Gridlock, Week 5: What Does God Desire
About this episode
This episode explores Jesus' act of defiance in the temple and its implications for standing up against exploitation.
Listen to the March 22, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. We live in a world full of protests, counter-protests, and constant conflict — and most of us are somewhere between deeply compelled to act and completely exhausted by it all. This week we look at one of history's most famous acts of defiance: Jesus walking into the temple and flipping over the money changers' tables. It wasn't random anger. It was a response to real exploitation — the religious system was preying on the poor, marking up offerings tenfold and squeezing people who had the least. What drove him to act? And what can his example teach us about how and when to take a stand in our own lives? We explore three things that have to work together — a heart that breaks for others, a clear sense of what's right, and the willingness to absorb the cost of standing up. If you've ever wrestled with whether to speak up or stay quiet, this one's worth your time. https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Topics covered
- defiance
- exploitation
- social justice
- faith
- activism
Keywords
- Jesus
- temple
- money changers
- exploitation
- protests
- social justice
- faith
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Zionsville United Methodist Church
Places: Zionsville, IN
More episodes of Zionsville United Methodist Church
- Wide Open, Week 3: Worry
- Wide Open, Week 1: The Gift of Rest
- Grace That Finds Us
- Easter 2026 - Faith, Hope, and Love
- Gridlock, Week 6: What Does the Messiah Do?
- Gridlock, Week 4: Who is First?
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Zionsville United Methodist Church podcast page.