When Religion Feels Hollow
Have you ever gone through the motions spiritually? You pray, sing, and serve, but somewhere deep down you feel disconnected from it all. The words come out, the motions look right, but your heart feels somewhere else.
In John 2:13–25, Jesus walks into a temple filled with people who were doing the same thing—going through the motions. It was Passover, one of the most sacred times of the year, yet the temple had turned into a market. The court of the Gentiles, the one place non-Jewish people could come to worship, had been overrun by money changers and merchants.
Instead of finding peace and prayer, worshipers found noise and chaos. The temple had become a place that kept people away from God rather than bringing them near.
Jesus Flips the Tables
John writes that Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove out the sellers and animals. He flipped the tables and poured out the coins, saying, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
This wasn’t a moment of rage. It was passion. Jesus wasn’t angry about money—He was angry about the barrier between people and God. His heart was on fire for the Father’s glory and for everyone who was being pushed out.
The Bible calls that passion “zeal.” Psalm 69 says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Jesus’ zeal wasn’t about protecting a building. It was about protecting access to God. Anything that blocks people from God’s presence has to go.
Sometimes that same thing happens in our lives. We fill our schedules until there’s no room left for God. We cling to old habits, keep tight control, and hold onto comfort. These things become tables that need flipping.
Jesus doesn’t flip tables to embarrass us. He flips them to set us free.
The Temple and the Cross
When religious leaders demanded a sign to prove His authority, Jesus said something strange: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They thought He was talking about the building. But He was talking about Himself.
The temple was the meeting place between heaven and earth. Jesus was saying, “That’s Me now.” He is the true temple, the final place where God meets His people. When He died on the cross, the curtain that separated the people from God’s presence tore in two. The separation was over.
Because of that, you don’t have to go to a temple to meet with God. He comes to you. If you belong to Jesus, His Spirit lives in you. Wherever you are, heaven and earth meet.
That truth changes worship completely. It’s not about routine or mechanics anymore. Worship isn’t about showing up to check a box. It’s about showing up because you’ve been changed by Jesus.
From Motions to Meaning
When faith becomes mechanical, it always ends up feeling empty. It’s like wearing different hats for different parts of life—one for work, one for home, one for church. The outside looks fine, but the heart never changes.
Jesus doesn’t want more movement. He wants meaning. He wants your heart.
Going through the motions changes nothing. Letting Jesus change your heart changes everything.
Maybe it’s time to ask:
What table needs to be flipped in my life?
What’s keeping me from drawing near to God?
Where has my faith become more about habit than relationship?
When Jesus walked into that temple, He cleared out everything that stood in the way of worship. He still does that today. Let Him clear what’s in the way. Stop going through the motions, and start going to the cross. That’s where new life begins.