Sunday, June 21st, 2009

Mark 11:15-17
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 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."

Jesus and His disciples are travelling to Jerusalem, and the feast of unleavened bread is drawing near. Jesus now arrives in Jerusalem and then comes to the temple. It is in this temple that Jesus looks and sees a deplorable sight. He sees money-changers and sellers of pigeons who are enterprising people, there because they knew that many people would not have the appropriate sacrifice. Thus, they setup in the temple itself in order to facilitate their sales.

So these people were not there to worship, but they were there to make money. This then outraged the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The temple was built by Solomon, then rebuilt later to be a place of worship and sacrifice to God. It was never meant to be a place where men could capitalize in order to make a living.

The question for today is this: have we made the Lord's house into a house of profit? Well, maybe we aren't buying and selling things at church, but is religion to us something that makes our lives easier, better, and more profitable, or is it something that we do to honor and glorify God. Is Christianity for us something that we do out of the overflow of joy and love for Christ in our heart, or is it something we do for convenience and safety.

So Jesus says to them, my house is supposed to be a house of prayer, not a den of robbers. Jesus was saying that the house of God, church, is only for one purpose, and that is to commune and worship God. The modern feel good, do whatever makes people want to come, and let people come to church for whatever selfish motive that they have is not true church. True church, as Jesus says in this passage is a place of prayer, it is a place of worship to God.

So then what does this mean today? It means that I must remember whenever going to church that I am not going there for my own purposes and for my own advancement. I am not going to church in order to get my fix, or do what I want. Rather, I am going to church to do one thing: worship God the way that He wants and commune with Him.

Oh Father, how often have I lived in religious life thinking about myself and what makes me feel good and what profits me. Forgive me for this self-centered, so-called religion. So help me God, to live my life in worship to you constantly, but only to give you my life. Let my life be a constant love song, and a constant communion with you in order to glorify you and honor you. Do not allow me, oh my God, to be consumed with myself, but help me to be consumed with you. Let my pride and arrogance and self-preservation fade away, and let me be a vessel of yours. In Christ, amen.