Matthew 21:16

"Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies 

You have prepared praise." 

Matthew 21:16

 The interesting thing about planning a picture is that it can make time appear differently than it truly is. What is behind this soft, tender photo? I had wanted to catch a picture with Jonah on this antique prayer bench before he was too big. Time was passing quicker than I wanted and Jonah was growing with each passing day. I had the idea, I had the verse, I just needed to snap it. Yet, capturing this idea came at a cost.  I was hard on Jackson and spoke in anger trying to get him to stay out of the picture. Not too long after that, Jonah rolled off the bench onto the floor. You would have thought the child had seriously injured himself… tears fell hard. I held him, and regret immediately followed. I asked for Jackson’s forgiveness.

When I looked up the scripture little did I know this picture, and this verse would bring, phao, or light to such a humbling lesson. Jesus is clearing out the temple in righteous anger. His house of prayer had become what he calls a “den of robbers.” Money making business was taking over His place of worship. What was built for something beautiful was being filled with greed. Who were the men behind this? The Pharisees, men that appeared “holy ” on the outside but were full of ugliness under their elegant robes. How my heart sunk. What I thought I really wanted, a beautiful picture of Jonah, crumbled when I realized the ugliness that hid behind it. As the staged beauty began to fall I saw the true beauty I missed - to set the camera aside and “capture” time with my sons. Time is a funny thing. We want it to pass but we fear what is ahead. We can’t escape stepping into what’s ahead but regret what has passed. It’s fleeting, it’s fragile, it’s cursed because of the fall… yet God says it’s set with purpose if we would grab hold of Him in the midst of this fleeting & frail life.

The passage ends with a picture of irate Pharisees due to the children who are filling the temple with praise, crying “Hosanna”. Jesus’ response, “Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?”  Jesus didn't just put a stop to the ugliness but He restored the time, setting it back in place to begin ticking with purpose.

May we be able to discern when to stop and reset, so our ticking can be one that passes with purpose too.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90: 12


To listen to a beautiful sermon on Psalm 90 visit:
http://www.providencepca.org/downloads-links/sermons/
click on the sermon listed as Psalm 90