On the morning after His entry into Jerusalem, Jesus, with His disciples, went from Bethany - for there He spent the nights of His last week on earth - to the temple at Jerusalem. And what did He see? The spacious courts of the temple resounded with the noisy tumult of a public fair. Those who yesterday had cried Hosanna were now bartering and making merry. And Jesus, in righteous indignation and irresistible Majesty, cast out all those that bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those that sold doves saying to them: "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves." - And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them. And the children hailed Him singing: "Hosanna to the Son of David." But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and heard the children crying in the temple, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were extremely displeased,- the hypocrites, who had willingly tolerated the tumult of the fair - and said to Him: "Don't You hear what these say?" And Jesus said to them: "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected praise?'" And He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany; and He lodged there. (Matt. 21:12-17.)
          All who name the name of the Saviour, and who hear His Word and worship Him, must do so seriously and with the simplicity of a child, and not combine worldly and carnal attractions with it. The Christian Church must truly desire salvation, and must assemble to hear, to pray, and to praise. The Lord who came to His temple at Jerusalem is present in our assemblies also. And when we do carnal things under the pretence of serving Him, He beholds with grief and indignation that our heart does not desire Him.