New painting: He Overturned the Tables

A new painting inspired by scripture, Mark 11:15–17

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.
 He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
 And as he taught them, he said,

“Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? 
But you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’”
— Mark 11:15–17

A reflection that stayed with me

I kept going back to the devotional writing from the book Daily Office—Remembering God’s Presence Throughout the Day by Peter Scazzero.

He wrote:
Jesus’ intense anger and overturning of tables in the temple courts ought to make us gasp.
 He knows that if we don’t get to God, invaluable treasures will be lost or obscured. We lose the space where we experience God’s unfailing love and incredible forgiveness. We lose an eternal perspective on what is important and what is not. We lose compassion. We gain the world but lose our souls (Mark 8:36–37).

A moment to pause and pray

Even as I’m writing this, I paused, took some deep breath, exhaled, and prayed along with this poem:

Be Free for God

I have a need

of such clearance

as the Saviour effected in the temple of Jerusalem

a riddance of clutter

of what is secondary

that blocks the way

to the all-important central emptiness

which is filled

with the presence of God alone.

~ Jean Daniélou

Pause for thoughts...

A riddance of clutter
of what is secondary

Interested in the painting?
Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in this piece or would like more information.

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