The Holy Place

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

THE HOLY PLACE

Mark 11:15-19

15 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, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"  18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they went out of the city.

NIV

The idea of people making sacrifices available for the distant traveler coming to the temple to offer a sacrifice was not such an uncommon situation, however, to do it right in the temple courts was a little out of the ordinary. It would have been better if they had booths along the streets leading up to the temple, but to be selling and making a profit off of people right in the temple courts was offensive to God and thus Jesus did what he did as to instruct the people regarding the holiness of the temple of God. He also made a very prophetic statement about the temple being God’s house and a house of prayer for all nations, which meant not just Israel. It is interesting that we have offered a prayer as close as we could get to the temple at what is called the western wall. As is the custom, we even crammed a little piece of paper with a prayer on it into a crevice of the wall. Many people from many nations have visited that wall and have done the very same thing. So this temple has become a house of prayer for all nations. However, there is something else here that comes to mind. We call our churches, well at least our sanctuaries the house of God. We believe we come into the house to meet with the living God. Some churches have placed a sign above the sanctuary door, with those words of Jesus, “My house will be called a house of prayer”, or something similar. The fact is that there have been churches we have entered that seem to have forgotten the holiness of the house of God, at least in many of the protestant churches. Many have been turned into a theater or auditorium. One we are aware of has painted the sanctuary black and installed laser lights, and has steam pouring out during high volume music like sound which is called worship. Some we have been in we have heard laughter and joking around prior what style of service they conduct. Is not the sanctuary seen as the house of God anymore? Have we turned into a den of something other than prayer? Have we made too little of the church, just considering it a building by thinking that we, the people, are the temple of God? If we are, then have we attended to the holiness of the temple? Are we a house of prayer for all nations? Have we robbed the temple of its true meaning? Just a thought to ponder on, but in the meantime, we too should enter the sanctuary with respect for it is a holy place where we come to meet with the living God.