticus 6:12-13). The fire of zeal in our hearts must be maintained, guarded, and fanned into flame.
This is the same charge Paul gave to Timothy when he wrote, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you.” (2 Timothy 1:6). That same charge applies to us: if we are the temple, then our hearts must remain altars. Our worship, obedience, and consecration must flow from a place of genuine love and spiritual fervour.
God desires consumed believers who, like Jesus, won’t sit idle while the temple is desecrated. Whether it’s sin, complacency, or distractions, anything that pollutes your temple must be driven out. He desires a people purified, passionate, and zealous for good work (Titus 2:14).
Let the fire that moved Jesus move you. Let the zeal that consumed Him consume you too. Guard your temple. Keep the altar aflame. And let your heart remain captivated, not by the world, but by God.
Bible Reading Plan: 1 Chronicles 17-19; Luke 7:18-43