24.173 | My House Shall Be Called A House Of Prayer | Mark 11:15-19 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 11:15-19 ESV

15 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.

16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.

17 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.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

19 And when evening came they went out of the city.

- Mark 11:15-19 ESV

MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER

As He came to the vicinity of the temple, Jesus saw the place as a market place. He drove 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. Jesus was angry but He did not sin.[Heb 4:15] By this act, He definitely does not allow these commercial practices to continue.

Why?

The religious leaders made the temple as a ‘den of robbers.” They ran the business of money changing and animals for sacrifices. The house of God is supposed to be a house of prayer for all the nations. It, turned out to be a place of commerce. They use their religion not to serve and sacrifice unto God but to enrich themselves. This is sad as we see a lot of cults are doing the same today.

Are there not cynical people towards churches today because of what they perceived about churches? That is, religious leaders, specially from cultic groups, are talking most of the time about money and how raise it. Jesus is justified to show force. Why? These religious leaders are calloused. They sought a way to destroy or kill Jesus instead of repenting from their sins.

As a house of prayer, the reverence and fear of God should permeate in the temple. This was absent. Yes, their rituals continue but the spirit is not there anymore. As Psa 50:7-12 says,

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.

8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.

9 I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.”

May we won’t loose our sense of awe and wonder to our God.

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