And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
In this passage, Jesus enters into the Temple area and He is angered by what He sees. There were men in the Temple area that had come there to make money from the people who were trying to worship God. They were cheating the people and making a large profit. They had made it difficult for people to worship because they were essentially charging admission to the Temple. Jesus was not pleased at all. He says to them that His house is to be a house of prayer. This was one of the purposes of God’s house, to be a place of prayer. A place that is different from the world. People should be able to come in and worship God without being hindered by those who are there for the wrong reasons. These men had corrupted God’s house because of what they were doing in His house. God’s house is open to all. There is no admission charge.
We have to remember that God’s house is to be a house of prayer, a house of worship. Too often we don’t treat it that way. Too often, we forget the meaning and purpose of God’s house. God wants us to use His house for prayer and for worship. Jesus was angered because these men were taking advantage of those who were coming to worship God. When we come to God’s house, we must remember the reason that it is there. It is there for people to gather together and worship the Lord. We must be careful not to be a hindrance to those who are trying to worship. We do this without even realizing it. We come to God’s house for other reasons. We come to be seen. We come to catch up on gossip. We come to criticize others. We come to make ourselves look better. We come for many reasons other than to worship God. God is not pleased when we act in this manner. We must treat His house with respect and never forget what its purpose is. When we come for the wrong reasons, we can hinder others form having a time of worship. God is not pleased by this behavior.
- What are your reasons for coming to the house of God?
- Do you always come with an attitude of worship when you come to God’s house?
- What would Jesus say about your heart’s attitude when you come to God’s house?
- Is there anything in your actions or attitudes that makes someone feel unwelcome in God’s house?
Today, think about why you come to church. See if there is anything you need to change about your reasons for coming to God’s house.
A Pastor's Thoughts 