By Pastor Trent
And as (Jesus) taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?” Mark 11:17
Thousands of people had lined up along the roadway waving palm branches and placing their garments on the road in front of Jesus to welcome Him into Jerusalem. The people shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus entered Jerusalem and He went straight to the temple.
What He saw touched a nerve that led him to an unusual response. First, people were buying and selling in the temple, on the temple grounds. The people who came to worship God had to buy sacrifices. Historians tell us that these vendors who sold the sacrifices were normally outside the temple walls. But somewhere along the line, the leaders allowed venders to set up the makeshift marketplace inside the temple grounds. Jesus responded by driving out those who were buying and selling – forcing them out. In addition money changers were exchanging currency for the Gentiles, the non-Jews. In order to buy sacrifices you needed Jewish money and they were charged an unjust fee for the exchange. Instead of the temple being a house of prayer for the Gentiles who were from all nations, it was cluttered with people robbing them financially. Jesus reacted by by throwing over the tables of the money changers and having all the money fall on the ground.
He then makes the statement from Isaiah 56, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?” But what did Jesus mean when he said it? Well some have understood Jesus’ words in this passage as a call for more “prayer gatherings” at the church building. After all, they conclude, the church building is God’s “house” and therefore the main purpose in gathering should be prayer. Now, please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say: corporate prayer is important! There is something powerful about praying with other believers. But if we step back and look at the “big picture” of this passage I think it will take on an entirely different meaning.
The Bible is clear that today’s temple is not a physical temple; rather, God’s temple is made up of all who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16 to see for yourself. So, could it be that more than Jesus calling a “building” a place of prayer, He was really saying that His followers should be people of prayer. You and I are His temple today. Do our lives follow the pattern that was established thousands of years ago? God wants His temple to be a place of prayer. Is it?
Read 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16.
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