Do you remember that day in the Bible, when Jesus Christ shocked the priests, the scribes, the money changers and traders outside the temple in Jerusalem?

And then He shocked them even more when he told everyone around him, "Have you never read,"Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"

What did He mean?

But let's start at the beginning: You see, people were flocking on their annual Passover journey to the temple in Jerusalem. Many of them had travelled long distances, often on foot, and were exhausted. They didn't have cars to bring things with them in those days, so they had a little money to buy what they needed. And on this day, what many of them needed was a beautiful animal, so they could take part in the sacrificial ceremony, and be forgiven their sins by God.

You see, God had given the people special laws, long ago, and part of these special laws involved a ceremony called the sacrificial service. This special service was meant to be solemn and very sad, as an animal's life was to be given as a consequence for people behaving wrongly and badly. Every person's guide for good behaviour was to be taken from the Ten Commandments, and other laws God gave the people - or was supposed to be. But everything had changed over the centuries, and the special, sacred, solemn and soul searching ceremony had become a tangle of confusion, human traditions, money making and greed. 

This solemn and sad sacrificial service, was a "shadow" or "type": By sacrificing a beautiful animal for breaking of the laws God had given for health, safety and happiness, the people were to remember that one day the only begotten Son of God, who never sinned, not once in his life, would be sacrificed for all the wrongful behaviour of every single human being. 

That's right - every single human being. So, all the sins of the worst people you can ever think of in human history - before Jesus Christ was on earth, and all the way up to the end of the world - our dear Jesus Christ took all those sins upon him, as he agonized on the Roman crucifix cross. Yes, Jesus Christ's death was the TRUE sacrificial death. And because of His sacrifice, we all have a wonderful opportunity and invitation to live eternally.

But here we are, back at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus Christ walks in, takes in the mayhem, the moneymaking in the courtyard of the temple. He glimpses the gleam of greed in the money changers' and traders' eyes, he sees the priests and scribes adding up in their minds the small fortunes they would be taking in commissions from the traders today. And the commotion, oh what a dreadful cacophany of noise! Our dear Jesus Christ sees the poor people, desperate to be forgiven their sins. The noise, the animal's distressed calls, the sick people.

The Bible tells the story so well:

"Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

And he said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves." '

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant and said to Him, 'Do You hear what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes. Have you never read,

"Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infantsYou have perfected praise"?' Matthew 21:12-16

Well, I would like to present to you a 21st century example of a child's clear faith in God, and joyful praise for the promises He gives to us in the Bible. Wise words indeed and PERFECTLY praising God!

You see, little children have the ability to trust and have complete joy about God. And perhaps that is he lesson for us adults, who STILL have so much to unlearn, for me anyway, it seems I have more to unlearn every day!

We thank you dear Father in Heaven, for the clear truth little children can show us adults, especially in these confusing times, in a world where many adults choose peace, safety, building up of worldy goods or many other distractions. You are looking for each one of us Father, call us back to you, turn our stiff necks, help us delve into your Word, the Bible and find all the wonderful promises which are treasure indeed in a dying world. Above all, help us heed the call to Prepare, Prepare for the tide of time is surely ready to break upon us.

In Jesus' beautiful name we pray, Amen.

Thank you for visiting today.