Jesus Enters the Temple
And Jesus entered the temple of God 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. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:12-13 (RSV)
“...you make it a den of robbers” How often the church has stolen from the people. Penance, land. Then comes the prosperity gospel with promises of God’s abundance coming your way if you just give. Or a minister building his own church empire on the backs of people......”a den of robbers.”
How often has the church stolen from it’s people by the grabbing of power to manipulate the saints into doing what they see as best, or belittling them just for the taste of power. How often has the church berated those of differing doctrines within the Christian faith hence stealing from them fellowship, acceptance, and love....”a den of robbers.”
How often has the church taken on the norms of society so the transforming power of God’s truth and spirit can no longer work in their midst. Remove the opportunities for prayer, for studying the whole of Scripture, for meditation, for spiritual fellowship, and into the resulting void one gives lifeless liturgy, rout form of godliness, and a social club....”a den of robbers” which steals spiritual life from the people.
God’s house is a house of prayer. Not the prayer you perfunctorily say before diving into dinner or bed, but prayer that changes the world. That act which penetrates beyond the mind into the heart. That act which enriches and enlivens yourself and those around you; or which scares you to death because you know you are doing something or plan to do something which is wrong. That act which transforms a life.
I remember a young woman in Swaziland who was suffering post C section from profound sepsis and dehiscence of her surgical wound. We were giving her all the different kinds of antibiotics and IVs we could (and they were appropriate, even for Canada). But she was not getting better. One week after my initial visit, I was once again doing rounds on that ward when the student nurse became so animated she practically pulled me into the young lady’s room. Here was the same young lady but different. She was reading her Bible. Her temperature came down two nights before, and when I examined her surgical scar, it was healed!! This was a miracle from any medical point of view. The student nurse said, “She found peace with God two days ago and accepted Jesus’ gift of wholeness and salvation!” I looked at the young lady in the bed, and said, “You know, you have received a miracle as your body is completely healed.” She looked up at me as if to say, “So”. She was not overjoyed about the healing in her body. She was overjoyed by the peace in her soul. She went back to her reading in the Scripture as if to say, “Go away, doctor. You are disturbing my communion with the Lord.” And I left.
That is the act which I call prayer. That is the transformation it can provide. That is what God’s house is about…. “My house shall be called a house of prayer;” Make it so, O Lord. Make it so.