And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 ESV

Some of us get the idea that Jesus of Nazareth went through His ministry smiling, blessing children and sitting with newly washed lambs. But on Monday of Holy Week; this same Jesus who had forgiven the woman caught in adultery and who ate with sinners became angry when He went to the temple to pray. Instead of meekly entering He instead shouted as he drove the buyers and sellers away saying indignantly, “Is it not written My House shall be called a house of prayer?”

Photo by Adrien Olichon on Pexels.com

Now the case could be made that Jesus was upset because of the physical location where these vendors were set up. But more importantly;  when Jesus used the word “House” he also meant household or family. In other words the place where God’s family meets should be exclusively for brothers and sisters who come together to pray. Of course it is easy for us 2,000 years later to be critical, but are we any better today?  Are we truly, first and foremost a family of prayer?

Or do we sometimes maneuver our way into desirable positions in order to take unfair advantage of others? Are we putting ourselves right back at the money changer’s tables? Our special events are great and fellowship while we are having coffee matters; but can we say that prayer is the main thing that happens at church (Online or otherwise)?  Secondly notice also that Jesus went on to say that His family was supposed to be for all nations. Are all nations showing up at our place of worship?  Jesus wants to clean His house of anything that keeps us apart. Then when everyone brings their own inheritance into God’s family  together we become the House of God and His family indeed!