1

My House is a House of Prayer

2

And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:

 "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" [Mark 11:17]

3

Riding a young donkey, Jesus entered the temple of Jerusalem.

At that moment, many people accepted Jesus Christ.

4

Some people spread their cloaks on the ground and some people shook palm tree branches, shouting “Hosanna” welcoming the coming of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem.

5

The word Hosanna means “save us.”

The people shouted aloud and welcomed Jesus, believing that Jesus was going to save them from the oppression from Rome.

6

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus went to the temple with his disciples.

Also that day, Jesus went to the temple to preach the word of God to many people.

7

After this event, Jesus was very shocked and sadden to see that the temple was like a market because of the people who were selling and buying things for the sacrifices.

8

Upon looking at that, Jesus got very angry.

“How could this happen in the holy temple of God?”

And Jesus went to the people selling things.

9

Jesus drove out the people selling and buying things in that place.

“Get out of this place. This is not a place to sell and buy things.”

10

And Jesus overturned the benches of the money changers.

And he also overturned the benches of those who were selling doves.

There was never a time before when Jesus had been this angry.

11

He didn’t allowed people to carry merchandise through the temple courts.

The temple of God became clean by Jesus.

The deeds of Jesus were a righteous one and so, no one was able to say anything.

12

Jesus taught them by saying:

“Have you forgotten that it is written through the past prophets about the temple of God that, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?”

13

Jesus was in great indignation and said,

“But you made this holy temple of God as a den of robbers.”

14

The people who made the temple like a market were the chief priests who offered the sacrifices to God and the secretaries who recorded the words of God.

These people did a bad thing for their own gain; they shut their eyes to the temple becoming unclean/dirty.

15

They saw Jesus cleaning the temple, but they were not aware of their wrong deeds. They were a very evil hearted people who even thought of a way to kill Jesus, because they were jealous upon looking at the people receiving grace by listening to Jesus preach.

16

After this happening, at the temple everyday Jesus taught the word of God to the people.

The people who gathered there became surprised by the teaching of Jesus, repented, and received His grace.

By Jesus, the market, like the temple changed to the place where God’s words were being preached.

17

Also today, our Jesus hopes our temples/bodies are clean.

Apostle Paul told us like this:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”

18

So when Jesus comes to our temple which is ourselves, we should not let it be like a market which is full of bad thinking and dirty hearts.

But, rather we should be a people of faith who care well for our body temple to make it a place where Jesus’ words overflow and bear much fruit of faith.